New Delhi: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) celebrated its 12th Formation Day at a function here today to reaffirm its commitment to make India disaster resilient.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. P.K. Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, emphasized upon the need to work towards stopping the creation of new risks, reducing existing risks, and strengthening the response and recovery capacities to manage disasters holistically.
Dr. Mishra said disasters may strike with greater intensity in the future owing to various reasons such as climate change. He said that mainstreaming Disaster Management activities in governance projects will determine how well are we able to respond to disasters in future. Dr. Mishra said positive results in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) can only be achieved when particularly the state, district and local governments and community-based organizations come together. He commended the role of NDMA and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the area of Disaster Management.
Various States shared their experiences in terms of best practices and innovative technologies for disaster preparedness. Lt. Gen. N.C. Marwah (Retd.), Member, NDMA, invited the States to share initiatives so that other States may also benefit from the same.
Assam, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh talked about their Flood Early Warning System and how they deal with this recurring disaster. For dealing with flood-like situations in Yamunanagar district, Haryana has created Whatsapp and SMS groups with all stakeholders and reviews forecast database every day. Maharashtra has developed GIS applications for mapping disasters and advocated the use of technology in mitigating the impact of disasters.
In the wake of excellent post-disaster work done by Gujarat after the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, a memorial – the Smriti Van Memorial – which will be a visual manifestation of hope and courage is also being constructed. Nagaland is one of the first States to form Disaster Management Authorities at the village level.
Rajasthan’s Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan is a step forward towards a solution to the water crisis in the arid State. Sikkim shared the mitigation measures that it took to contain the possibility of a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood at the South Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim.
Uttar Pradesh highlighted the implementation of a massive capacity building programme right up to the panchayat level. West Bengal has created a mobile application to monitor the progress of Multi-Purpose Cyclone Shelters, being constructed under NDMA’s flagship National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project.
Earlier, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, inaugurated the event. Appreciating the work done by NDMA in its efforts to mainstream DRR in the country, Shri Ahir reiterated that the Government was committed to the vision of a safer, stronger and resilient India. India’s geographical diversity makes it highly vulnerable to all kinds of disasters. While we have been able to contain the losses and respond swiftly, it is important to work even more diligently towards mitigating the impact of disasters, he said.
The Minister also called upon the States and all the stakeholders to make the forthcoming Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016 a success. We must leverage this opportunity to showcase India’s capability in DRR and its resolve to take the region along towards improved disaster resilience, he said.
India is hosting the AMCDRR, a regional mechanism that has been instrumental in strengthening the DRR agenda at all levels of governance, on November 3-5, 2016 in New Delhi.
In his welcome address, Shri R.K. Jain, Member, NDMA, recounted the achievements of NDMA during the last one year. He spoke about India’s first National Disaster Management Plan, released by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in June this year. India also hosted the first South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise (SAADMEx) for disaster managers and leaders from SAARC countries in 2015. The second BRICS Conference on Disaster Management, which led to the Udaipur Declaration and the roadmap to a Joint Action Plan, was held at Udaipur, Rajasthan in August this year.
NDMA has released Guidelines on School Safety, Hospital Safety and Minimum Standards for Shelter, Food, Water, Sanitation and Medical Cover in Relief Camps. The Authority worked closely with the States in mitigating the impact of Heat Wave and the number of casualties came down drastically in 2016. NDMA is also working on developing an Earthquake Disaster Risk Index for 50 identified vulnerable cities. A Home Owners’ Guide, which will help the common man make informed decisions when buying a property, is also being prepared. A failsafe communication system with advanced technology and equipment is also being developed. The National Disaster Management Services, which will connect all the State Headquarters and another 80 vulnerable districts in its first phase, will keep the communication lines open even during a disaster.
Shri Jain also underlined the risk of urban floods, as was evident in the case of Chennai floods last year. He informed that while the Authority has already shared the short-term measures and advisories with the States, it is working towards developing long-term mitigation measures for urban floods.
A special issue of NDMA’s newsletter ‘Samvad’ was also released on the occasion. Senior officials of MHA, NDMA and NDRF as well as representatives from various States, Non Governmental Organisations and academic institutions were also present during the function. India is aiming to shape its governance narrative by weaving DRR into its agenda. The upcoming AMCDRR will bring issues related to DRR into focus. This increased focus will mean better preparedness and reduced vulnerabilities across regions and sectors.
3 comments