Bhubaneswar: The 38th Steering Committee meeting of the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) was held today under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anu Garg at Kharavela Bhavan. The meeting discussed implementation of the National Safety Programme (NSP) and various disaster management initiatives.
The Chief Secretary stressed the need for regular preparation to deal with natural disasters like floods and cyclones, citing casualties due to drowning, snake bites, and lightning. Additional Chief Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary Chithra Arumugam, DG (Fire Service) Dr. Sudhanshu Sarangi, and other senior officers attended the meeting.
OSDMA Managing Director Dr. Kamal Lochan Mishra informed that the Community Disaster Management Plan is being implemented in 10,000 villages across 30 districts, with plans to expand it to 314 blocks and 2,295 village panchayats. The State Institute of Disaster Management (SIDM) is being constructed at Revenue Officer Training Institute (ROTI), Gothapatana, and is expected to be completed by December.
The meeting was informed about the Odisha Disaster Resource Network (ODRN), a web-based portal providing district-level updates on human resources, equipment, and infrastructure for disaster management. The “Samartha” portal tracks trained human resources and training, with 1634 training programs completed and 34,312 resources created. The “Yuva Apada Mitra Scheme” will be implemented as “Yuva Bipada Bandhu” training, with 13,793 youth volunteers to be trained.
The committee discussed tsunami preparedness, coastal erosion protection, and cyclone shelter construction. The Chief Minister has prioritized disaster preparedness, and orders have been given to repair damaged shelters. The meeting concluded with discussions on ensuring safe construction practices with the help of OSDMA and other departments.
