A state emergency operations centre at Hyderabad and district emergency operations centres at the district headquarters will be set up by the year- end. The state, which has a 972- km-long coast, is prone to cyclones brewing up in the Bay of Bengal. Further, the two major rivers, Godavari and Krishna, flowing through the state, have floods occurring frequently to them or their tributaries at one place or the other.
As of now, the disaster management office in the Secretariat is functioning as a control room for the state and the district collectorates as control rooms in the districts. But there has been no excusive set-up for the control room.
Now, work is in progress to set up a state emergency operations centre (SEOC) and district emergency operations centres (DEOCs). Already, a suitable site has been identified for SEOC which could become operational in six months’ time.
According to sources in the disaster management wing of the revenue department, the main purpose of SEOC will be to act as a coordinating centre for departments involved in disaster management. ‘’SEOC will be the coordinating point for the field staff engaged in rescue and relief operations during natural calamities like cyclone and floods, and also the decision- makers in higher echelons of the state administration,’’ an official of disaster management department said.
The difficulties or requirement of the field staff will be relayed to the higher officials of the department concerned and necessary assistance will be ensured so that the task can be completed, he explained. SEOC and DEOCs will have state-of-the- art communication equipment and steps are afoot for its procurement as well as for recruitment of staff.
Communication equipment like wireless sets and satellite phones will be procured, hotlines set up and a communication network will be developed for use in case all other communication channels fail. Video-conferencing and tele-conferencing equipment along with databank of necessary maps of state, district and mandals along with details of important buildings and their blueprints will be acquired. ‘’They will be of utmost importance in case of evacuation or search and rescue operations,’’ the official said.
The required funds for the SEOC and DEOCs will be met from the Rs 30-crore grant given for disaster management under the 13th Finance Commission (2010- 15) funds. As for the staff, except emergency, the SEOC and DEOCs will have skeletal staff. In times of emergency, necessary manpower from different departments will be drawn.