A wake up call to Kerala govt.

December 25, 2014 09:31 am | Updated November 16, 2021 04:49 pm IST - KOCHI:

People trying to salvage an ambulance at Puthuvype near Kochi on December 26, 2004. Photo: Vipin Chandran

People trying to salvage an ambulance at Puthuvype near Kochi on December 26, 2004. Photo: Vipin Chandran

The catastrophic tsunami a decade back served as a wake up call to the State government for introducing an effective disaster management system.

The State’s disaster preparedness has improved from what it was on the day giant waves wreaked havoc in its coastal areas, according to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC).

Tsunami features prominently in the disaster management plans of the State. On receiving the tsunami warning, the SEOC verifies the alert and its effect on Kerala coast. Then the centre cross-verifies with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and if assessed real, evacuation warning is issued at the appropriate level based on Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). An assessment of the population to be evacuated based on the level of warning is derived from village-wise population density map and areas affected in the 2004 tsunami.

The State constituted the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority in 2007. A year later District Disaster Management Authorities were set up. In 2012, SEOC was made functional alongside the creation of the State Disaster Management Fund.

The State Disaster Management Policy, 2010, identified nodal departments for various types of disasters. Disasters were split into three levels – ones that can be managed at the district level (L1) and those requiring mobilisation of resources at the State (L2) and the national level (L3) – and different agencies identified to respond to them. Two strain gauges and six digital seismographs have been deployed through KSEB while live link with SEOC is being worked out.

Currently, the State is in the process of setting up a network of District Emergency Operation Centres (DEOCs) with two of them already functional at Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta. A full-fledged disaster management support system with multiple communication channels and inter-linked to various monitoring systems is being created at the SEOC, which will be linked to all DEOCs.

Draft disaster management plan for 13 districts along with SOPs for rainfall, cyclone, tsunami, landslide and petro-chemical accidents had been completed and are pending approval of the State Executive Committee.

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