ADVANI LAUNCHES INDIA DISASTER
RESOURCE NETWORK (THROUGH
VIDEO CONFERENCING)
The Deputy Prime
Minister and Home Minister, Shri L.K. Advani today launched the
India Disaster Resource Network (IDRN) at a function organized
in the Home Ministry, here. The IDRN is a nationwide inventory
of resources including equipment and human resources required
for emergency response to calamities. Mr. Advani while launching
the network through a Video-Conference with the Chief Ministers
of Assam, Orissa, West Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra pointed
out that the network would provide critical information to disaster
managers about the resources and their location so that these
can be accessed immediately during emergencies.
He said our country
has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters of different
kinds. The devastating earthquake in Bhuj and the super-cyclone
in Orissa underline the country’s vulnerabilities as also the
need to build up capabilities for handling such disasters. Shri
Advani said Disaster Management was with the Agriculture Ministry
but the GOM set up by the Prime Minister, after accessing the
magnitude of the disaster resulting from a natural calamity had
suggested that this should be transferred to the Home Ministry.
Accordingly Disaster Management came under the Home Ministry and
immediately a comprehensive review was carried out of the mechanism/capabilities
which needed to be put in place. A change has also been made in
the policy orientation from post disaster response to mitigation
and preparedness. He said calamities come but its magnitude of
impact should not be allowed to be disastrous and out of control.
A well organised mitigation and preparedness network will definitely
help check this. How quickly we reach the effected people/places
in time of a natural calamity is of importance. Now that the hazardous-prone
districts in the country have been identified, a well organized
network should be put in place for disaster management and IDRN
is the answer.
While interacting
with the Chief Ministers, Shri Tarun Gogoi, Shri Naveen Patnaik,
Shri Budhadeb Bhattacharya, Shri Narendra Modi and Shri Sushil
Kumar Shinde, the Home Minister suggested that the States should
come out with suitable Legislation on Disaster Management. Taking
a clue from the Chief Minister of Orissa who said they have introduced
a Bill on Disaster Management in the State Assembly. Shri Advani
said others should follow. The Deputy Prime Minister also announced
that 8 Battalions of Civil Defence are being raised as National
Emergency Relief Force which can be deployed rapidly at the time
of a calamity. The training is already on for the personnel. While
talking to the Chief Minister of Orissa Shri Advani said that
the Navy and the Air Force have already been directed to send
boats and other equipments for relief and rescue operation in
the current devastating flood in the State. Shri Naveen Patnaik
while thanking for the immediate response by the Home Ministry
requested for 250 crore rupees as grant in advance to the State
to meet the immediate requirement as the State is facing a financial
crunch at this moment. All the Chief Ministers who participated
in the video conferencing highly praised the Home Ministry’s efforts
in putting such a network in place which will go a long way in
mitigating the sufferings of the people during a calamity.
The India Disaster
Resource Network (website:http://www.idrn.gov.in) is a national
initiative under the Government of India and UNDP Disaster Risk
Management Programme that aims to reduce vulnerabilities of communities
in 169 most hazard-prone districts in 17 States of India.
The Minister
of State for Home, Shri Harin Pathak, Home Secretary, Shri N.
Gopalaswami and senior officials of Home Ministry and UNDP were
present in the programme.
