Madhubani administration steps up flood, drought preparedness

Madhubani: Building construction minister and Madhubani district in-charge minister Leshi Singh on Tuesday chaired a meeting to review preparedness for possible floods and drought in the district.Addressing officials at the DRDA conference hall, Leshi said the govt was committed to minimising the impact of natural disasters through coordinated efforts.She asked officials to organise special gram sabhas in all panchayats on May 30 to update beneficiary lists on the Sampoorti portal for faster relief distribution. Officials were also asked to expedite alternative crop planning in view of possible flood and drought conditions and complete pending Nal-Jal schemes on campaign mode.Additional collector (disaster) Santosh Kumar said Madhubani remained highly vulnerable to floods as nearly 18 rivers and tributaries flow through the district. River water levels are being monitored every three hours.According to the IMD, rainfall between June and Sept is likely to remain below normal.Officials said 242 relief camps with capacity for over 97,000 people and 231 community kitchens had been identified. A total of 93 govt boats, including 28 operational ones, are available, while agreements are being signed with private boat owners.District magistrate Anand Sharma, superintendent of police Yogendra Kumar and other senior officials attended the meeting.