SHILLONG, March 2: Strong winds measuring up to 67 kmph in Shillong led to a number of fire incidents across East Khasi Hills on Sunday. No casualty was reported in any of the incidents.
A major forest fire close to the PHE IB at Mawphlang dam damaged a large number of cables.
Forest fires were reported near the boundary of the Lariti International Centre for Performing Arts & Culture at Mawkasiang and the IIM Shillong campus.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem said fire tenders managed to prevent the fire from spreading towards Lariti and IIM campuses.
He also informed that a sawmill located at Mawpdang was gutted in a fire incident.
According to him, several forest fire incidents were reported from Mawiong, Mawtawar, Pomlakrai and Umpling.
It was also informed that the roofing sheet covering the boundary of the under-construction St. Anthony’s LP School at Don Bosco Square also collapsed due to the strong winds, posing danger to commuters in the area.
The Shillong Traffic Police had to divert the traffic as the tin sheets had blocked the road.
Teams from the East Khasi Hills Disaster Management Authority are on the ground to coordinate and supervise the operations.
The Fire & Emergency Service vehicles were working overtime due to the large number of incidents. The SDRF of the Home Guards were also pressed into service to douse the fires at Mawphlang dam. Army and Indian Air Force fire tenders have been urged to remain on standby.
Village Defence Parties have been alerted in all villages by the respective police stations to assist in fire fighting operations. The Drone Control Centre of East Khasi District Police was also involved in ascertaining the extent of the fires and to facilitate the fire-fighting teams.
Gusty winds sweep Meghalaya
Strong winds swept across Meghalaya on Sunday, with several locations experiencing high wind speeds. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) recorded gusts reaching up to 67 kmph in Shillong, making it the windiest location of the day.
A wind speed of 67 kmph is considered a “Gale” on the Beaufort Wind Scale, which falls within the range of 62-74 kmph.
Data from AWS stations painted a more intense picture. Apart from Shillong’s 67 kmph winds at 12:30 pm, other areas also faced strong gusts. Mawsynram in East Khasi Hills recorded 48 kmph, while Umiam AMFU in Ri-Bhoi experienced 59 kmph winds. Nongstoin in West Khasi Hills and Resubelpara in North Garo Hills also saw significant gusts at 56 kmph and 33 kmph, respectively.
The gusty conditions, which began in the early morning, disrupted daily activities in some areas. Residents reported falling branches, dust storms, and difficulties in commuting due to strong winds. Power supply was also erratic for most parts of the day.
Meanwhile, the Revenue and Disaster Management on Sunday issued an advisory to the public in view of the onset of the windy season for avoiding any damage or disaster.
As per the advisory, the public have been urged to check their houses, secure loose tiles and carry out repairs of doors and windows, remove dead branches or dying trees close to the house and avoid any incidences especially fire by getting wiring/electricity properly checked at home.
The advisory further asked the citizens to ensure safekeeping of all objects such as lumber piles, loose tin sheets, loose bricks, garbage cans, signboards, etc., which can be blown away by strong winds.
“In case of a fire incident, people should not panic and the affected families should be evacuated to safe places,” the advisory added.
