Senior Member of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) K Saleem Ali strongly feels that a bio-shield will help out the cyclone-prone coastal Odisha in a big way.
While talking to the concerned senior officials of the State Government at the State Secretariat here, Ali said that tall leafy trees (bio-shield) would save the situation in Odidha as experienced elsewhere in the world.
Principal Secretary Water Resources Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Special Relief Commissioner Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, Special DGP Sanjeev Marik, Special Secretary Home lalit Das, the Odidha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) Managing Director and other senior officials were present.
Ali said planting tall varieties of trees in the rice fields alongside the coast would certainly work wonders, which would act as a ‘bio-shield’. “Our ancestors were taking this approach, which we have forgotten,” he observed.
However, he said, mangrove trees would not be able to save the situation as they are meant for avoiding sea erosion and to block tidal wave.
Ali said the authorities would have to adopt a better river basin management for flood control as the State is flood-prone. The State has 13 major and 20 big rivers, which cause frequent floods and an efficient management of these river basins would go a long way in handling this disaster.
Ali asked the authorities to adopt the Bangladesh River Basin Management Plan, which is ultramodern and can be replicated in Odisha.
He advised the State Government to raise awareness on earthquake issues and said house insurance would help the affected people from ruin. It is always beneficial to make a house earthquake-proof by spending some extra money as it would help in the crisis.