The Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has geared up for preparing a Disaster Management Plan. The civic body in association with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Disaster Management department held a workshop for its officers and ward councilors regarding the plan preparation on Thursday. It covered open discussion on vulnerability profile of the city, climate change adaptation issues and disaster handling capability of the corporation.
The ward councillors felt the need of the plan with regard to the ground water depletion by 12 meters in the last one decade, lack of conductors in lifeline buildings like hospitals and schools as well as human settlement in vulnerable areas like river bank. There were queries from Councillor of ward number 25 Md Aslam and ward number 45 Ajit Oraon on how to manage drainage system and household identification in such vulnerable areas. Also, ward councillors demanded of distributing the ward wise fund allotment booklet under the plan.
The 55 wards of the state capital have been divided into 11 divisions to implement the Disaster Plan and identify the locations which are likely to be affected from the calamity. Former Ward Councillor AS Deol has been made the RMC Disaster Management Coordinator for communicating with the ward councillors. The councillors were instructed to provide their phone numbers to the coordinator.
Deol requested RMC and Disaster Management Secretary Samson Soy to locate a space wherein the corporation’s disaster wing can function. Samson Soy assured to provide the technical and manpower assistance in the project. Also, he informed that every district of the state would receive an amount of Rs 5 lakh for ensuring disaster management prevention techniques.
“In order to develop the plan Ranchi needs a low carbon pathway which in turn will reduce the carbon footprints of denizens. The carbon footprints are formed through carbon dioxide released by non-renewable sources like petrol and coal. We have to encourage people on using renewable sources like solar energy and avoid using non-renewable energy,” said UNDP City Coordinator Dileep Kumar.
Kumar pointed that Ranchi is among the 10 cities of India selected for Urban Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Programme under Government of India and UNDP in the 2013-17 plan. “It was this reason that we thought of organizing a workshop. An orientation on the programme was conducted in August 2014,” he added. Deputy Mayor Sanjeev Vijaywargia and Chief Executive Officer Prashant Kumar represented as the senior most representatives of the corporation.