Strengthening Flood Infrastructure and Equipment in Mazandaran

Sari – The Director General of Crisis Management at the Mazandaran Governorate pointed to planned measures to reduce flood damage, saying that one of the key priorities is the procurement and deployment of long-reach mechanical excavators.

Hossein Ali Mohammadi, in an interview with Mehr reporter, pointed out the importance of the preparation of executive bodies to deal with natural disasters and hazards and stated: Effective crisis management requires interdepartmental coordination, utilization of existing capacities, and the establishment of a single command mechanism at the time of disasters.

He added: The severity and extent of accidents and hazards are different according to the environmental conditions and the type of weather phenomena, and to reduce possible damages, the operational capacity of the responsible institutions should be strengthened according to these conditions.

Referring to the capacities of the private sector in crisis management, the Director General of Crisis Management of Mazandaran Governorate stated: The use of private sector capacity and coordination between different institutions are among the issues of concern to the province, and Article 15 of the country's crisis management law emphasizes the use of related capacities.

Stating that Mazandaran, in addition to the resident population, hosts a significant population of travelers and citizens from other provinces, Mohammadi said: the province's infrastructure is mainly designed to suit the resident population; Therefore, the increase in the population at different times of the year doubles the need to pay more attention to the capacity of the infrastructure and the readiness of the service providers.

Referring to Mazandaran's experience of hosting compatriots in special and critical situations, he pointed out that the province should plan in such a way that, in addition to providing services to the residents, it is also possible to properly respond to the needs of the floating population.

Strengthening infrastructure and equipment to deal with floods

The Director General of Crisis Management of Mazandaran Governorate pointed out the anticipated measures to reduce the damages caused by floods and said: One of the important issues is the provision and deployment of long mechanical excavators and suitable equipment for cleaning the openings of intersection structures and water passages.

He added: During heavy rains, there is a possibility of falling trees and accumulation of branches and obstacles in the opening of bridges and other water crossing structures. Blockage of these routes can change the direction of the flood flow and increase its destructive power, especially in the downstream areas and settlements located along the water flow path.

Mohammadi continued: In this regard, the necessary follow-ups to use the available capacities, including the capacity of the free zone, are being carried out with the aim of providing the required equipment to enable faster intervention and reduce the risk for residential areas.

Evaluating the readiness of the devices by holding crisis management maneuvers

He also stated about the level of coordination between the member agencies of the province's crisis management headquarters: coordination between executive agencies is one of the main pillars of effective incident management, and this issue is emphasized by the governor and officials of the country's crisis management organization in Mazandaran.

The Director General of Crisis Management of Mazandaran Governorate added: holding crisis management maneuvers is an opportunity to measure the level of preparedness of executive bodies, examine the cooperation of different departments and identify possible weaknesses in the process of responding to incidents.

Stating that the results of these maneuvers can be used as a basis for evaluating the performance of the devices, Mohammadi said: The purpose of these measures is to identify shortcomings, strengthen operational coordination and increase the ability to respond when accidents and unforeseen events occur.

He emphasized: In case of inconsistency between the institutions, the necessary measures will be taken to solve the problems and create coherence in the service delivery process so that the set of responsible institutions can act more harmoniously in critical situations.

In the end, the Director General of Crisis Management of Mazandaran Governorate emphasized the necessity of continuous preparation of the executive bodies and noted: Strengthening the operational capacity, improving the readiness of the forces and using all the available capacities are among the requirements of crisis management in order to provide services to the people of the province and the guest population with appropriate speed and quality.