The Hindu : National : "Tsunami warning systems needed"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

National

National

"Tsunami warning systems needed"

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, DEC. 30. The lack of coordination among various government departments and public involvement in disaster management were the main reasons for the havoc in the wake of tsunami which struck the country's coast on Sunday last, says the director of a Mumbai-based non-government organisation working in the field of disaster management.

Though the Union Government had come up with a comprehensive "Disaster Risk Management Programme," there was no coordination among the departments. Further there was no public awareness of the phenomenon. The cumulative effect of various factors was the loss of thousands of lives, says the Director of Disaster Management Training Institute, S.S. Pore.

The country should use the present opportunity to install tsunami warning systems as communication satellites, transfer of technology and information among nations were possible.

There should be a Special Commissioner for Disaster Management in every State on a permanent basis and he should be empowered to initiate coordination among all the agencies. He should be made accountable and should report directly to the Chief Secretary. There should a Disaster Management Cell under the Special Commissioner, and every district should have a Disaster Management Officer under the District Collector.

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