The Hindu : Disaster management policy on the anvil

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 11, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Disaster management policy on the anvil

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 10. A disaster management policy and Act would be formulated by the Government to strengthen the disaster management and response mechanism in the State, the Revenue Minister, K.M. Mani, has said.

Inaugurating the two-day workshop on "Urban earthquake vulnerability reduction" organised by the Natural Disaster Management Faculty of the Indian Institute of Land Management in association with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and United Nations Development Programme here today, the Minister said the Government was also considering the proposal to include disaster management in the school curriculum taking into account the need for creating awareness among the younger generation.

Mr. Mani said the Government had already constituted the Disaster Management Authority under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary in the State. Lack of sufficient equipment in disaster rescue and relief operations was the main reason for delayed response. The Government was also planning to procure essential search, rescue, evacuation and communication equipment to strengthen the district control rooms this year using 10 per cent of the Calamity Relief Fund allocation.

A web-based computer network of resources needed for disaster management would be set up in the State as per the Union Government's guidelines. All information regarding resources, including skilled manpower, equipment required for various rescue and relief activities and their availability and other details would be included in the proposed website, he said.

The Government had constituted five sub-committees to prepare disaster management plans with regard to the water and climate related disasters, geological disorders, chemical, industrial and nuclear related disasters, biological disasters and man-made disasters.

The reports of the sub-committees would be finalised soon, the Minister said.

The three urban areas of more than five lakh population in the State--Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode-- have been included in the country-wide Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Project.

The Home Ministry and the UNDP have allocated $ 20,000 for Kozhikode and $ 17,000 each for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode for the project.

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