CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) is going to unveil a perspective plan on disaster management focusing on measures to integrate risk reduction into development plans based on international agreements on sustainable development and adaptation to climate change.The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Perspective Plan 2018-2030 is evolved by the
TNSDMA based on various international agreements, including Sendai framework, UN sustainable development goals and Paris agreement on climate change. It also has taken into account the Prime Minister’s 10-point action plan announced at the ASEAN ministers conclave.
A perspective plan was also necessitated by the changing climatic conditions resulting in natural calamities taking a heavy toll on human lives, livelihood, infrastructure and essential services network over the years in the State which had witnessed the Chennai floods (2015), cyclone Vardah (2016) and Ockhi (2017).The deluge and cyclones had taught a few lessons and forced the authorities at the helm of affairs to revise the strategy to encounter such eventualities in an effective way in risk reduction, speedy relief activities and sustainable rehabilitation.
The perspective plan, which was approved by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday, lays stress on integrating disaster risk reduction into development plan.“One of the focus points is mainstreaming disaster reduction into development plans,” K Satyagopal, Commissioner of Revenue Administration (CRA) and Relief Commissioner, told Express.He noted that development schemes must be prepared in such a way that they do not create any risks and disaster risk reduction strategy should be made in a comprehensive method getting into the bottom of the problems.
“If Chennai city is suffering from floods during heavy downpour, miseries compounded by surging rivers, we should address the problem from the roots,” Satyagopal, who is instrumental in evolving the perspective plan, explained.An eco-system-based approach to the disaster is another key area the document is focusing on.The perspective plan is expected to usher in a ‘paradigm shift’ in disaster risk reduction as it tends to effectively address the onslaughts of climate change on Tamil Nadu which has been bearing the brunt of floods, cyclones and other related calamities in the recent years.