Bhubaneswar: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday directed officials to strengthen Odisha’s disaster preparedness through the adoption of advanced technologies, scientific planning and community-based awareness programmes, while reviewing flood and stormwater management at a high-level meeting held at Lok Seva Bhawan.
The meeting reviewed the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and IIT Roorkee for scientific management of urban flooding caused by heavy rainfall. IIT Roorkee made a presentation on the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared for the project.
It was decided that, in coordination with the Housing and Urban Development Department, ten urban areas would be identified in the first phase for implementing urban flood management and stormwater drainage projects. The projects will be funded through the Disaster Management Fund.
Pujari stressed the need for scientific management of stormwater drainage systems in Bhubaneswar and other urban centres to ensure the quick discharge of rainwater and minimise waterlogging during heavy rainfall.
The Minister was informed that 381 tsunami-prone coastal villages have been identified and are being developed as Tsunami-Ready Villages through preparedness measures and community-based disaster management initiatives. Of these, 26 villages have received recognition under the IOC-UNESCO Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme.
The meeting also reviewed measures to modernise tsunami preparedness. The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has collaborated with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, to strengthen tsunami management and early warning systems. Pujari held detailed discussions with INCOIS officials on forecasting and warning mechanisms and called for further strengthening of the rapid warning system in the coming years.
Expressing concern over the increasing incidence of landslides, the Minister said the disaster has emerged as a new challenge for the State. Following recent landslide incidents in Gajapati district, surveys are being conducted at vulnerable locations. He said senior departmental officials have visited the northeastern states to study their landslide management practices, while consultations are underway with national and international expert institutions to develop a suitable landslide management framework for Odisha.
Pujari also directed officials to closely monitor coastal erosion in vulnerable districts and take timely preventive measures. He further emphasised that houses constructed under various government housing schemes in cyclone-prone areas should incorporate disaster-resilient features to withstand natural calamities.
The meeting was attended by Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Director of Municipal Administration Arindam Dakua, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Chanchal Rana, senior officials of OSDMA, and representatives of IIT Roorkee and INCOIS, who joined the discussions virtually.
