BHUBANESWAR: With natural disasters visiting Odisha with increasing intensity and frequency and the State requiring a robust mechanism to face industrial disasters, the State Government on Wednesday sanctioned an additional assistance of Rs 55.22 crore to strengthen the disaster fighting arms with hi-tech equipment and innovative training.
This was decided in the State Executive Committee meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy. With this additional assistance, a total amount of Rs 205.21 crore has been sanctioned for hi-tech equipment and capacity building activities during 2020-21.
This includes procurement of high-tech collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR) equipment and quick deponent antenna (QDA) for ODRAF and Fire Service Units and disaster management training cell.
Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Jena said, “at present, the Odisha Fire Service is equipped to respond to natural disasters in the State and extend helping hands to other states. The new training and equipment would further sharpen their teeth to deal with different types of disasters”.
He said the Disaster Management Training Cell (DMTC) at Gothapatana has successfully trained 3586 persons from ODRAF, fire services, civil defence, community-level volunteers and others in various modules relating to disaster management, search, rescue and first aid.