The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Call for action plan to fight natural disasters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 11, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Call for action plan to fight natural disasters

Staff Reporter

Landslips a recurrent problem in hilly areas, says Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Revenue and Law K.M. Mani has called for an action plan to mitigate the impact of natural disasters. He was speaking after inaugurating a two-day state-level residential workshop on `Capacity building for disaster management' organised by the Institute of Land Management in association with the Pazhakulam Social Service Society in the city on Wednesday.

"There should be an action plan on how to go about disasters. The departments that should co-ordinate in the case of an eventuality, the kind of facilities required, and the training required to lessen the severity of the impact." According to him, 90 per cent of the Kerala coast is cyclone-prone and landslips are a recurring problem in the hilly areas of the State. "Whatever be the nature of natural disasters, the ferocity of the destruction can be lessened if the people are aware about it. A lot of scientific research should take place in this area," he said.

In this age of advanced technology, scientists and researchers should be able to forecast natural calamities and understand the vagaries of nature. When the tsunami struck the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, India did not get any prior warning about the impending disaster here. In the State alone, more than 180 people lost their lives in the calamity. "We are now constructing tsunami resistant houses in coastal areas," the Minister said.

"The scientists should be able tell us the possible fall-out of natural changes such as the rising of sea-level and the sinking of wells, a phenomenon of the State. We should depend on satellites for such information," Mr. Mani said.

The inaugural session was followed by a presentation of `action plan for disaster management' prepared by the members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from various districts. The workshop was attended by senior officials from Government departments, representatives of district panchayats and heads of NGOs.

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