For a better coordination between the emergency support functionaries in the State during natural disasters and emergency like situations, a State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) will come up soon in the State capital Ranchi, enabling the stake holders to receive early information and inputs related to disasters. The process has already been started in this regard by the State Disaster Management Department.
“It will be a sort of political control room during the time any emergency like situation or disaster to coordinate between emergency support functionaries related to disaster management in the State for a better delivery by the stake holders,” said State Programme Officer in Disaster Management Department Colonel SK Srivastava.
According to Srivastava, SEOC will basically function as a communication cum Information Technology (IT) centre where the stake holders can receive early inputs about the disaster which could be communicated further to the respondents or the district headquarters. The centre will be connected to the district control rooms through satellite with round the clock deployment of officials.
“The SEOC is a comprehensive network of IT in real time, the process for which has already been started,” said Srivastava. The intended building will be a modern state- of-the- art structure housing various wings of emergency support functions and related offices under the disaster management department, he added.
The SEOC according to Srivastava, has been conceptualized as the nerve centre for coordination and management of all types of disasters, where information from multiple sources will be analyzed for better preparation and tackling of disasters to minimise its impact and also to reduce the risks emanating from such calamities.
“The SEOC building itself will be disaster proof which would be able to withstand all types of disasters like earthquake, cyclone, fire etc and will also be equipped with latest equipments and technology enabling better preparedness and response time to handle any disaster in the state,” said Srivastava. The centre is to be set up in 50,000 square feet area at Shahid Maidan near Jharkhand Assembly in Dhurwa.
Jharkhand being a disaster prone state where natural calamities in the form of agriculture, drought lightening, jungle fire, mining disaster, cyclone flash floods etc keep on occurring at regular intervals desperately needs a centralised monitoring body during emergency like situations. In addition to that, a number of non-natural disasters take place in the State in large water bodies due to drowning, boat capsize etc.