Madikeri: Superintendent of police RN Bindu Mani reviewed precautionary measures to safeguard life and property during disasters such as landslides and floods ahead of the monsoon season.To enable quick response during emergencies and ensure coordination with other departments, officials from the police department, District Disaster Control Centre, and the fire department held a joint meeting to discuss key issues.Matters such as the availability of life-saving equipment, emergency vehicles like ambulances, volunteer support, and timely identification of alternative road routes were taken up during the meeting.Meanwhile, pre-monsoon showers were reported in parts of the district, including Madikeri city, on Saturday. This year’s pre-monsoon rainfall has caused some concern among residents. Several parts of the district have witnessed frequent rain since March.Areas such as Napoklu, Nelaji, and Kakkabe have recorded up to 203mm of rainfall, while other regions have received very little. Coffee growers are awaiting adequate rainfall, especially during the summer, as pre-monsoon showers are crucial for the crop, they said. Some areas have received less than 25mm rainfall, whereas others have recorded up to 250mm.At present, the weather remains hot and sunny. Although the sky has been cloudy over the past few days, there has been no rainfall.Meanwhile, the Mysuru regional commissioner has directed the release of 500 cusecs of water from the Harangi dam for five days, following discussions with Madikeri MLA Manthar Gowda, who also chairs the Harangi Irrigation Consultative Committee.The decision was taken to ensure drinking water supply in Kushalnagar in Kodagu district, and in Periyapatna, Hunsur, KR Nagar, and Saligrama taluks of neighbouring Mysuru district, in view of declining water levels in the Cauvery River, said Harangi dam executive engineer IK Puttaswamy.
