Odisha’s Natural Disaster Management: Naveen Thanks Union Finance Minister; Know Why

Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday thanked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for endorsing Odisha’s management of natural disasters through community participation.

Sitharaman in a tweet appreciated the state’s efforts stating that post-Phailin the United Nations had recognised Odisha’s preparedness as a “global success story” following a report in this regard by Observer Research Foundation (ORF), an India-based independent think tank that provides potential inputs for policy and decision-makers in the country.

The ORF, in its recent report stated that in early August this year, two coastal villages in Odisha, Venkatraipur in Ganjam district and Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district earned the recognition of being ‘Tsunami Ready’ from the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, making India the first country in the Indian Ocean Region to establish such high levels of disaster preparedness at the community level.

“One of the central themes of the state disaster management plan states that community based disaster preparedness is the key to effective disaster management. This is because during any disaster, communities are always the worst affected and the first to respond. Community participation in the process of disaster management therefore ensures local ownership, addresses local needs and promotes a culture of mutual help to prevent and minimize damage,” the report said.