Patnaik thanks Sitharaman for endorsing Odisha’s disaster preparedness

Taking to Twitter, Mr. Patnaik also said that the state strives for “zero casualty” during disasters.

September 06, 2020 05:57 pm | Updated 05:57 pm IST - Bhubaneswar

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Odisha Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday thanked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for endorsing the coastal state’s disaster preparedness, and said his government always makes efforts to “address the needs” of vulnerable people.

Taking to Twitter, Mr. Patnaik also said that the state strives for “zero casualty” during disasters.

Also Read | 14 lakh affected, 17 killed in Odisha floods

“Thank you @nsitharamanji for endorsing #Odisha’s ability to manage disasters through the unique model of community participation. Instilling local ownership, strive for #ZeroCasualty & addressing needs of most vulnerable form the core of #OdishaModel,” the CM tweeted.

Earlier, Ms. Sitharaman had shared an article on Odisha’s disaster management by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) — an India-based independent think tank — and lauded the state for its efforts to mitigate the impact of calamities.

“Post Phailin, the UN had recognised Odisha’s preparedness as a ‘global success story’ and made plans to use it as a model for other cities.... Well done Orissa, she said on the microblogging site.

The Odisha government had evacuated close to a million people from the coastal areas of the state and moved them to safety, before cyclone Phailin struck in October 2013.

Also Read | Cooked, dry food for flood victims till they stay in shelters in Odisha

Around 25 people lost their lives in the calamity.

The ORF, in its report, said “Odisha is an example of being vulnerable yet resilient, and the salient features of its disaster management approach thus offer lessons for the whole country.”

It also stated that last month, “two coastal villages in Odisha, Venkatraipur in Ganjam district and Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district, earned the recognition of being ’Tsunami Ready’ from the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, making India the first country in the Indian Ocean Region to establish such high levels of disaster preparedness at the community level“.

PK Jena, the state’s additional chief secretary-cum- special relief commissioner, said, “Odisha has consistently done well in disaster management. However, a lot more still needs to be done to develop disaster-resilient infrastructure.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.