Bhubaneswar: On the occasion of Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day, observed every year on October 29 to commemorate the 1999 Super Cyclone, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik underscored the importance of robust disaster preparedness.
CM Majhi gave assurance for the future while LoP Patnaik reminded of the past legacy and cautioned against its erosion.
Taking to his X handle, CM Majhi wrote “On Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day, our government remains committed to strengthening disaster preparedness, enhancing community resilience and ensuring the safety of every citizen. Through proactive planning, improved early warning systems and coordinated response mechanisms, we are working towards a safer and disaster-resilient Odisha.”
Marking the day, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recalled Odisha’s journey since the 1999 Super Cyclone and cautioned against any dilution in disaster management.
“Since the 1999 Super Cyclone, #Odisha has faced the wrath of nature with courage, conviction, guided by one unwavering principle that every life is precious. We faced nature’s fiercest challenges with our zero-casualty model rooted in preparedness, resilience and community participation which turned vulnerability into global beacon in disaster management,” Patnaik wrote on X.
He further added, “The fast erosion of Odisha’s disaster management leadership is a warning we ignore at our own peril. As we will continue to be prone to disasters, any dilution of the hard-won disaster preparedness will threaten the safety of our people and our economic progress.”
It is pertinent to mention that Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day is observed to remember the victims of the 1999 Super Cyclone and to strengthen the state’s resolve towards disaster resilience, even as the state is currently witnessing heavy rainfall under the impact of cyclone Arnab’s remnants.
