Vice Chairman of State Disaster Management Authority Rajinder Rana, in his press communiqué state that the Himachal Pradesh is among the most disaster prone states of the country and it’s vulnerable to 25 out of 33 types of hazards, both natural and man made as identified by the Government of India in one of its reports stated
He said that a crucial meeting to discuss the future course of action will be held on 11th July, 2014 to be chaired by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
Rana said that mainstreaming disaster management into the developmental planning and process by use of technology has become essential to cope up with all types of disasters and the State Government was promoting a culture of prevention and preparedness at all levels through Information, Communication and Technology (ICT). Rana said
“HP government is committed for building a safer and disaster resilient State by developing a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster strategy for Disaster Management. It will be achieved by nurturing a culture of prevention, mitigation and preparedness through the use of ICT”
He said that Himachal Pradesh with its complex geological structures presents a complicated topography. It is the geophysical setting of the state that controls and defines the meteorological characteristics and also has bearing on the occurrence and intensity of natural and manmade disasters. The account of the damage caused and widespread nature of disasters, the hilly States, including Uttrakhand has witnessed in the past were horrifying and was an alarm to adopt preparedness measures in the wake of disasters.
The aim of the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) would be to provide clear guidelines for post disaster relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction codes through its executing agencies all over the State.
He said that the HPSDMA intends to use technology at all levels, right from towns to villages to mitigate disasters and prepare and make aware the people of the State for imminent disasters. ICT would not only be used effectively for responding in case of disasters but also for recovery and rehabilitation in the aftermath of a calamity. For people, who are caught up in emergency situations, the need for information is often acute and ICT will provide crucial information and save lives, asserted Shri Rana
He stressed upon invoking ICT in effective manner to reduce disaster risks in innovative way. In a State like Himachal Pradesh, the use of technology to its potential in handling disasters was imperative, he said. HPSDMA was planning to use ICT in a holistic way to proactively prepare the State for handling imminent threat of disasters.
