Fulfilling mandate

25/06/2019

Notwithstanding the fact that it has to lay down policies and plans for disaster risk reduction and assess the preparedness of various Government departments and agencies to handle disasters, the Jammu and Kashmir State Disaster Management Authority has failed to meet during the past over one and half year due to the slackness on the part of those at the helm of affairs in the Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Department.Due to this fate of several decisions taken in the previous meeting of the Authority is hanging in balance while as progress on many others could not be ascertained till date. As per the Jammu and Kashmir State Disaster Management Policy, the Authority is supposed to lay down guidelines and approve the disaster management plan prepared by the line departments of the State and ensure its strict implementation. Moreover, it is required to review/update measures taken for mitigation of disasters.
However, during the past over one and half year the State Disaster Management Authority has failed to fulfil the mandate behind its establishment as it has not met even once during this period. The Disaster Management Authority should meet after regular intervals keeping in view the fact that owing to its unique geographical and climatic setting, Jammu and Kashmir is a hazard prone State and has witnessed a number of disasters, ranging from incidents of fires to destructive floods and catastrophic earthquakes and accordingly paid heavily in terms of loss of life and property. Due to inordinate delay in holding the meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority, neither the issues being faced in the effective preparedness for the disaster risk mitigation could be resolved nor could progress on the decisions taken in last meeting held on August 16, 2017 be ascertained. In the last meeting, increasing need for having two additional battalions of the State Disaster Resource Force (SDRF) in the State was felt and accordingly the proposal of the Additional Director General of Police, Civil Defence, Home Guards and SDRF in this regard was approved in principle. Even significant progress has not been made on creation of pool of heavy-duty generators, which could immediately be put to use in case of any major power breakdown/failure due to disaster and till the restoration of power lines.

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