1 2 Pune: Better disaster management operation came to the rescue of residents of low-lying areas, affected by floods on Sunday, especially in Ektanagari and Sinhagad Road. These citizens had suffered a lot due to poor flood relief operation on July 25. The locals said advance alerts from authorities and early flood mitigation measures played a crucial role in Sunday’s relief operation.
The civic staff, including officials of ward offices and fire brigade department, were stationed for 24 to 30 hours before water reached its maximum discharge level on Sunday. Also, shifting of vehicles from flood-prone areas, reduced damages. A resident of a housing society in Ektanagari said, “Many residents were shifted from their homes even when the water level hadn’t risen much.
” Shreyas Apte, a resident of Sinhagad Road, said that constant alerts and updates helped citizens on Sunday. “Since timely alerts were given, citizens were mentally prepared for relocation. People who were involved in rescue operation could plan things based on the information received from the administration,” he said.
Vrutik Deshpande of Anuj Society said, “Since there was a likelihood of water discharge, we made rounds of Ektanagari on Sunday morning and in the afternoon. We urged people to move to safer locations.” Umesh Sathe, a resident of Pulachiwadi in Deccan, said, “Since the vehicles and other facilities were made available in advance, relocation was hassle-free,” he said.
Fire brigad.