Bhubaneswar: In order to prepare the coastal villages well-equipped to face tsunami, the state government has sanctioned funds to implement the steps.
The State Executive Committee meeting chaired by chief secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, here on Friday accorded its sanction for Rs 7.17 crore towards taking effective steps to make the coastal villages tsunami ready.
Speaking at the meeting, Development Commissioner Jena said Noliasahi village in Jagatsingpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district have received the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)’s recognition as first tsunami ready Indian villages in the Indian Ocean region. He proposed for making 326 more villages on Odisha coast tsunami ready.
Considering the erratic rainfall pattern in recent years, the chief secretary directed to develop the capacity for urban flood management and prepare for handling of fire and other emergency accidents in high-rise buildings.
The committee also decided to develop a special urban flood management unit in the ODRAF. The fire service units would be strengthened with hi-tech equipment and training to manage the fire and other accidents in high-rise buildings, particularly in urban industrial areas.
It was decided to increase the capacity of shelter level volunteers, members of women self-help groups (WSHGs), panchayati raj institutions and the ODRAF. Around 40,700 shelter level volunteers and 20,350 maintenance and management volunteers would be trained to serve as first responders to any disaster.
The training programme would focus on capacity building in search and rescue operation, first-aid, counseling, shelter management, equipment management and shelter level documentation. The committee sanctioned an estimated budget of Rs 15.74 crore for the purpose.
The committee approved Rs 1.3 crore for training of 3 lakh members of WSHGs in collaboration with State Mission Shakti department in the first phase.
Similarly, the budget of Rs 1.27 crore for training of around 15,000 PRI members through State Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PR) was approved.