PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
With the monsoon gathering momentum, the State administration has made arrangements for real time information related to the dams and barrages. On the orders of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the secretary, Disaster Management Vinod Kumar Suman has directed that major dams and barrages in the State will have to compulsorily provide updated information regarding the water level, inflow, outflow and discharge of their reservoirs to the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) every day at 8 AM and 8 PM.
The secretary chaired a high-level review meeting at the State Emergency Operations Centre at USDMA on Wednesday. He directed the officials of the departments concerned and hydropower projects to ensure better coordination and strengthen the monitoring system during the monsoon.
He clearly stated if water is proposed to be released from any dam or barrage, prior notification must be provided to the State Emergency Operations Centre and the district administration concerned. The information should also specify the time required for the release of water to reach which areas, the expected rise in river water levels in downstream areas and the potential impacts, so that people living in vulnerable areas can be alerted in time and necessary precautionary measures can be taken.
Suman also directed all projects to share data from river water level sensors and discharge monitoring systems installed under the early warning system with USDMA in real time via API. He also directed the hydropower projects to expand the automatic weather stations and early warning systems installed in their respective areas. He specifically directed Tehri Hydro Power Corporation to increase the number of automatic weather stations in its area to 25 to ensure more accurate and widespread availability of weather data.
The additional chief executive officer (Administration), Prakash Chandra, stated that discharge sirens, warning devices and various sensors installed at all projects should be regularly tested so they can function at full capacity when needed. He added that the functionality of technical equipment is crucial during the monsoon season, so any technical deficiencies should be addressed immediately.
