Raigad district officers visit Odisha for training to handle cyclone

A team of 50 officers from various departments of Raigad district have been sent to Bhubaneshwar in Odisha to undergo special training to handle cyclone and flood situations; Odisha State Disaster Management Authority has taken precautionary and risk mitigation measures in the wake of floods and cyclones affecting their State every year and is experienced in preparing for cyclones on the East Coast of the country, said Raigad Collector, Mahendra Kalyankar

A team of 50 officers from various departments of Raigad district have been sent to Bhubaneshwar in Odisha to undergo special training to handle cyclone and flood situations.

Cyclone Nisarga was severe in Raigad in 2020. Raigad district officers have been sent to Odisha for training to handle cyclone and flood situations. (HT PHOTO)

The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has taken precautionary and risk mitigation measures in the wake of floods and cyclones affecting their State every year and is experienced in preparing for cyclones on the East Coast of the country, said Raigad Collector, Mahendra Kalyankar.

“The Raigad district administration will be ready to deal with the floods and cyclones that hit us with the help of such training sessions. For the last two consecutive years, Raigad has been hit with severe cyclones. Hence, such training is crucial for us,” he added.

Till now two teams of 50 people have undergone training.

In April, volunteers of various social organisations in the district, volunteers of fire brigade, NSS and NGOs would be sent for the training. “A team of 50 personnel including police, home guards, gramsevaks, talathi, sarpanch were first sent in December 2021. Following the good results they experienced, more teams were sent in March,” Padmashri Bainade, resident deputy collector and Chief Executive Officer, District Disaster Management, said.

Meanwhile, a NDRF Camp was planned in Mahad after Cyclone Nisarga had hit Raigad in 2020. Every time there is a natural calamity in the district, the administration has to depend on the NDRF team from Pune to reach there. Mahad was selected for the camp as Mahad is usually the most affected taluka of Raigad. The State Dairy Department, in 2021, agreed to provide five acres of land for NDRF base camp at Mahad in Raigad.

“In view of the increasing number of natural calamities in Raigad district, the district administration had proposed to have a permanent NDRF camp in the district for which Mahad was selected as the location. The proposed camp is on land belonging to the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department, which was awaiting a clearance from them and was granted in June last year. Mutation of 7/12 extract has also been done and now we have proposed to the Central Government for allotment. Once the allotment comes, we will go ahead with the planning of the building for the camp,” Mahad sub-divisional officer, Pratima Pudalwad, said. After the construction of the building is done, the Central Government will then provide the staff required as per the allotment.