With CM setting a deadline of May 31 for cleaning of nallahs and setting up of disaster management plan, the BMC has pulled up its socks and is working round the clock to ensure things are in order this monsoon.

M-ward conducted two meetings this fortnight to chalk out its disaster management plan.

The first meeting was held with the areas ALMs on May 20 and the second held on May 26 involved corporates like BPLC, HPCL, Reliance Energy, Indian Medical Association, BARC and Chembur police.

Says Chandrashekhar Chore, ward officer, M-west, The basic intention was to have a consolidated list of the resources we have. During last years deluge we did not know which association to approach for a specific problem. Now that we have a list, we will be in a better position to plan out systematic relief efforts.

Plan I
Open schools for the affected people

The BMC plans to open five municipal schools in the suburb for the affected people, if a July 26-like deluge takes place. One of them is the Subhash Nagar school Plan II
Subsidised food packets

BMC has arranged for organisations to provide food packets at a subsidised rate for residents who get stranded in the rain.

Plan III
Declare holiday

It was decided in the meetings that the schools in low-lying areas will remain closed on those 18 days of monsoon when there will be a high tide.

Plan IV
More beat marshals, vehicles

The cops will get help from beat marshalls and they will be given more vehicles to help people. The traffic cops have made an arrangement to move the vehicles from the road and put them on open grounds such as Somaiya and Gandhi maidan.

Plan V
24-hour helpline

Uprooted trees will be
cleared immediatelyThe BMC will start a 24-hour service to pick up trees that get uprooted during the monsoon. The service will be pressed into action on June 1. The BMC employees will work in three shifts for this service, starting from 8 am to 5.30 pm, 3 pm to 11 pm and 11 pm to 6 pm.

SD Varise, horticulture assistant M-west ward, says, Well have a vehicle to pick up the chopped trees and branches. Well clear the roads immediately so that residents do not face any inconvenience.

Varise adds that the pre-monsoon trimming of trees has already started. BMC will take in 40 members from different NGOs to work 18 hours a day, he adds.

Call 25283900

Plan VI
New pumps

The BMC has bought new pumps to remove accumulated water in low lying areas such as Deonar Abattoir, Mankhurd Subway, Deonar Municipal Society.

Prakash Patil, ward officer, M-east, says, Water accumulation was a major problem last year and it will not happen this year. Few generators have also been brought to provide electricity to affected areas. The BMC, in association with the fire brigade, has also purchased kayaks and motorbikes which will aid rescue work.

vaibhavi.shitut@mid-day.com