Tell us city’s disaster management plan: Consulates ask Mumbai civic body

How to prepare the city for a disaster? How to communicate and disseminate alerts during a natural calamity? What are the official Twitter handles to be followed?

How to prepare the city for a disaster? How to communicate and disseminate alerts during a natural calamity? What are the official Twitter handles to be followed?

HT File

Ahead of the monsoon season and in the backdrop of the deluge last year on August 29, which once again brought the maximum city to a grinding halt, these are some questions that 13 consulates based in the city have asked in their letters to Mumbai civic chief Ajoy Mehta.

Now, 26 representatives from at least 13 consulates stationed in the city will meet the city’s disaster management team on March 28 to get their queries answered and understand the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) plan.

Of the 13 consulates, three, including the Netherlands consulate general, British deputy high commission and consulate general of France, wrote to the civic commissioner earlier this month.

The consulates have asked the BMC to discuss the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) they have to follow in a disaster and setting up a communication system that will send updates to the consulate office at regular intervals.

Officials said a separate disaster booklet for foreign nationals will also be discussed. Other than the action plan, consulates have raised concerns regarding broadcasting of alerts to their citizens in a calamity.

Official from the disaster management unit of the BMC said, “Currently, there is no separate system to update the consulates. We send out bulk messages during disasters, including the routes to avoid and rainfall updates. However, international mobile numbers are not part of the bulk messages.”