Odisha ‘model’ state in disaster preparedness since 1999 super cyclone

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Oct 29, 2017 at 4:06 PM Updated On : Oct 31, 2017 at 12:28 PM

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has become a ‘model’ state to the world in disaster preparedness and risk mitigation since 1999 super cyclone, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here today.

Attending Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day celebrations at Rabindra Mandap on the completion of 18 years of super cyclone, Patnaik said, “It is a solemn occasion to remember the men, women and children, who lost their lives in super cyclone on this date in 1999 and during other disasters.”

BJP President JP Nadda to address public meeting in Berhampur on April 28

Passenger bus goes up in flames in Odisha’s Dhenkanal

Since 1999 super cyclone, Odisha has faced fury of cyclone very often.

In view of devastated super cyclone that had claimed over 50,000 lives in the coastal part especially Erasama in Jagatsinghpur district and Mahakalpada of Kendrapara district, Odisha has ensured preparedness to tackle the situation during any natural disaster.

“My government has ensured adequate planning, preparedness and continuous capacity building to minimise human casualty during any disaster. I really appreciate that we have chosen Early Warning to Save Lives as this year’s theme,” Patnaik said during the programme.

In the wake of fury of super cyclone and cyclone Phailin, the government has constructed 879 multipurpose cyclone and flood shelters, 17,000 ODRP houses for Phailin affected people of Ganjam and Khurda district, 571 houses at Relocation & Resettlement (R&R) site at Bagapatia for sea inundation affected people of Satabhaya in Kendrapara district, five special go-downs and 12 saline embankments in disaster prone areas.

The School & Mass Education department will implement the School Safety Policy of 2016 designed by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The state government has chalked out a plan to integrate youth power for disaster management.

“School Safety Policy of 2016 as designed by NDMA will be implemented by the School & Mass Education department soon. We have also planned to integrate youth power for disaster management. Volunteers of NCC, NSS and YRC of different colleges have been trained on disaster management skill by OSDMA,” the CM said.

On the occasion, Patnaik went around the exhibition displaying various preparedness mechanism including a model of alert siren systems that can warn people in a disaster like situation to move to safe place.

Notably, the advanced warning systems will be inaugurated soon by Patnaik in November.

Sources said that Odisha will become the first state in India to have been installed Alert Siren Systems at 122 locations within 1.5 km of six different coastal districts — Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri and Ganjam — to issue cyclone and Tsumani warning to the people.