Kerala - Kozhikode   

Mapping of disaster-prone areas mooted

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, SEPT. 12. The draft recommendation of the two-day regional workshop on disaster management the concluded at National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C), near here, today called for the setting up of a committee to look into country-specific comprehensive definition of disasters.

The workshop on "awareness and sensitisation drive in disaster management of landslides and flash floods'' was jointly organised by the NIT-C and the Institute for Sustainable Eco-Development (IFSED).

Other recommendations included location and mapping of various disaster and hazard-prone areas with the assistance of science and technology. One of the participants mooted land zonation method as an example in this regard. Also, reviewing, reconstituting and strengthening of existing machinery for disaster management at the national, state, district and panchayat level could be taken up if necessary.

Academic bodies can take up model studies for developing empirical correlation for quantification index of the magnitude of a disaster. Hazard classification and zonation of hazards have to be undertaken.

The workshop called for identification of a disaster-specific minimum equipment list (hardware) and to store and test it at appropriate places.

Performance of mock drills for checking the fitness of the hardware was also mooted.

It was also recommended that networking of Government agencies, including the district administration, police and Fire Force, NGOs and academic bodies for sharing resources and regular communication has to be established.

Planning

While technical institutions should be entrusted with the analytical problems related to disaster management, management institutions need to be involved in establishing the detailed steps required for planning, preparation and implementation of these steps.

Long-term planning should be chalked out by including disaster management modules in school-level curriculum.

These recommendations will be part of the recommendations to be submitted to Union Government. S.S. Gokhale, who chaired the valedictory session today, read out the recommendations.

The recommendations of this workshop will be compiled with recommendations from similar workshop on flood and cyclone to be held in Bhopal, another on drought in Delhi and on earthquake in Guwahati, before submitting to the Union Government.

The principal resource person for the sessions was P. Basak, president, IFSED.

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