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"Kerala prone to earthquake"

Staff Reporter

State sets up Disaster Management Authority

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government has set up a Disaster Management Authority for the State with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan as chairman to tackle crises, especially during natural calamities.

This was announced in the Assembly on Tuesday by Revenue Minister K.P. Rajenderan while replying to a calling attention motion by K.B. Ganesh Kumar (Kerala Congress-B) on the need to ease the difficulties faced by victims of natural calamities. The authority would have nine members. A Government notification to this effect had been issued. The councils and advisory committees of the authority would be set up later. The Revenue Minister would be the vice-chairman. The authority would have the Chief Secretary; Principal Secretaries of Home and Revenue; Faculty Head, Disaster Management; Scientific Adviser; Director of Centre for Earth Science Studies; and Faculty Head, Disaster Management, Mahatma Gandhi University; as members.

Rejoinder to Sibal

Mr. Rajendran said the State was prone to earthquake and steps would be taken to clear the misconception in the statement made by Union Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal in Parliament recently. "Studies have revealed so and scientists have told the Government that the State is prone to earthquake. A disaster management plan is being worked out taking into account this aspect," he said.

(Mr. Sibal told the Lok Sabha during question hour on Friday that broadband digital seismographs would be installed across the country to collect real-time data on earthquakes even below three on the Richter scale. Replying to questions on technology that could help give some kind of indications about earthquakes, Mr. Sibal said, ``at present, there is no equipment available that can predict a tremor.'' Allaying fears about a string of earthquakes in Kerala in the recent past, he said the State fell under `Zone II,' which was least susceptible to major tremors.)

Mr. Rajendran said norms for executing works in areas affected by natural calamities needed revision. A meeting of all concerned would be convened for this.

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