The Hindu : New Delhi News : All Delhi districts to have helipads for rescue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 23, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

All Delhi districts to have helipads for rescue

Staff Reporter

L-G reviews disaster management preparedness of the Delhi Government; widespread amendments in Master Plan suggested

NEW DELHI: The Core Group on Disaster Management in Delhi headed by Lieutenant-Governor B.L. Joshi has suggested widespread amendments in the building bye-laws as well as the Master Plan of Delhi to incorporate provisions for tackling any kind of disasters in future. At the same time, all nine districts have been asked to identify sites to set up helipads for carrying out airlifting operations during emergency situations.

Mr. Joshi along with senior officials took a review of the disaster management preparedness of the Delhi Government at Raj Nivas on Friday. The meeting was informed that the disaster management plans had been finalised in three districts and the same would be done in the other districts also. Stating that the National Disaster Management Act was awaited and then only formal steps would be taken, the Principal Secretary (Home), R. Narayanswami, and the Divisional Commissioner, G. K. Marwah, warned that in the event of a major earthquake the damage would be immense.

It was informed the two emergency control rooms at the State level and one each at the district level have been set up. Delhi has been a pioneer in introducing the subject of disaster management in schools and already around 500 schools had been covered. In addition, efforts to generate awareness were also being carried out in all the districts along with community based disaster preparedness planning. Stress was also laid on the fact that new building bye-laws should incorporate measures for making quake resistant structures as also ensuring construction of safe structures and buildings in the Capital.

Mr. Marwah informed the meeting that micro zoning of Delhi was being carried out by the Science and Technology Department at the Centre. Various agencies are involved in the process of micro zoning for which requisite funds had been sought from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Retrofitting of lifeline buildings had been taken up as a pilot project. Retrofit plans for five building including the Delhi Secretariat, police headquarters and Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital were being developed with the help of USAID.

Mr. Joshi felt the need to promote family emergency preparedness kits that may be refreshed periodically and might prove to be a vital investment for survival. This would give the administration some reaction time to start relief work. He also felt that mobile service providers could be asked to have mobile towers for emergency communication links. He also emphasised that non-structural mitigation measures should be taken by all concerned to prevent loss of life and property.

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