The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : State to evolve disaster management policy

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Friday, Jul 06, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

State to evolve disaster management policy

Staff Reporter

Effort will be made to identify areas prone to landslips: VS

Disaster preparedness: The first meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority being held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran, left, and Vice-Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority Gen. N.C. Vij, right, are also seen.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran has said that the State will soon evolve a disaster management policy.

The Minister told The Hindu here that the decision was taken at the maiden meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) under the chairmanship of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan here on Thursday.

Vice-Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority General N.C. Vij attended the meeting.

Mr. Rajendran said experts and representatives from different agencies to be involved in disaster management activities would be requested to join the initiatives for the formulation of the policy.

Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Minister said effort would be made to identify areas in the State which were prone to landslips and evolve appropriate safety strategies.

He said there was need for introducing disaster management in the educational curriculum, as well as to create public awareness on related issues. The officials of various agencies must not only be sensitised to the disaster management programmes but also be equipped adequately to act in critical situations. Mr. Rajendran said the State requested Gen. Vij to persuade the Centre to include lightning and sea erosion in the list of natural calamities for which Central assistance would be provided for carrying out relief operations.

The State also drew his attention to the extensive damage caused by monsoon in the State and requested him to help the State get more Central assistance. “Gen. Vij agreed to take up both the requests with the Centre,” Mr. Rajendran said.

Gen. Vij informed the meeting that disaster management authorities would be constituted in all the districts along the lines of the State-level authorities. A disaster management force should be constituted in the State on the lines of the national level force. “There is a proposal to constitute a national-level disaster communication and information network,” he said. Apart from the Chief Minister, who is the Chairman of the SDMA, and Revenue Minister, who is its Vice-Chairman, Chief Secretary Lizy Jacob, Revenue Principal Secretary Nivedita P. Haran, Principal Home Secretary K.J. Mathew, Secretary Sheela Thomas, Disaster Management faculty K.G. Thara and CESS Director Baba participated.

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