Bhubaneswar: Odisha has been proven to be the best model for disaster management at the national level. The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Of Administration, in collaboration with the Odisha Natural Disaster Management Authority, has started a three-day training course for administrative officials from various states on the Odisha model.
Inaugurating the event at the Madhusudan Das Regional Academy of Financial Management today, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said that the 1999 super cyclone was a great challenge and experience for Odisha. Over the past 21 years, the state has gained a lot of control over the devastating effects of floods and storms on people’s wealth and lives.
Odisha is the first state in the country to form a special task force to deal with disaster management immediately. In the meantime, these two systems have been made more efficient. Standard operating procedures (SOP) and specific formal procedures for advanced preparation have been streamlined. Disaster management systems from state to the village have been systematized and organized. More than 1,000 multi-purpose cyclone and flood shelters have been built. Schools buildings with concrete roofs have been built, so that the structures can be used as shelters during floods, cyclones, etc. Disaster management is being implemented in the state as a participatory model, involving the village community, the panchayat system, and voluntary organizations, the Chief Secretary said.
Mohapatra said that the system of active participation and cooperation of the people in the whole process has been strengthened. The people of Odisha have been made aware of the need to save their lives and cope with disasters.
At the inaugural function, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary & Managing Director, OSDMA, informed about the past and present of natural disaster management in Odisha. He said that the recurrence and intensity of all these disasters are increasing with climate change.
“Based on its experience, the state has made itself strong, vigilant, and prepared over the past two decades. The Odisha Disaster Response Force (ODRAF) and the Odisha Fire Services have been fully prepared. Advanced warning information systems have been also developed,” Jena said.
Jena added that recent climate change has created new challenges such as thunderstorms, rainfall in urban areas, and high sea tides. For all this, now Odisha is applying new information and technology techniques. Odisha is the first state to provide pre-thunderstorm warnings.
The three-day training program was attended by 22 administrative officials from Daman, Gujarat, Tripura, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and other states and union territories in the field of natural disaster management. During the training, the officers will be involved in the state emergency center, advance disaster-related information dissemination, rescue and relief equipment, mock drill for emergency action, multi-disciplinary cyclone shelter, and emergency response.
