PM stresses use of technology for disaster risk reduction

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi emphasised encouraging the use of advance technology for disaster risk reduction. PM was addressing a two-day session of National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) 2023, aimed at making India disaster resilient by 2030. The session took place on Friday, March 10.

PM highlighted that focus on recognition and reform for better disaster management. He said, “We have to develop models of housing or town planning at the local level. We need to encourage the use of advanced technology in these sectors.”

He mentioned that following the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, the world has acknowledged and appreciated the role of India’s disaster management efforts. He added, “We will have to strengthen the disaster management governance in urban local bodies. Urban local bodies will react only when disaster strikes – this will not work anymore. We will have to institutionalise planning and we will have to review local planning. For the construction of buildings and new infrastructure projects, we will have to draft new guidelines keeping in mind disaster management. There is a need for overhauling the entire system.”

The two-day session was jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). The theme of the session, “Building Local Resilience in a Changing Climate”, is in line with the 10 point agenda outlined by Prime Minister to build local-level capacities in the rapidly changing scenario due to climate change.

This was the third edition of the event, and was aimed at helping the government make the country disaster resilient by 2030 under the Vision-2047 strategy of the Prime Minister. The first and second edition was held in 2013 and 2017.

During the event, awardees of Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and the Lunglei Fire Station, Mizoram, were also felicitated by the Prime Minster.

Apart from that, an exhibition showcasing innovative tools, technologies and ideas for disaster risk reduction was also inaugurated by PM.

NPDRR is a multi-stakeholder initiative of the Government of India for dialogue, sharing of experience, ideas, views and action-oriented research & exploration opportunities in the Disaster Risk Reduction sector. NPDRR is chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs, Government of India. This two-day session saw the participation of over 1,000 delegates consisting of ministers from the Government of India, ministers of Disaster Management from Indian states, Parliamentarians, Heads of the Local Self-Government, specialised agencies working in the field of disaster management, academicians, private sector organisations, media and other civil society organisations.  

An exclusive ministerial session chaired by Central Home Minister was also organised during the event, in which ministers from the central government, state government and UT administration came together to discuss how they could contribute to strengthening disaster risk reduction at various levels in our country.

This two-day conclave was held after 19 pre-events where disaster risk management issues, including the ones related to heatwaves, coastal hazards and leadership of women in disaster risk reduction, were discussed. These pre-events took place over the last two months all over the country.