Dimapur, September 8 (MExN): Team Leader of the State Disaster Management Cell, Home department, M Yaden, today clarified that the disaster management activity in the state is being been carried out as per the police and guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and as per the DM Act 2005 of the government of India.
Responding to a news item that appeared in this daily on September 6, M Yaden in a press statement clarified that this programme sponsored by the UNDP was started across India in partnership with the MHA, government of India, since 2003-2004. However, in Nagaland, it took off only from 2006-2007. The state government had signed an MoU with the sponsoring agency for the programme that came to be known as the Disaster Risk Mitigation Programme (DRMO) which also prepared the outline of action to be adopted by the state, Yaden informed.
In this regard, Yaden stated that the basic requirement under the programme was for mitigating the impact of any disaster that may occur. Therefore, a state disaster management authority was constituted with the Chief Minister as chairperson, the District DM Authority in every district with the Deputy Commissioner as chairperson, and so on for the subdivision and village levels.
These authorities have set up Disaster Management Committees to oversee training aspects of stakeholders, awareness generation, and sensitising programmes by roping in NGOs, schools and colleges, Red Cross, village communities, urban local bodies, doctors, engineers, administrators, etc. The UNDP had released funds through the Home department for the district administration on approval list of activities and unit cost.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NMDA), an apex body on the subject under the MHA, had conducted a table-top exercise and Incident Command Simulation during the state level mock drill held from February 24 to 27, 2009, with senior state and Central observers to the satisfaction of all, the Team Leader of the State Disaster Management Cell, Home department, informed.
In this regard, Yaden asserted that disaster management needs coordinated efforts in all of its phases such as pre-disaster phase, disaster phase and post-disaster phase. “It is not the domain of any one department. Therefore, the idea that the Geology & Mining department is a Pre-Disaster department is a misconception, because there is no such nomenclature anywhere in the world,” he stated.
Moreover he also clarified that if the Geology & Mining department is the only agency “as claimed”, which tries to prevent natural calamities and that with more funds to purchase equipments and tools it can monitor and predict earthquakes, there would be no need for any other disaster mitigation or preparedness activities by any agency in the world, the press statement added.
