Bhubaneswar, July 25: The municipal corporation has decided to arm you with tools to tackle disaster.

The civic body has prepared a ward-specific action plan to tackle calamities such as flood and waterlogging.

In the first step, the corporation today started a programme to train people in disaster preparedness. The corporation will map the disaster-prone areas based on feedback from residents and formulate strategies, said an official.

“We will prepare a set of standard operating procedures to tackle situations arising out of disasters,” said the corporation’s assistant commissioner (slums) Binay Kumar Das.

In the initial phase, of the 60 wards in the city, 20 have been chosen for the disaster preparedness measures. From each of these wards, one person will be chosen for training in disaster preparedness.

Persons will be trained in how to rescue someone from drowning, in case of floods. They will be taught basic first aid and resuscitation methods. In case of earthquakes, residents will be taught to keep windows open and take cover under furniture such as tables.

The programme will be conducted in association with the Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority and will continue for three years.

Das said: “Urban disaster plans have become an important part of civic management in the wake of severe waterlogging in cities such as New Delhi and flash floods in Uttarakhand. We will involve people directly in this plan so that they are a part of the risk reduction mechanism. They will be trained to be alert during emergencies.”

The city and its suburbs had faced floods in September 2011. Flood-like situations near Acharya Vihar are common in monsoon due to the overflowing of natural drainage channel No. 4.

The city project co-ordinator of the disaster risk reduction plan, Meghnad Behera, said: “We are also concerned about climate change, sudden downpour because of cloudbursts causing local flooding and so on.”

Sanjay Kumar Baliarsingh, councillor of ward No. 6 (Mancheswar Industrial Area), however, told The Telegraph: “The officials have invited participants from the first 20 wards, but they should have done more legwork and invited people from more vulnerable wards.”

Manoranjan Behera, councillor of ward No. 1, said that though Patia and Damana appeared upmarket, many areas here faced severe waterlogging.

He said waterlogging was a big problem at Sashwat Vihar, which was at a lower level than Sailashree Vihar, Niladri Vihar, housing plots allotted by the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, and plots that belong to the general administration department. None of these areas have proper drainage systems.

“Residents of Sashwat Vihar have a tough time because water flows into their locality from the higher levels. People who live in Pragati Vihar near Damana also have to deal with waterlogging during monsoon,” said Behera.

Two youths had drowned in the September 2011 floods when they were washed away near a culvert at Chakeisiani.

They were crossing Gangua Nullah when floodwaters from the Mahanadi river system suddenly entered the area. In the past five years, three persons have drowned near GGP Colony where floodwaters come in from the Kuakhai river.