Odisha is Well Ahead of Others in Disaster Preparedness: Naveen

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asserted that Odisha is well ahead of others in disaster preparedness. 

Inaugurating the 2nd BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise organised by the National Disaster Response Force here, the CM said, “Odisha was the first state that set up its own dedicated disaster response force in India. We invested a lot in preparedness, forecasting and resource management with an approach of zero-casualty. Over the years, we have developed immense maturity in the area of disaster preparedness, response and recovery”.

The UN and international media have hailed our efforts in keeping the level of destructions to a minimum, the CM said.

He said, “Odisha is prone to multiple natural disasters, especially floods and cyclones. Since 1891, more than 100 cyclones have affected Odisha. The Super Cyclone of 1999 was a watershed moment that changed the course of disaster management preparations. Today Odisha is well ahead of others in preparedness”.

“BIMSTEC is an important regional organisation of South Asia and ASEAN countries. 22 percent of world’s population live in this region. Over the years, BIMSTEC has expanded and diversified the areas of cooperation, especially the domain of disaster management”, Naveen said.

“The theme of today’s deliberation is focused on restoration of heritage sites damaged in natural disasters. As you know, Odisha has a rich cultural heritage dating back to more than five thousand years. The BIMSTEC countries are a great repository of ancient heritage with numerous cultural heritage sites susceptible to various kinds of natural disasters. Massive damage to monuments in earth quake in Gujarat in 2001, and in Nepal in 2015 is a reminder of the threat to our heritage sites. Our heritage sites must be preserved for future generations at any cost”.

“Because, they not only represent our cultural identity; but also they are also a driving force of our economy. It is important to undertake adequate documentation, proper identification and grading of heritage sites. We need to improve our early warning dissemination system and capacity building for conservation of cultural heritage sites”, he added.

The CM hoped that the BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2020 will prove to be a milestone in safeguarding cultural heritage of the BIMSTEC region.