Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi has stated that Early Warning Systems will be established soon in the state to strengthen disaster management. The Cabinet sub-committee has approved this plan.
Himachal Pradesh Disaster Management: Himachal Pradesh is now going to take the help of modern technology to deal with natural disasters. In a recent meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee, it was agreed that the Early Warning System would be strengthened and established on a wider scale in the state.
Its purpose is to ensure that the government and the general public receive accurate and timely warnings before a disaster-like situation occurs, so that loss of life and property can be minimized.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi informed that this Early Warning System will provide accurate and immediate information such as weather monitoring, forecasting and warnings. In the past few years, incidents of disasters like floods, cloudbursts and landslides have increased in the state, which have not only disrupted public life, but have also resulted in the loss of crores of rupees worth of property and many precious lives.
Alert before disaster, loss of life and property will be less
The Revenue Minister said that with this system, an alert will be received before the disaster, due to which the preparation for relief and rescue operations can be started in advance. At the same time, the general public will also get enough time to take precautions and go to safer places. This will help in avoiding major losses in the future.
The sub-committee has taken another major decision to make the disaster management strategy more effective. Now the government will hire helicopters for relief and rescue operations during disasters. In mountainous areas, relief work is often affected due to roads breaking or being closed, in such a situation, it will be easier to deliver essential relief materials and evacuate stranded people safely through air services.
Government will go to High Court for relaxation in FCA (Forest Conservation Act)
It was also decided in the meeting that reconstruction of blocked roads, bridges and water supply schemes will be given priority in the areas which have been damaged by floods and landslides recently. For this, the concerned departments have been directed to prepare an action plan as soon as possible and implement it.
In this meeting, there was also relief news for small and marginal farmers. The Himachal Pradesh government will appeal in the High Court to get relaxation in FCA (Forest Conservation Act). Cases of regularization of land of small farmers are pending in many rural areas of the state, which are stuck due to being related to forest land. This is being considered a big step in the interest of such farmers.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said that the government's effort is that small farmers get relief from legal hurdles and they can use their land unhindered. Instructions have also been issued to expedite the files related to land regularization.
Decisions taken in special meeting on disaster management
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Kamlesh Kumar Pant, Special Secretary (Revenue-Disaster) DC Rana and other senior officers were present in this important meeting. In the meeting, several technical and administrative reforms were also discussed to strengthen the disaster management system in the state.
Himachal Pradesh is a mountainous state, where natural disasters like landslides, floods, cloudbursts and avalanches occur every year. The damage increases due to lack of accurate meteorological data and timely warnings. With the implementation of the Early Warning System, the state will get a new strength in disaster management and Himachal will emerge as a model state at the national level as well.
