After Turkey, Syria earthquakes, world has recognised, appreciated role of India's disaster management efforts: PM Modi
Mar 10, 2023
New Delhi [India], March 10 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the 3rd Session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2023 in the national capital, and gave a mantra for the success of the Disaster Management - 'Local Resilience by Local Participation'.
Addressing the session, the Prime Minister underlined that the measures such as timely response can ensure the least possible losses during a disaster.
"You will get success only by following the mantra of Local Resilience by Local participation. The timely response, strengthened means of communication, real-time registration and monitoring of each street and each house can ensure the least possible losses and damages during the disasters," PM Modi said.
"We have to make a new guideline keeping in mind disaster management. For this we have to work at two levels - 1. Disaster management experts should pay maximum attention to local participation. 2. We have to make people aware of the dangers associated with disasters," he added.
The Prime Minister noted that India has always had a local system of disaster management.
"The system related to disaster management in India has always been local, the solutions have been local & strategy has been local too. The people of Kutch live in mudhouses called Bhunga. Kutch was the centre of a massive earthquake at the beginning of this century. But there was no impact on these Bhunga houses," he said.
Citing the example of the old times, the Prime Minister highlighted that there is a need to develop a dynamic system for disaster management for the country.
"In the old times, there was one 'vaidyaraj' in the entire village who used to treat everyone. Today, there are different doctors for different ailments. Similarly, there is a need to develop a dynamic system for disaster management," he said.
PM Modi said that there is a need to enrich construction technology with the latest technology of the day.
"Enriching local technology and material with the new technology is the need of the hour. When we link the examples of local resilience with future technology, only then we will be able to do better in the direction of disaster resilience," he said.
PM Modi also lauded the NDRF personnel who were on duty during the relief operations under 'Operation Dost' during the earthquakes that hit Turkey recently causing severe loss of lives, and said that their efforts are appreciated all over the world.
"Recently, the entire world has appreciated the efforts of the Indian groups in Turkey and Syria. It is a matter of pride for every Indian. The way India has expanded the technology and human resources related to disaster management has served the country well. You all risk your own lives in saving lives of others. I congratulate all the associated human resources of the institutions who have been conferred with the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar, today," he said.
"The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority has been doing excellent work during various calamities. Mizoram's Lunglei Fire Station worked tirelessly to douse the forest fire. I congratulate all my colleagues working in these institutions," the Prime Minister added.
