Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that India has boosted its stature in disaster management which has lead its capacity to be at par with several other countries in the world, while on many occasions, even ahead of them.
The Home Minister while addressing the Annual Conference on Capacity Building for Disaster Response 2022, said, “We have traveled a long way in disaster management. The rehabilitation-centric approach was there before the decade of the 90s. Now, we are able to get information much before any disaster. Due to this information received earlier, we are able to save lives and reduce the damage to the property. In disaster management, we are at par with the world in many places and ahead of several countries on various occasions. It is a matter of joy for us.”
Shah added, “Due to various steps taken by the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, We (India) have managed to decrease the number of deaths that occurred during a disaster.”
The Home Minister also emphasized the need for proper percolation of information relating to any disaster to the lower level and capacity building approach.
Shah said, “We get exact information much before any disaster, as well as incidents of lightning too. There is a need to percolate this information to the lower level on time. To alert the area where the disaster is about to happen, reduce the damage to property, and save lives. Professional mastery in all these things is not achieved until there is proper coordination between all the agencies linked to disaster management.”
Lauding National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for their efforts in helping the needy and saving lives of people during a disaster like situation and also supporting State Disaster Response Forces (SDRFs), the Home Minister while directing the chief of the force Atul Karwal sought from the chief to ensure the information received relating to any disaster or lightning incidents affecting not only at a district level but also at the place where it may take place.
He emphasized the need to percolate information relating to lightning incidents as soon as possible, stressing that the time period in these incidents is limited.
“NDRF should work to establish a system so that an alert regarding incidents of lightning reach among people in a fast way…NDRF DG Atul Karwal should work with the director to establish the alert system by combining the strength of NCC, NSS and Home Guards. A women’s self-help group will have to be added to this work. The training should be done at the gram panchayat level too. Besides, there should be a system that people are trained in regional language in each and every state,” Shah added.
The Minister further added, nearly 32 guidelines have been made and over 21,000 personnel of SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) have been trained as preventive measures during a disaster.