Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) at State capital Gandhinagar on Wednesday in presence of more than 20 delegates of eight member countries of South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation (SAARC).
On the occasion CM Rupani that the first-of-its-kind Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) formed by the state on a scientific manner after the severe earthquake in Kutch and other districts in 2001 had become a unique model for rest of India and developing country.
Rupani recalled how the killer earthquake had razed to the ground lakhs of building in Kutch and other districts on the Republic Day of 2001 and later on the Gujarat government initiated Asia’s biggest rescue, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction operation under the leadership of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
He was speaking at a function to mark inauguration of the 3-day SAARC Workshop and Training Programme on ‘Application of Space Technology in Monitoring and Managing Risks’ attended by nearly 20 representatives of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and other countries.
“The administration constituted GSDMA, pooling in resources of men and machinery from all over on a massive scale. It was extended to five zonal Emergency Response Centres in the state, and equipping the civic bodies down to district and taluka level with latest gadgets to manage any disaster on four fronts: prevention and preparedness, relief and rehabilitation,” he said, adding that the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG) took it to the next level.
Union Home Affairs Additional Secretary Bipin Mallick said that India’s disaster management team played a crucial role in rescue operation in the Nepal earthquake, with PM Modi for taking personal interest to ensure it created awareness among the people. Gujarat’s Chief Secretary JN Singh said that geographical conditions vastly vary in SAARC countries, requiring different models to fight tsunami, earthquake and cyclone. It is a matter of proud for us that SAARC reposed confidence on Gujarat Government for setting up the Disaster Management Centre, he added.