Odisha, Sep 24 (ANI): Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) during a rescue operation of stuck tusker near the Mundali barrage while trying to cross the Mahanadi river, in Cuttack on Friday. (ANI Photo)
Odisha [India], 29 October (ANI): Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said that Disaster and Pandemic Management is being introduced in the educational curricula of students from standard 4 to Graduation level with a view to preparing Disaster Management Yodhas in every village and households.
Patnaik said the state government has been training more than 40,000 volunteers at village and shelter level. He further stated that “To strengthen community-driven preparedness, we are training more than 40 thousand volunteers at village and shelter level. Further, the Government is taking up capacity building of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions, Urban Local Bodies, Mission Shakti Members, ASHAs, Anganwadi Workers, Vana Surakhya Samiti (VSS) Members, as they play a key role in disaster risk reduction.”
Patnaik said this while addressing a meeting marking the observance of the Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day and National Day for Disaster Reduction. The day is observed to remember the 1999 super cyclone which killed about 10,000 people in the state. During his address Chief Minister said that “Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day and National Day for Disaster Reduction is a day of contemplation of the current situation and making resolve for the future. On this day, we remember the valuable human lives lost in Super Cyclone 1999.”
He further said that during 23 years since the Super Cyclone, we have done everything possible to make Odisha a safer place during disasters. Odisha today has the most robust infrastructure for disaster management. The world has recognized our efforts over all these years. I want to thank my 4.5 crore brothers and sisters for their support and solidarity in building a disaster-resilient Odisha.
Patnaik appreciates the efforts of PRI members, Mission Shakti Group members, frontline workers like ASHAs and Anganwadi Workers, NGOs and community-level volunteers, Government Officials, ODRAF, Fire Services, NDRF and Police personnel for their coordinated work to reduce human casualty.
He further said that “During 2022, the state faced floods in the Mahanadi, Baitarani and Subarnarekha River systems, affecting more than 23 lakh people in 16 districts. Due to robust preparedness and coordinated efforts, we evacuated nearly 2.7 lakh people to safer places and took up timely relief and restoration measures.”
Chief Minister appealed to all stakeholders to come forward and join hands to reaffirm resolve to create a disaster-resilient Odisha. “Our geographic location makes us prone to natural disasters. Every life is precious. Nearly 10 thousand people died in Super Cyclone in 1999. Then, we did not have safe shelters. During these years, 815 multi-purpose cyclone and flood shelters have been constructed. 55 new shelters are under construction out of Chief Ministers’ Relief Fund.”
The government is taking up capacity building of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions, Urban Local Bodies, Mission Shakti Members, ASHA, Anganwadi Workers, Vana Surakhya Samiti (VSS) Members, as they play a key role in disaster risk reduction, he said.(ANI)
