BHUBANESWAR: Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) on Wednesday entered into a collaboration with Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES), Bangkok and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kerala for disaster preparedness.
Official sources said the collaboration will strengthen the state government’s preparedness for managing disasters through impact based forecasting, early warning dissemination and last mile connectivity.
This will also empower people to leverage technology to mainstream disaster preparedness.
The partnership with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham will help the government develop a landslide early warning system in Odisha. RIMES will support OSDMA as knowledge partner and system integrator for implementing the World Bank supported Odisha State Capability and Resilient Growth Programme (OSCRGP) project.
The state has disaster management plans in 9,986 villages.
Since disaster management plans are not linked with development programmes, it has been decided to create risk-informed disaster management plans in vulnerable panchayats in phases.
Executive director of OSDMA Susmita Behera signed the MoUs with director of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Maneesha Vinodini Ramesh and senior advisor of RIMES KJ Ramesh in the presence of chief secretary PK Jena and managing director of OSDMA Satyabarat Sahu.
“Odisha is known as the best state in disaster management. Whether in disaster preparedness, management during disaster, post disaster or adopting disaster resilient strategy, we have been trying to do our best every time. The collaborations will also help in the capacity building of youth towards disaster preparedness,” Jena said.