Kapil Sibal Releases NDMA Guidelines on Cyclone Management

The Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Kapil Sibal, today released the ‘National Disaster Management Guidelines – Management of CYCLONES ’ compiled by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at a function in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion he congratulated the NDMA for its holistic approach for preparing the guidelines and expressed confidence that if implemented, these guidelines will save thousands of lives. The National Guidelines for the Management of Cyclone have been formulated after a ‘nine step’ process fully taking on board various Central Ministries and Departments and the States and UTs. The process also included wide consultations with scientific and technical institutions, academics, technocrats and humanitarian organizations. The draft guidelines document was circulated to all the Ministries/Departments at the Centre and the States and UTs for their feedback. All workable suggestions have been incorporated.

A National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project for approx Rs 1600 Cr with assistance from the World Bank, is in the process of finalization covering all the 13 coastal States/UTs. The various activities under this project will include construction of cyclone shelters, shelter belt/mangrove plantations, establishing last mile connectivity, improving link roads etc. Once all the activities, as laid down in these guidelines are implemented, we will be much better prepared to face the hazards of cyclones.

NDMA in its guidelines has identified 10 key areas of cyclone management:

• Establishing a state-of-the-art cyclone early warning system (EWS) involving observations, predictions, warnings and user friendly advisories.
• Commissioning of the ‘National Disaster Communication Infrastructure’ (NDCI) to provide dedicated and failsafe communications to the National, State and District Disaster Management Authorities and officials concerned.
• Expanding the warning dissemination outreach by introducing ‘Last Mile Connectivity’, which will include providing public address system along the entire coast line, using VHF technology. This will be done along with putting in place all other options currently in vogue internationally.
• Implementing the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) in all the 13 coastal states and UTs.
• Taking up structural mitigation measures like improving structural lifeline infrastructure; construction of multi-purpose cyclone shelters and cattle mounds, ensuring cyclone resistant design standards in rural and urban housing schemes, building all-weather road links, bridges, culverts and saline embankments etc.
• Management of coastal zones to include mapping and delineation of coastal wetlands, patches of mangroves and shelterbelts and identification of potential zones for expanding bio-shield spread based on remote sensing tools.
• Setting up of an exclusive eco-system monitoring network to study the impact of climate change.
• Establishing a comprehensive ‘Cyclone Disaster Management Information System’ (CDMIS) covering all phases of Disaster Management.
• Setting up of a ‘National Cyclone Disaster Management Institute’ in one of the coastal states to address all issues related to cyclone risks.
• Commissioning of “Aircraft Probing of Cyclone (APC) facility” to fill the critical observational data gaps and significantly reduce the margin of error in predicting cyclone track, intensity and landfall.

The Guidelines of management of cyclones describe in brief the manifestations of the phenomenon of floods, achievements made so far in controlling them. These also give a road-map for future course of action for management of floods in the country. This road map has well defined milestones which will help in monitoring implementation thereof.

The National Disaster Management Authority has so far released the guidelines for management of Earthquakes, Chemical and Industrial Disasters, Preparation of State Plans for disaster management and medical preparedness and management of mass causalities and floods. The Guidelines on Management of cyclones have now been released. The guidelines for management of nuclear disasters and radiological emergencies, Tsunamis, urban-flooding and landslides are under formulation and will be released shortly.

Based on the guidelines, the central ministries and departments concerned and the state governments will prepare their flood management plans, implementation of which will minimize loss of life and property on account of cyclones.

The Vice Chairman of the NDMA Gen. N. C. Vij, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM (Retd.) presided over the function. Sh.Shasahidhar Reddy, MLA and Member, NDMA made a presentation on the introduction to guidelines. Shri H. S. Brahma, Additional Secretary, NDMA presented a vote of thanks. The function was attended by the members of the Core Group constituted by the NDMA for preparation of the Guidelines and Experts, officials representing Ministries and other organizations of the Government of India concerned with the subject and representatives of the state governments.

Source: Press Inormation Bureau
Date: April 24, 2008