Kodagu braces for monsoon

Alerts on heavy rains to be shared on social media and WhatsApp groups

Kodagu, which witnessed back-to-back devastating floods in 2018 and 2019, is bracing for the monsoon, which, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), is expected to arrive on June 5. The forecast has put the district administration on alert.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which assisted the district during the worst-ever floods and landslides, is expected to arriver by May-end. The team is expected to be stationed in the district for the entire monsoon.

The team of officials which was in the forefront of disaster management last year has worked entirely on monsoon preparedness since the last few weeks. The process of collecting information on the areas hit by calamities in the last two years has been completed besides identifying the vulnerable areas. The gear required for handling the flood situation and emergencies is being readied.

Officials in Kodagu have been asked not to avail leave and stay put in the district during the monsoon.

The district administration said it was in touch with the Karnataka Disaster Management Authority for inputs and is closely monitoring updates from the IMD for the preparations at the panchayat level. Alerts on heavy rains based on inputs from the IMD are uploaded on its social media accounts besides WhatsApp groups for quick communication.