Odisha To Host BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise In February

Bhubaneswar: Odisha will host BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise in February, informed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) DG, SN Pradhan on Monday.

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation to foster socio-economic cooperation among Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. All the countries are prone to common disasters like cyclones and floods.

According to Pradhan, NDMA has selected Odisha in view of the State's experience and success in tackling disasters in the past.

“A mock village will be set up at Ramchandi where around 16 to 20 delegates of the BIMSTEC countries will carry out the drill on how to effectively tackle natural disasters including floods, earthquakes on real time basis,” said Pradhan.

The disaster management exercise will be inaugurated on February 11 in Bhubaneswar while all the simulations will be conducted at the mock village till February 14.

Earlier in November last year in Puri, a two-day preparatory meeting of the second BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise – 2020 to protect cultural heritages during natural calamities.