BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Friday decided to set up a special unit in the Odisha Disaster Response Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) to strengthen its urban flood management system considering the erratic rainfall pattern in recent years.
The decision was taken at the State executive committee meeting on natural disaster presided over by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra. The Chief Secretary said that in view of the flooding in urban areas of the State during rains, a special unit of the ODRAF should be raised as early as possible to deal with such situations. He also directed that disaster fighting arm of the State should have high tech equipment and trained on multi-hazard responses.
Development Commissioner PK Jena said that two villages, Noliasahi in Jagatsingpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district received the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission recognition as first tsunami ready Indian villages in the Indian Ocean region. He has placed proposal for making 326 villages more tsunami ready.