Bhubaneswar: Moving a step forward in management of natural disasters especially cyclones, the State Government has decided to spend more than Rs 2,000 crore to create disaster-resilient infrastructure.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said this while addressing at the State-level observation of Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day, 2023 here at Rabindra Mandap on Sunday.
“The Government is giving priority to resilient infrastructure. More than Rs. 2,000 crore will be spent to create disaster-resilient infrastructure. State-wide risk mapping will be undertaken for various disasters, too,” the Chief Minister said.
“Today, as we are assembled here to deliberate on our disaster preparedness, we remember the valuable human lives lost during the super cyclone 1999. Since then, we have made significant strides in making Odisha safer during disasters. Today, we are a model for other states and countries to follow,” he said.
Our efforts for effective disaster management have received wide acclaim. Odisha has been bestowed with the prestigious Nataji Subash Chandra Bose Apadaa Prabandhan Puraskar for the year 2023 by the government of India, he pointed out.
He also praised the local community volunteers, ODRAF, Fire Services, NDRF and the District Administration for their work during the Bahanaga Train Accident. The theme for Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day 2023 was ‘Empowering Community for Resilient Odisha’.
Sudam Marndi, Minister, Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM), Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena, ACS Revenue & Disaster Management and SRC, Satyabrata Sahu addressed the gathering.
Response Forces and other stakeholders like NDRF, ODRAF. F&ES, Inter Agency Group, IRCS, Dept. of Health and Family Welfare, Department of School and Mass Education, Civil Defence, Cyclone Shelter Maintenance and Management Committees, PPL, etc. participated in the state level exhibition. Shelter Level Volunteers, Aapda Mitra Volunteers, community members, NGOs, F&ES Personnel, ODRAF Personnel, &NDRF attended the state level function.
At the outset, Minister R&DM requested for a 2-minute silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the Super Cyclone 1999 and other disasters. He administered the disaster preparedness pledge. He also addressed the gathering and spoke on the developments in disaster response and management in Odisha over the years.
Gyana Das, Managing Director, OSDMA, gave the opening remarks and welcomed all dignitaries and participants and spoke of various activities undertaken by Odisha for enhancing its disaster risk resilience. He also spoke of the efforts being made by the government of Odisha to build the capacity of the community through trainings and participatory Disaster Management Plans at the Village, Gram Panchayat, Block & District levels.
Satyabrata Sahu, Special Relief Commissioner and ACS (R&DM), addressed the gathering on the risk mitigation activities of Odisha and highlighted the new initiatives and plans that are underway. He spoke of the need to now focus on mitigating the risk of other state disasters as well including snakebites, drowning, and lightning.
Pradeep Jena, Chief Secretary, spoke of the huge strides made by Odisha in disaster management and disaster risk resilience since the Super Cyclone in 1999 and shared some of his experiences from the field. Comparing the situation in 1999 to the disaster response carried out during the recent Bahanaga train accident, Shri Jena thanked all stakeholders who have been responsible in bringing Odisha to this juncture of excellence in managing disasters.
Auguste Tano Kouamé, Country Director, World Bank, congratulated Odisha for setting an example for other states in disaster management and the pride that World Bank feels in being a part of this journey through various programs that it supports in Odisha.
The movie ‘Where Every Life is Precious’ –a journey towards resilient Odisha, made by OSDMA in collaboration with the World Bank was screened at the event. This was followed by a release of documents, felicitations and prize distribution.
Awards were given to Ganjam, Nabarangpur and Bhadrak districts for the best Disaster Management Plans (DMPs). The best Gram Panchayat DMPs were awarded to Brahmani GP (Subarnapur), Chinched GP (Balangir), Bhramarbadi GP (Kandhamal) and Khandabandha GP (Dhenkanal).
The best Block DMPs were awarded to Junagarh (Kalahandi), Ganjam (Ganjam), and Komna (Nuapada) Blocks. The best City DMPs were awarded to the city municipalities of Malkangiri, Rayagada, and Puri.Awards were also given to various Response Forces for their contributions in disaster response in 2023.
The event ended with a Vote of Thanks by Susmita Behera, Executive Director, OSDMA.