The Hindu : Karnataka News : Emergency operation centres a disaster

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Friday, Sep 21, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Emergency operation centres a disaster

Staff Correspondent

The project has not been implemented in most of the districts
District administrations directed to set up the centres

Chitradurga: To effectively deal and to mitigate the crises arising after natural calamities and disasters such as floods or earthquakes, the State Government in 2004 had mooted a plan to set up District Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC) in all the districts.

The centres, though working as separate entity, were to be directly supervised by the Deputy Commissioners of the respective districts.

Having a central office located in Bangalore, the centres were to coordinate with the central office and taluk centres to monitor the weather conditions and alert the district administration in case of emergencies. The Government had agreed to grant Rs. 5 lakh each for setting up of centres in the districts, the funds were to be used for setting of required infrastructure.

It also made provision that the districts could use 10 per cent of total amount being granted under scarcity funds.

This fund could be utilised to purchases equipment such as earth movers, tippers, wireless sets, Global Positioning System (GPS), life jackets and other equipment essential in rescue operations during calamities.

Though every district has a separate meteorological department in Deputy Commissioner’s offices, however, the Government felt that having an individual body to deals with natural crises would help in tackle the crises more effectively.

Despite the plan being mooted over three years ago, the project has not been implemented in most of the districts.

It is learnt that most of the districts have not sent the proposal to the Government about the centre.

Sources in the State Disaster Management Department admitted that the matter was not considered seriously by the districts. They feel that centres were necessary particularly when many districts are facing rain fury. C. N. Sitaram, Secretary to the Government, Department of Disaster Management, said that instructions had been issued to the district administrations to set up the centres. He said that higher officials should be educated about the importance of the centres.

Meanwhile, the district administration in Chitradurga has submitted a Rs. 19-lakh proposal to the Government to have a full-fledge DEOC here. “We have also sent around eight officials to undergo training at Administrative Training Institute at Mysore,” Deputy Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas said.

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