Monsoon is heading near, and the district administration has made disaster management preparations. A review of the preparations was taken during a meeting chaired by District Collector Dilip Swami at the District Collectorate on Wednesday. Swami directed the municipal corporations, all municipal councils, and taluka and village-level administration to complete all the pre-monsoon works by June 1.
The pre-monsoon review meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority was held at the District Planning Hall. Additional District Collector Praveen Fulari, CEO of Disaster Management Cell Vinod Ghosalkar, Additional Municipal Commissioner Ranjeet Patil, Brigadier Commander Rishikesh Suryawanshi, Disaster Management Officer Maruti Mhaske, and other officers were present.
The officers informed that the villages on the back of Godavari River banks coming under the blue alert line are 18 villages in Paithan taluka, 17 in Vaijapur, and 8 in Gangapur taluka. There are a total of 43 such villages. The villages in Paithan taluka, including Paithan city, Kavsan, Dadegaon, Jahangir, Naigaon, Vadvali, and Navgaon; in Vaijapur taluka, including Dongaon, Babtara, Lakhganga, Nandurdhok, Babhulgaon, and Bajathan, are surrounded by flood.

In the district, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar taluka has 16, Paithan 15, Phulambri – 7, Vaijapur – 31, Gangapur – 26, Khuldabad – 6, Sillod – 10, Kannad – 48, and Soygaon taluka – 6. A total of 165 villages are flood-prone villages. The bridge at Kaygaon in Gangapur, Sambhajinagar to Ahilyanagar, and Paithan’s Shevgaon Road are affected by flood.
The District Disaster Management Authority, during the calamities, has five boats, 185 life jackets, 160 life buoys, 215 rescue kits, 815 folding stretchers, 815 body cover bags, 132 safety helmets, 10 rescue crafts, 17 sets of emergency lights, 276 pairs of gumboots, 20 temporary tents, and 5 binoculars to tackle the calamities. Similarly, lightning averting systems have been installed at 79 places in the district, the officers informed.
Swami said the works of disaster management in the district, nullah cleaning in the city, electricity works, and control maintenance works should be completed before June 1. Medicines, epidemic medicines, and food grain supplies should be managed in the villages surrounded by flood or flood-prone villages. Caution should be taken while doing road or pipeline works along the roads. All departments should work with proper coordination. A 24x7 control room should be prepared, and all officers should remain present at the headquarters, Swami directed.
Disaster Management Officer Maruti Mhaske made a presentation, while Khirolkar proposed a vote of thanks.