With Killari quake management template, India can face any natural disaster confidently: Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar says India can confidently face any disaster due to the effective administrative system developed after the 1993 Killari earthquake.

Mumbai: The administrative system to face any natural disaster in the country with confidence stemmed from the effective disaster management during the 1993 Killari earthquake in Maharashtra, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who helmed the state at that time, said.

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Speaking at the 30th anniversary of the earthquake in Latur district, he also reminisced how resources were mobilised by the state government and the Centre for carrying out the huge rehabilitation work.

Over 10,500 persons were killed and another 10,000 injured on September 30, 1993, in a powerful earthquake that flattened two villages and wrought havoc in 49 others in Maharashtra in its worst-ever calamity. Around 6,000 people died in their sleep at Killari village in Latur district as their houses were reduced to rubble and another 4,000 were killed at Omerga in Osmanabad district and other villages.

“Currently, India can face any kind of disaster confidently as the country has an effective administrative system in place which originated from the Killari earthquake. The country learnt the lesson of disaster management from this massive disaster,” said Pawar.

On Saturday, the local organisations held a function at Killari in Latur to remember 30 years of the deadly calamity and express gratitude to Pawar whose role in effectively handling the relief and rehabilitation work as the then chief minister.

In his address, Pawar reminded the gathering that they did nothing except relief and rehabilitation work in Latur for three subsequent weeks after the earthquake. “I camped at Solapur circuit house for two weeks to speed up the relief work and also did not allow the then prime minister Narsimha Rao to visit the site in the first few days as it would obstruct the ongoing work,” the 82-year-old leader said.

He reminded the hard work done by the then Latur collector Pravin Pardeshi and the significant contribution by former chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh, former minister Dilip Deshmukh, social activist Shantilal Muttha who adopted the orphanages for life, political parties such as Congress and Shiv Sena and business groups such Tata, Birla, Kirloskar who adopted villages at that time.

Marathwada is a politically significant region considering the demand for Maratha reservation. The hunger strike started by Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil and subsequent police lathicharge led to unrest in the region that has brought political backlash for the government especially from the Maratha community that form 32% of the state population.

This drought-prone central Maharashtra region elects 46 legislators where caste equations, emotive issues and religion often trump development.