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.

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.

“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.

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.”