TV
Bhubaneswar: Revenue and Disaster Management minister Bijayshree Routray on Monday informed the State Assembly that the state government has taken up multi-purpose schemes for effective management of natural calamities.
Replying to a question of Congress member Naba Das and BJD member Ananta Das, the minister said the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has taken up several projects to tackle flood, cyclone and drought in the state.
“Apart from this, steps have been taken to make the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) more effective. It has been decided to increase the number of ODRAF team from 10 to 20 in the state which will be deployed in the flood-prone areas”, he added.
Routray also said for early warning on natural calamities in the state, four Doppler radars would be set up in the state of which one of them is operationalised at Paradip.
“Besides, there are several international weather forecasting agencies that can also provide information on natural calamities either through the geo-stationary or other roving satellites. The state government is in contact with these agencies,” he added.
The minister also informed that the National Agricultural Assessment and Management System has been developed by the department of Space for department of Agriculture and Cooperation and is primarily based on monitoring of vegetation status through Indian Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The drought assessment is based on a comparative evaluation of satellite observation, green vegetation cover of the district in any specific time period.
He said the state government has decided to adopt new cultivation methods to deal with drought situation.
In reply to a question from Rabi Narayan Naik on what steps the state government has taken to bring down sunstroke deaths in the state, Routray said the Health department has set up a special cell on the directive of the chief minister. Besides, each hospital in the state has special unit to deal with sunstroke death.
Replying to another question of Congress member Tara Prasad Bahinipati who said the state government, till date, has not taken any step for reconstruction of houses which were completely damaged in Gopalpur in Ganjam district and Pottangi, Jeypore, Sunabeda, Boipariguda and Kundura in Koraput district and Umerkote in Nabarangpur district by Cyclone Hudhud, the minister said the state government has tried its best to provide all assistance to the cyclone hit victims.
“While the state government has provided assistance to the victims of Cyclone Phailin for reconstruction works, it has provided assistance to the victims of Cyclone Hudhud from its own resources as the Centre has not provided any assistance to the state”, he pointed out.
The minister urged Bahinipati to submit the details of the damage rendered by the Cyclone Hudhud in writing so that the state government will act accordingly.
