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Maharashtra disaster management plan gets government nod

Recruitment of dedicated staff for cells, orientation training programme in 100 schools in every district

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The Maharashtra government on Wednesday gave its nod to the comprehensive disaster management plan. For the first time, it will go for recruitment of dedicated staff for disaster management cells in every district of the state. A disaster management orientation training programme will be launched soon in 100 schools in every district.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the plan has been finalised and there will be recruitment through Maharashtra Public Service Commission for the district-level heads. The meeting of the state disaster management authority, held on Wednesday at Sahyadri Guest House, was chaired by Fadnavis. Minister for rehabilitation Eknath Khadse, minister of state Dilip Kamble, chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya, Popatrao Pawar — who transformed Hivrebajar village and who is heading the ideal village project, World Bank and UNDP representatives and a few experts were present in the meeting.

The meeting decided to immediately put in place district-level disaster management cells. It was also decided to have a decentralised mechanism so that a deputy commissioner level officer at divisional commissioner's office can oversee the work of the district level cells from time to time. The district level official will be district disaster management officer and the divisional commissioner level official will be referred to as divisional disaster management coordinator.

Disaster management training programme will be started at 100 schools in every district. It also decided to impart master trainers training for 50 school teachers from all these schools. The meeting also gave its nod for the Maharashtra School Security Programme under which steps will be taken to ensure protection of schools and other educational institutions during and after natural disasters.

The Maharashtra State Disaster Management Plan also consists of special provisions for dealing with women, children, the aged, handicapped and animals. An official informed that lactating mothers and women who are undergoing their menstrual cycle have special needs and all women need a different degree of psychological care, protection and abuse protection. He added that women were particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and trafficking after such disasters. For children, milk, feed, vaccines, special dietary needs and paediatric care will be provided in addition to protection and psychological counselling to deal with the loss of relatives and parents. Special geriatric care will be lined up for the aged.

The disaster management plan also lays down use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), digitisation of the disaster management plan and the use of GIS in hazard risk mapping.

The government has also kicked off a hazard vulnerability risk assessment (HVRA) study in Pune, which is expected to be completed in around five months. Later, 13 more vulnerable districts, including those on the Konkan coast will be mapped. The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which consist of "conceptual inputs plus practical issues", have been laid down for functions like setting up of control rooms.

After the debilitating earthquake at Latur in 1993, the state government had come out with a disaster management plan in 1995, making it the first in India to do so. "However, this plan is more comprehensive and forward looking," said the official. According

to the Disaster Management Act, 2005, it is mandatory for states to formulate a disaster management plan.

The draft of Maharashtra's disaster management plan was put into the public domain for suggestions and inputs were also sought from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), YASHADA, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and various departments.

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