NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday highlighted India’s role as first responder in events of disaster in the sub-continent while speaking at the 10th meeting of the head of Authorities of SCO member states on disaster management.
“In the Indian sub-continent, we have been playing the role of the first responder in the case of disaster,” said Shah.
India is the host for the Shanghai Co-operation Organization Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search & Rescue (SCOJtEx)-2019.
Shah said member states need to give special emphasis on“disaster relief infrastructure” and India is leading the initiatives in the fields of disaster management and disaster resistance.
Calling SCO countries to give special emphasis to the field of disaster relief infrastructure, Shah said, “India is leading the initiatives in disaster management and disaster resistance. This ministerial meeting is of special importance to us as after 2017 after we joined it this is the first meeting in India.”
Shah said that most of the SCO nations are adversely affected with ‘floods’ and ‘earthquakes’ and called on the SCO members to make a concerted, synchronised effort towards securing people from disasters.
“The four days of joint cooperation in the field will help the member countries in dealing with rescue and search operation in a disaster situation. Further, the forum will provide a platform to come up with planning and protocol to deal with the disaster. "