The unique manner in which Kerala dealt with the 2018 floods had garnered national as well as international attention. Now, the structure and style of functioning of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) also has piqued professional curiosity at the national level.
The Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (UPSDMA) has decided to send down a top officer to study the functioning of KSDMA. The idea is to use tips from Kerala to strengthen the disaster management systems in U.P.
Aditi Umrao, Project Director (Emergency Operation), UPSDMA, will arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday to study the disaster management systems in place at the KSDMA/State Emergency Operations Centre and collect related documents such as government orders. Ms. Umrao will also visit the District Disaster Management Centre/District Emergency Operations Centre, Ernakulam, on February 13. The UPSDMA was formed in 2007. It has been operational since 2011 with an independent office and dedicated personnel. “Kerala’s SDMA structure has been appreciated at the national level. Certain governance aspects of KSDMA are unique,” KSDMA member secretary Sekhar L. Kuriakose said.
Many challenges
During an eventful two-year period, Kerala has had to deal with different types of crises. The 2016-17 drought was followed by Cyclone Ockhi in November 2017. In 2018, the State had to deal with the Nipah virus outbreak in north Kerala and the mid-August floods of 2018 which had a pan-Kerala effect.
