Early Times Report
Jammu, June 17: Despite the fact that the State is vulnerable to numerous natural calamities due to which it has to face huge devastation every year, the State Government is totally non-serious towards strengthening its Disaster Management which can be well gauged from the fact that it has failed to prepare risk maps of identified multi-hazard districts.
Sources told Early Times that State Disaster Management Policy (SDMP) emphasizes conducting assessment of hazards, vulnerabilities and risks of natural calamities prevailing in the State like flood, earthquake etc. and preparation of risk maps on the basis of outcome of the assessment.
"Accordingly, the State Government was to undertake risk assessment in 13 districts identified as multi-hazard districts but it has been observed that no hazard and disaster risk map of the State had been prepared," they said.
They further said that data relating to nature, location, intensity and likelihood of possible major hazards and population and assets at risk were not available with the State Government, consequently, realistic and informed strategies and action plans for disaster risk reduction could not be formulated.
Moreover, as per Disaster Management Act, 2005, the State Government was required to establish a State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) and District Disaster Mitigation Fund (DDMF) for prevention and mitigation of disasters and for planning, training capacity building procurement of equipment, etc, but no Disaster Mitigation Fund was established in the State as the State Disaster Management Policy (SDMP) did not stipulate earmarking of funds. Astonishingly, the Relief Rehabilitation Department had admitted that pre-disaster activities such as mitigation and preparedness were not undertaken in the State. |
