Line between natural & man-made disasters now thinner: NDRF chief SN Pradhan

Bhubaneswar: With the line between natural and man-made disasters becoming thinner, upgradation of equipment and skill development of officers has now become the need of the hour, said Odia IPS officer Satya Narayan Pradhan who was recently appointed as Director General (DG) of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The 1988-batch Jharkhand cadre IPS officer, Pradhan visited the 3RD NDRF unit at Mundali on the outskirts of Cuttack today and in an exclusive interview to OTV, Pradhan lauded the steps and preparedness of Odisha in tackling several disasters in the past.

“Due to climate change and rapid urbanisation, the line between natural and man-made disasters has become thinner. Efforts should be made to protect nature and minimise man-made disasters,” said Pradhan.

Pradhan further informed that NDRF’s role has not been limited to tackling disasters, but at the same time, efforts are on to restore the nature.

“As Odisha is prone to natural calamities, the preparedness of the State has been remarkable. There has been a sea change in the equipment and machinery while there is now an extensive use of information technology. As NDRF is a central agency, we will soon issue advisory to several States to consider use of latest technology and equipment,” said Pradhan while stressing on cooperation between NDRF and States.