Mazandaran on Full Alert for Heavy Autumn Rains

The Deputy Governor of Mazandaran for Development Coordination announced intensified preventive measures, cleaning and dredging of rivers, and readiness of the province's executive bodies to confront possible floods caused by upcoming weather conditions.

Mazandaran governor's deputy for the coordination of civil affairs announced the intensification of preventive measures, cleaning and dredging of rivers, and the readiness of the executive bodies of the province to deal with possible floods caused by the upcoming weather conditions. ‎

According to the report of Ambassador Arjan from Mazandaran, Abdolreza Dadboud, referring to the meteorological warnings at the national and provincial levels regarding the El Nino phenomenon and the announcements of the country's crisis management organization, stated: Considering the weather forecasts and the possibility of significant rainfall, especially in the fall season, management and preparation for facing possible floods is on the province's serious agenda.

Stating that weather phenomena can cause heavy and spotty rains, noticeable temperature fluctuations and floods in different areas, he added: In the past months, several meetings have been held at the province level and necessary warnings and instructions have been communicated to all the elements related to crisis management.

Mazandaran governor's deputy for civil affairs coordination continued: Governors, as heads of crisis management of the cities, have been informed about the upcoming weather conditions, and meteorological reports and instructions of the Ministry of Interior have been sent to the cities with an emphasis on preventive measures.

Emphasizing the importance of preventive measures to reduce possible flood damage, Dadbod stated: cleaning and dredging rivers, checking water passages, identifying blocked points and reopening the paths that prevent proper channeling of water in cities, villages and areas outside the urban limits are among the most important measures emphasized at this stage.

He listed the arrangement of broken and fallen trees as well as the trees located on the river bed as other necessary measures and said: All the responsible agencies should provide a safe passage of water by identifying high-risk points and removing the existing obstacles, so that during heavy rains, the possibility of flooding and damages will be minimized.

Referring to the necessity of strengthening the coordination between the responsible agencies in the field of warning, the deputy director of civil affairs coordination of the Mazandaran governor added: Necessary coordination has been done with the General Directorate of Meteorology and the regional water company of the province so that information about weather conditions and the state of water resources can be provided more quickly and accurately.

Dadbod noted: Meteorological warnings are issued in yellow, orange and, if necessary, red levels according to the conditions, and executive measures should be started as soon as possible according to the warning level and the level of possible danger.

Emphasizing the need to prevent the presence and settlement of people on the banks of rivers and high-risk areas, he said: Temporary residence, establishment and activities in high-risk areas should be managed according to weather conditions and issued warnings in order to prevent accidents.

Referring to the notification of the duties of the executive bodies in the stages before, during and after the occurrence of floods, Dadbod said: Municipalities, district administrations, rural administrations, the General Directorate of Highways and Road Transport, the regional water company, natural resources, agricultural jihad and other related institutions must prepare the necessary equipment and facilities to manage possible conditions during and after the rains.

He added: Identifying the accident-prone areas, the readiness of emergency and operational equipment, and coordination among the responsible agencies are among the measures that must be continuously pursued to reduce possible damages and accelerate crisis management.

Mazandaran governor's deputy for civil affairs coordination also informed about the follow-up of supplementary insurance for building accidents and stated: This issue is also on the agenda of the province so that in case of damage to buildings due to possible accidents, the possibility of compensating losses through insurance capacities will be provided.

Emphasizing that dealing with weather phenomena requires prediction, prevention and continuous preparation, Dadbod said: the management of special weather conditions should be followed by detailed planning, inter-departmental coordination and timely implementation of communicated instructions.

Referring to the measures taken in the past months, he pointed out: the preventive measures and preparation of the executive bodies were also effective in the recent floods of the province, and in one or two recent cases, the amount of damage in the cities and villages of Mazandaran has been reduced to a minimum. An approach that should be followed by continuous preparation and strict implementation of crisis management plans.