Himachal to study disaster vulnerabilities
Shimla: Even as Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Friday flew to Anni in Kullu to assess the damage caused due to building collapse on Thursday, the state government took a decision to study disaster vulnerabilities in all the areas so that measures for their prevention and mitigation are put in place.
Chief secretary Prabodh Saxena, who chaired a meeting of the HP State Executive Committee (SEC) stressed the need to focus on plans to examine the vulnerability of different parts of the state to different forms of disasters.
“There is a need for taking specific measures for prevention or mitigation,” he said as the meeting also revolved around the strategy to strengthen coordinated response in the event of any life-threatening disaster or situation
The chief secretary informed that a memorandum of damage and loss amounting to Rs 6,746.93 crore has been sent to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in order to seek assistance from the Centre on August 10.
Saxena emphasised that disaster vulnerabilities of the state must be thoroughly assessed and a permanent scientific solution must be chalked out for flood protection, landslides, earthquakes, and other vulnerabilities. As police forces are the first responders, they must be trained for prompt and effective response.
The SEC discussed the need for earthquake retrofitting of selective critical infrastructures, government schools, and community health centres of the state by launching a pilot project in some districts.
Issues like strengthening of Disaster Management Cell, District Disaster Management Authorities, adoption of model building laws by all the Urban Local Bodies, strict enforcement of safe construction practices in rural areas and promoting safe construction practices and regulating construction near rivers/streams and high slopes were also discussed in the meeting.
The need for setting up a State Institute of Disaster Management for training and capacity building was also discussed.
At Anni, the chief minister said as many as eight multistoried buildings, housing commercial establishments besides other residential buildings had collapsed. The videos of the building collapse had gone viral.
The chief minister said the administration had already got the building evacuated to avoid any human loss. That is why no loss of life has been reported.
He directed the administration to provide all basic amenities including food to the people sheltered in the Government Senior Secondary School, Anni, adding that it was due to the timely action of the district administration that there was no loss of life as the district administration got the buildings vacated well in time.
To ensure the safety of the life of the people is the utmost priority of the Government, stated the chief minister, besides issuing directions to remove the wreckage of the collapsed structures in such a way that it may not cause any damage to the adjoining buildings and also to get the houses vacated which were in the landslip danger zone. Sukhu also appealed to the people to cooperate with the district administration in relief works.
It was reported that 27 buildings were fully damaged whereas 87 buildings suffered a partial loss in the Anni sub-division.
