Supervising officers and teams in each Ward; Nodal Officers for better coordination

Mysore/Mysuru: With the monsoon expected to arrive in city within a couple of days, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has taken proactive measures by forming nine teams to assist the public who may be affected by the rain. Some parts of the city have already experienced excessive pre-monsoon showers accompanied by thunderstorms.

In recent years, the MCC has faced criticism for its  inability to effectively address monsoon-related situations such as waterlogging on roads, flooding and rain entering houses in low-lying areas and falling trees posing risks to roads and houses.

It has been alleged that the civic administration neglected encroachments along water bodies and failed to clean stormwater drains and regular drains, leading to flooding of residential areas, especially the low-lying localities.

While efforts have been made to tackle blockages and encroachments, there are concerns that these measures may not be sufficient to prevent a recurrence of previous incidents, which caused inconvenience and hardships for residents and commuters.

This time, however, the MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy has expressed confidence in the readiness of the civic body, stating that necessary staff, officers and machinery have been mobilised to handle any situation that may arise during the monsoon season.

The nine teams will function directly under the Commissioner and have been formed in all the nine Zones of the civic body and nodal officers have also been named for greater coordination.

Officials in Zonal limits have been instructed to identify low-lying areas and other susceptible locations prone to flooding. Additionally, trees at risk of collapsing during rainfall are being identified and pruned by Abhaya teams as a precautionary measure.

Four Abhaya teams have been assigned to three city Assembly segments to handle rain-related problems, while the cleaning of stormwater drains will help alleviate waterlogging.

These teams are equipped with tools such as saw, cutters, sickles and machetes to address incidents involving uprooted trees and electrical poles. They are also prepared to handle overflowing drainage, wall collapses, and other emergencies.

Zonal Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, Chief Engineers, Executive Engineers and the MCC Forest Wing have been put on high alert and tasked with monitoring the situation constantly. MCC Control Rooms will operate in conjunction with ward-level Control Rooms, with designated officers available 24/7 at various levels. Equipment, vehicles and other essential resources are being maintained in a state of readiness, said a statement from the MCC.

Dedicated hotlines for people to call

The dedicated hotlines will receive public complaints during and after rainfall and the staff is equipped with computers and walkie-talkies. Employees manning the Control Room can promptly inform field officials and staff to respond to emergencies.

Complaints received will be forwarded to the respective zones and the jurisdictional Assistant Commissioner will be informed to initiate necessary action. The Corporation Commissioner has already conducted several meetings with officials to discuss disaster preparedness.

He emphasised that the main channels and stormwater drains have been desilted and blockages removed to ensure the unimpeded flow of rainwater. Most of the required work has been completed and instructions have been given to finalise the remaining tasks before the onset of heavy rains. Priority will be given to residential areas prone to waterlogging. In case of excessive rains and the resulting damage during this monsoon season, additional vehicles and machinery will be procured through private agencies to assist with civic works and officers have been instructed accordingly.

[Details of Officers responsible for each Zone tomorrow]