The Rajasthan Government on Tuesday instructed the Collectors of western districts to assess the damage to crops, livestock and public and private properties during the incessant rains for the last two days caused by Cyclone Phet and make arrangements for disbursement of relief to the affected people.
State Chief Secretary T. Srinivasan, presiding over a specially convened meeting of the Disaster Management Committee here, reviewed the preparations for the monsoon season and asked the Collectors of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner to prepare relief packages for their respective districts.
Mr. Srinivasan said the relief would be provided to the affected people in accordance with the norms laid down in the Disaster Relief Fund. He also asked the Principal Urban Development Secretary to get the drains in all major towns cleaned to avoid waterlogging.
According to an official release here, the committee reviewed the Cyclone Phet-related damage and disruption of life in western districts with the railway track between Phalodi and Jaisalmer being damaged and several small villages getting inundated.
The meeting was told that the road traffic in Jaisalmer and Barmer districts through Jodhpur had been disrupted, while the submerged portion of Phalodi-Jaisalmer railway line was being repaired.
While the Disaster Management Secretary said an advance budget had been sanctioned to the affected districts for distributing financial assistance, Principal Medical and Health Secretary said all arrangements had been made to meet the exigencies on seasonal and waterborne diseases, such as malaria, cholera and gastroenteritis.
The release said a State Control Room had been established in Jaipur to monitor the situation after getting the Weather Office’s warning for heavy rains. It will continue working till the normalisation of situation.
The departments such as water resources, animal husbandry, home, food and civil supplies, relief, urban development, medical and health, public works and Weather Office were represented at the meeting.
Overnight rains caused by the cyclone brought down the minimum temperature in different parts of Rajasthan. The situation in western parts of the State was stated to be improving with the weakening of Cyclone Phet.
Jaipur and Bikaner recorded a minimum of 19.1 degree Celsius temperature, while Bikaner received a rainfall of 58 mm, Churu 45 mm, Pilani 36 mm, Phalodi 8 mm, and Jaisalmer and Jodhpur 5 mm each.
