J&K govt finalises framework of Disaster Management Plan

The framework was finalised at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Madhav Lal and attended by members of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) T Nanda Kumar and Muzaffar Ahmed, besides senior officials of the state and various experts, an official spokesperson said.

"Jammu and Kashmir is a multi-hazards prone state and the events such as earthquake of 2005, Leh cloudburst, flash floods, snow blizzards, wind storms and traffic accidents clearly demonstrate the need for an effective mechanism for disaster management at the state and lower levels," Lal said.

SDMP will be prepared in consultation with NDMA, professional agencies, disaster management experts and other stakeholders, he said.

In order to prepare the plan, technical and professional inputs will be required in various sectors and as such best available resources need to be utilised, he added.

NDMA member Kumar said owing to the state's vulnerability, several disasters of recurrent nature have resulted in loss of life and property and there is an urgent need to built capacity and procure critical equipment to prevent this in the future.

The SDMP essentially should contain mitigation, capacity building and response components besides utilisation of available and additional resources.

Discussions were also held on inter-sectoral disaster preparedness and coordination, and capacity building of the community through workshops to enable their participation.