WB aided disaster mgmt programme for tsunami hit villages

A World Bank-funded disaster management and awareness programme was launched today in 50 coastal villages of Nagapattinam district, which were the worst hit by the December 2004 tsunami.
"The Community Based Disaster Risk Management Programme (CBDRM ) aims at creating awareness on disaster preparedness and emergency response among people of coastal areas. People will also be trained on how to protect themselves and society in the event of fire, cyclone, flood, tsunami, earthquake and other natural disasters," Collector S P Palanisamy said.
He was speaking after inaugurating the two-day disaster management awareness programme at Vanavanmahadevi village near here today.
The Collector said each village where CBDRM is being implemented would have separate committees for disaster early warning, evacuation, search and rescue, first aid and shelter management activities. The villages will also have early warning systems in place, he said.

Another important objective of the programme was to set up underground electric cable system for power transmission in the coastal villages, he said.