BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday directed all departments to maintain a foolproof preparedness mechanism to tackle natural disasters and possible climate-related challenges during the current year.
Chairing a meeting of the state-level natural calamity committee meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, the chief minister reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to its globally recognised ‘zero casualty’ disaster management strategy.
He said disaster management remains a top priority and warned that no laxity will be tolerated in safeguarding lives and livelihoods. A key decision taken at the meeting was the allocation of `6 lakh annually for maintenance of each of the state’s 911 multi-purpose cyclone and disaster shelters.
District administrations were instructed to ensure the availability of drinking water, electricity and cooking facilities in these shelters well before any emergency situation arises. With forecasts indicating the possibility of below-normal rainfall due to the El Niño phenomenon, Majhi directed the Agriculture, Water Resources and other departments to adopt a ‘whole of government’ approach to tackle the situation. The Agriculture department has been asked to prepare contingency plans to minimise the impact on the kharif crop season.
Citing concerns over potential global fertiliser disruptions due to instability in West Asia, the chief minister asked district collectors to keep a close watch on the availability of urea and complex fertilisers and maintain adequate stocks of nano urea where necessary. Monitoring committees have been constituted at the panchayat level to prevent black marketing.
Majhi said the state’s ‘zero casualty’ model has earned international recognition and the disaster risk reduction practices of Odisha were appreciated by participating countries during the recent BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group technical meeting held in Puri.
Referring to the management of recent cyclones, including cyclone Montha, which affected 11 districts, the chief minister said nearly 38,000 people were safely evacuated from vulnerable areas. The operation involved 33 ODRAF teams, five NDRF units and 123 fire service teams.
Currently, the state has 20 ODRAF teams and 347 fire stations equipped with modern equipment, while the process of creating 10 additional ODRAF units is underway. Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari said the state’s proactive preparedness and swift response mechanisms continue to set benchmarks in disaster management across the country.
The meeting attended by MLAs and MPs gave important suggestions based on the actual ground-level situation in their respective constituencies. The CM assured that their suggestions will be given due place in the state’s disaster management plan.
Members of the state cabinet, chief secretary, development commissioner, special relief commissioner and other senior officials were present.
