Gangtok:20th Feb:The District Administration Centre (DAC), Gangtok, convened a coordination meeting today to review issues requiring urgent attention in Gangtok district.
The meeting was chaired by the District Collector, Gangtok, Tushar G. Nikhare, at his chamber.
The meeting deliberated extensively on matters including water scarcity in urban areas, reported cases of Avian Influenza in the State, and incidents of forest fire in the Tumin–Lingee area.
Addressing the issue of water scarcity, the District Collector advised officials of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department to ensure that hydrologists accompany field teams during expeditions to identified water sources. He reviewed the status of ongoing initiatives undertaken by the Department to mitigate the urban water shortage and sought updates on the Bhusuk project aimed at augmenting alternative water sources for Gangtok district. The District Collector also highlighted the importance of water conservation measures being implemented in rural areas of the district.
During the meeting, the Additional Director of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services (AH & VS), Ms Emila Shenga, delivered a detailed PowerPoint presentation on Avian Influenza. She briefed the gathering on the symptoms, modes of transmission, and cases detected in the State. Emphasising the need for a coordinated response, she highlighted the importance of adopting the ‘One Health’ approach. The One Health approach is an integrated, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary strategy aimed at sustainably balancing and optimizing the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. She also elaborated on the Action Plan for Prevention, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza (2021), precautionary measures, and the roles and responsibilities of various line departments.
The District Collector urged all concerned departments to disseminate general awareness messages to sensitise the public about Avian Influenza, its symptoms, and precautionary measures. He further called upon them to issue advisories promoting preventive steps to avoid forest fires and enhance fire safety awareness among the public.
The District Collector also sought details from Block Development Officers (BDOs) regarding preparedness at the block level and reviewed the action plan of the Fire Department to effectively respond to such emergencies.
The meeting was attended by the Additional District Collector, Tshering Norgyal Theengh, the Joint Director of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), and senior officers from various line departments, as per information from IPR.
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