A State level consultation workshop on finalisation of State Disaster Management Plan-2017 was organised by the Disaster Management Cell, Revenue Department of Himachal Pradesh with the support of UNDP in Shimla on Tuesday.
Additional Chief Secretary (TCP, UDD and Housing) Manisha Nanda, said that Himachal Pradesh was vulnerable to various disasters as it falls in Himalayan region which has fragile eco system. She said that though urbanisation was less in this hilly state but there is constant urban migration which can not be stopped , but steps should be taken for planned and disaster resilient buildings and other infrastructure.
She said that there was a need for detailed and updated records of identified elements at risk including children, women, old age people, sick and ailing persons, livestock etc along with detailed inventory of infrastructure likely to be affected by different disasters. It was high time for all concerned to appreciate that disasters needed to be handled through a detailed comprehensive and participatory strategy.
Special Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Dev Dutt Sharma, discussed about the complexity of Indian Himalayan region and said that this region was among the most complex and diverse mountain ecosystems in the world, and home to an estimated 72 million people. Nearly one billion people depend upon hydrological resources and ecosystem services that originate from this unique environment.
He said that a high powered committee has identified 25 hazards in Himachal Pradesh out of total 33 hazards which could occur in various parts of the state.
lead Consultant & Disaster Management Expert P.G. Dhar Chakrabarti said that Himachal Pradesh has prepared State Management Plan in 2012 which was quite comprehensive but needs to be revised as per latest parameters. He said that Himachal was the first state to prepare Hazard Risk Vulnerability Assessment (HR Atlas) which was available in public domain.
DGP Sanjay Kumar, Economic Advisor Pradeep Chauhan and other senior officers of the state government attended the workshop.