CM Pushkar Singh Dhami: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday gave instructions to the officials for effective disaster management in the state level pre-monsoon mock drill organized at IT Park, Dehradun. He said that in a sensitive state like Uttarakhand, disaster management is not just an administrative responsibility but is the top priority of the government. He said that to effectively deal with possible disasters during monsoon, prior preparation, quick decisions, better coordination and proper use of modern technologies are very important.
The Chief Minister said that the state level mock drill is an important initiative towards further strengthening the capacity of the disaster management system. This is not just an exercise, but a comprehensive test of coordination, communication between various departments, availability of resources and the actual capacity of the relief and rescue system. He instructed the officers that disaster management should not be limited to only relief and rescue but special emphasis should be given to risk reduction, pre-preparedness and technology-based management.
The Chief Minister said that modern technologies like AI-based early warning system, digital monitoring system, drone surveillance, GIS mapping, satellite monitoring and data-based risk assessment are being linked to disaster management in the state, so that the loss of life and property can be minimized by timely and accurate assessment of possible threats.
He said that Rapid Response Teams have been strengthened to ensure quick relief and rescue in emergency situations and the Early Warning System is being continuously strengthened so that timely warning can be delivered to remote and sensitive areas. The Chief Minister said that continuous work is being done to protect the Himalayan ecosystem through water source conservation, glacier study, tree plantation, environmental protection and public awareness programmes. He said that environmental protection is the most effective means of reducing disaster risk.
The Chief Minister said that various relief and rescue operations conducted in the state have set an excellent example of scientific thinking, modern technologies, quick decision making and teamwork. He directed that the experiences and shortcomings gained during the mock drill should be seriously analyzed and all the districts should provide their detailed review report to the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority within 72 hours. He said that extensive public awareness campaigns should be conducted to provide information about disaster safety measures, emergency contact numbers and first precautions to every citizen.
The Chief Minister said that the objective of the state government is not only to provide relief after the disaster, but also to minimize the disaster risk, ensure safety of people and property and make Uttarakhand the most efficient, technology-enabled and public participation based disaster management model of the country. He called upon everyone to work to make Uttarakhand the best state in the country in the field of disaster management on the basis of prior preparation, modern technology, effective coordination and public participation.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister also released the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Plan and the District Disaster Management Plans of all 13 districts of the state.
The Chief Minister said that SDMP determines the roles, responsibilities and coordination arrangements of all departments at the state level for disaster risk reduction, pre-preparedness, early warning, relief, rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction. At the same time, DDMP provides detailed action plan based on the local conditions of each district, possible disasters, available resources and quick action, so that the district administration can work in an effective and coordinated manner in the event of a disaster. These plans, prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, will prove to be important guiding documents in ensuring better coordination at the state and district level, use of modern technology, effective early warning system, community-based disaster management and quick and planned disaster response.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister also visited the exhibition of modern relief and rescue equipment installed by SDRF, NDRF and Fire Department. They were given detailed information about the operation of the equipment, its utility and its role during the disaster. The center of attraction in the exhibition was especially the state-of-the-art equipment used by NDRF in CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive) disasters. Apart from this, many modern equipment including deep diving set, night vision camera, thermal imaging camera, various types of hydraulic cutters, underwater communication system, underwater drone and sonar system were displayed.
On this occasion, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Minister Shri Madan Kaushik, Vice Chairman of Disaster Management Advisory Committee Shri Vinay Ruhela, Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Raghuvir Singh Bhandari, Secretary Shri Vinod Suman, Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Shri Anand Swaroop, IG Fire Mrs. Vimmi Sachdev, Additional Secretary Shri Prakash Chandra, Additional Chief Executive Officer and DIG Shri Rajkumar Negi, Joint Chief Executive Officer Shri Dinesh Kumar Punetha and seniors of various departments. Officers were present.
