Odisha Govt To Revamp Disaster Management Authority; Check Changing Focus

Bhubaneswar: The state government is all set to restructure its Odisha Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), which was set up 25 years ago in the aftermath of the devastating super cyclone in 1999. The focus will now shift from preparedness and disaster response to risk reduction and resilience.

As per the Revenue and Disaster Management department, it has become crucial to strengthen the organisational structure of OSDMA in view of changing scenarios.

“Current global policies focus on synergy between disaster risk management and climate change In the light of changing landscapes, it has become crucial to strengthen the organisational structure of OSDMA in line with national frameworks and guidelines and build its own capacity with a view to move from mitigation, preparedness, response and reconstruction to disaster risk reduction and resilience in a holistic manner,” according to a notification.

Odisha was India’s first state to put in place a disaster management authority. Indeed, it was set up six years before the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was established, in 2005, following the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed over 25,000 people.

Over the years, OSDMA has worked on capacity-building, preparedness and disaster management. However, the agency has fallen short in its post-disaster response as well as in preventing large-scale damage to infrastructure and primary sectors like agriculture, fishing and animal husbandry.

As per the notification, OSDMA will now have four divisions – general, capacity building, project & technology, and a finance division. Each division will be headed by an executive director.

The executive director (general) and executive director (capacity building) will be in the rank of IAS or OAS. The executive director (projects & technology) will be from the engineering departments of the government of Odisha or on deputation from the Telecom department, Government of India.

The executive director (finance) will be in the rank of OFS (SS/SAG) to be sourced from the Government on deputation. In case of OFS (SG) cadre officer is posted, he/she will be designated as chief general manager (F&A).

Of the total 102 staff positions of OSDMA, 10 posts have been abolished and 37 new posts created to deal with the changing situations.