GIS-based disaster management plans for 5 MP districts in the offing

The Disaster Management Institute has been asked to prepare a detailed geographical information system (GIS) based disaster management plans, the first of its kind in Madhya Pradesh, an official said on Wednesday.

Updated on: May 14, 2015, 16:36:09 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Bhopal

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The Disaster Management Institute (DMI) has been asked to prepare a detailed geographical information system (GIS) based disaster management plans, the first of its kind in Madhya Pradesh, an official said on Wednesday.

The Bhopal-based DMI, one of the oldest disaster management institutes in the country was set up in 1987 in the backdrop of world’s worst ever industrial disaster, has been asked to prepare plans for five districts in Madhya Pradesh by the state disaster management authority, said director DMI Rakesh Dubey.

He said five districts for which the plans are being prepared include Jabalpur, Dhar, Satna, Ujjain and Hoshangabad.

“…These plans will take care of the micro details on many GIS layers. Policy makers and authorities dealing with disaster preparedness will greatly benefit from the bird’s eye view on many aspects. The plans will look into area specific vulnerability of the districts with regard to various kinds of disasters,” Dubey told Hindustan Times.

“The plans will complement the work and preparedness of the State Disaster and Emergency Response Force (SDERF). The SDERF comprises of homeguard personnel who are being trained by the DMI in disaster management and rescue operations for the last two years.”

Dubey further said that the state’s disaster management policy emphasises the fact that “each disaster has a different character and therefore requires a different plan of action for prevention and mitigation”. “In response to this, the government has decided to formulate a policy that addresses various aspects of disaster management in a systematic and sustained manner,” he added.

Contrary to the perception that land locked Madhya Pradesh is safe, available data shows that the state is vulnerable to disasters like floods, earthquakes, hailstorms, draughts, fires, industrial and chemical catastrophes, and landslides.

There are 28 districts in MP that come under seismic zone III, 32 districts are vulnerable to floods and over half a dozen districts are prone to droughts.

Catering to local needs

Detailed disaster management plans that are tailored to local needs would enable the relevant authorities and the community to respond systematically and effectively to disasters

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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