Bhubaneswar: The State Government has decided to strengthen of State’s disaster management capacity with modern equipment and training to the front-line units. During the State Executive Committee, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said that intensive training will be given to the front-line organizations like ODRAF and Fire Service Units.
Around Rs 400 crore would be invested in sharpening the disaster management system and empowering the front-line organisations engaged in mitigating the impact of the disasters.
Development Commissioner and Special Relief Commission (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena asked the departments to submit utilization certificates against the SRC grants already released to them for relief, repair, restoration, and distribution of various assistance to the people.
Mahapatra directed Housing and Urban Development dept to remove the encroachments on drains and keep those properly widened and linked for smooth passage of rain/stormwater. He also directed to enhance the in-house capacity for instant urban flood management. It was decided to have more modern relief and rescue equipment including the support for drinking water supply and water evacuation during the disasters.
He directed to build more flood shelters in flood-prone areas. The department was asked to identify the flood-prone villages having insufficient flood/cyclone shelters so that people could be housed there during natural calamities. More flood shelters would also be helpful in providing emergent relief to the people of the marooned villages. It was also decided to strengthen and heighten the flood embankments in vulnerable areas like Bari, Dhamnagar, Gop, and other riverside villages as a permanent measure.
The proposal for Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA ) was discussed in the meeting. It was decided that a quick PDNA against the last heavy rain and flood would be conducted. After a proper assessment of the needs, additional support would be mobilized for long-term recovery, reconstruction, recovery, and future damage reduction.
Jena appraised that the PDNA would be conducted in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority and National Institute of Disaster Management.
The sectors like hosing and resettlement, protection of civic amenities including the health and educational infra, drinking water, local critical infrastructure needs like roads, bridges etc. would be the principal themes for PDNA. Chief Secretary Mahapatra directed to complete PDNA in about a month.
Among others, Director General of Police Sunil Bansal, Additional Chief Secretary Water Resources Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary Home Snjeev Chopra, Additional Chief Secretary Revenue and Disaster Management Satyabrata Sahu, Principal Secretary Finance Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary Rural Development and Information and Public Relations Sanjay Kumar Singh, and Principal Secretary Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Sunil Kumar Lohani attended the meeting.
