Licensed boatmen to operate country boats in Cuttack

Cuttack district administration has decided that it would register all the country boats ferrying passengers in the district and they would be driven by licensed boatmen.
This decision was taken when the district administration took stock of the situation yesterday at a natural calamity preparatory meeting here chaired by the district collector Girish S N, sources said today.
It is learnt that the district now has only 20 power boats and over 150 country boats against a requirement of 60 powerboats and 375 country boats. The Special Relief Commission (SRC) would be approached soon to meet the shortfall, the meeting attended by the only minister of the district and all other legislators, including the Zilla Parishad chairman Prashant Behera, decided.

This year, the district administration has identified at least 19 weak and vulnerable points on embankments of Mahanadi and tributaries like Kathajodi, Kuakhai, Kandal and Devi. The Irrigation department has been asked to repair and refurbish the vulnerable points by June 15.
The weak points are likely to pose flood threats vast areas under Baranga, Athagarh, Banki, Kantapada, Niali and Cuttack Sadar blocks of the district. Similarly, Mahanadi north division, Khurda irrigation division and Kendrapara irrigation division has some weak and vulnerable points in the embankments, sources said.
All the block headquarters have been asked to remain equipped with sufficient food items, kerosene, dry food and fodder to meet any eventuality during flood along with powerboats and country boats to evacuate the marooned people.

Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) authorities have also been asked to be equipped with sufficient number of water pumps to remove waterlogging as the situation is likely to aggravate this year in view of the ongoing work of rehashing the drainage and sewerage system.