Assam panel visits Odisha to learn disaster management techniques

During our visit to cyclone and flood shelters in both the districts, the local gram panchayat members apprised us of the management of shelter houses, Deka said.

A three-member panel of the Assam government has visited a cyclone-prone area in Odisha’s Kendrapara district to get first-hand information about ways to deal with natural disasters. Odisha which was affected by several natural calamities, especially cyclones, is a role model in the country for its excellent disaster management techniques, team leader Nava Deka said. The panel, led by Deka, engineering consultant (flood mitigation) of the Assam Disaster Management Authority (ADMA), Wednesday visited cyclone shelter centres at Khamarasahi, Dangamal, and Prasanpur and geo tube seawall at Pentha under Rajnagar block, officials said. “The efficient disaster control mechanism in Odisha prompted us to visit the coastal districts of Kendrapara and Puri,” Deka said. The panel interacted with the panchayat body members and locals in vulnerable coastal pockets of the block. In 2018, Odisha became the first state in the country to have an early warning system in place for natural disasters such as cyclones and tsunami for people living along its 480-km-long coast. Like Odisha, Assam is equally vulnerable to natural disasters like heavy rains, floods, river erosion, and earthquakes.

“During our interactions with officials, locals, and others, we gathered first-hand knowledge about the disaster management mechanism of the administration during pre and post-cyclone and flood periods,” the team leader said. Replicating the Odisha model, Assam will build 13 multi-purpose flood shelters, the official said. “During our visit to cyclone and flood shelters in both the districts, the local gram panchayat members apprised us of the management of shelter houses,” Deka said. The shelter houses may also be used as schools, added Deka.

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