NDMA member briefs Mehbooba about various activities

Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Lt Gen N C Marwah today called on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here and briefed her about various activities and initiatives taken by the authority.

He appreciated the steps taken by the state government in disaster risk mitigation measures and the innovative schemes and projects, including the creation of a State Disaster Mitigation Fund, an spokesman said.

Lt Gen Marwah, along with state Chief Secretary B B Vyas, also chaired a meeting to review the disaster preparedness and implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of NDMA in Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said.

 

During the meeting, Director, Disaster Management, Aamir Ali gave a brief overview of the status of disaster preparedness in the state and the recent mitigation initiatives undertaken by the department in collaboration with various stakeholders, the spokesman said.

Lt Gen Marwah said J-K is actively participating in the various workshops and conferences of the NDMA, organised across the country and state has already incorporated several best practices in its Disaster Management Policy/Plans including at the level of the community disaster preparedness.

Assuring total support of the NDMA to Jammu and Kashmir in its efforts towards disaster risk management, Lt Gen Marwah said that as requested by the state Government, a battalion of NDRF will be stationed in J-K shortly.

Additionally, he said, in view of upcoming Amarnath Yatra, as many as four fully equipped NDRF teams will be deployed.

The NDMA member said that to strengthen the early warning weather system in the state, three Doppler Radar Stations will be commissioned by the IMD shortly in addition to setting up of 10 small weather stations for the ensuing Yatra.

He said to strengthen the emergency communication equipment, NDMA will be providing an adequate number of satellite phones to the state.

Lt Gen Marwah informed that as part of the landslide mitigation and prevention programme, state Governments including J-K have been asked to prepare detailed project reports for site-specific landslides risk mitigation in accordance with the template prepared for the purpose by experts.

He said Rs 15 Crore is being proposed for each landslide mitigation site and also spoke about some of the proposed pilot projects including the Common Alert Protocol, Priority Call Routing and Low Cost Early Warning Sensors, assuring that J-K will be part of these pilot projects.