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Jharkhand to roll out action plan to prevent disaster losses
Jharkhand to roll out action plan to prevent disaster losses
Ranchi, The Jharkhand government will soon roll out a major action plan to prevent casualties caused by lightning strikes, drowning, snakebites and road accidents, an official said on Thursday.
The state Disaster Management Department has developed an integrated 'Jharkhand Disaster Relief Management' portal and piloted it in Dhanbad and Bokaro districts as part of the action plan, the official said.
A statewide portal will be launched after the success of the pilot project, he said.
"Of the 26 disasters in the country, Jharkhand faces human losses due to four major disasters – lightning strikes, drowning, snakebites and road accidents.
"An integrated portal has been developed clubbing various facilities and information such as vulnerable spots, precautions and awareness to reduce losses from such disasters," Rakesh Kumar, joint secretary at the state Disaster Management Department, told PTI.
As per official records, 431 lives were lost in Jharkhand in just three months last year due to various disasters, excluding road accidents.
Of the fatalities, 180 were due to incidents of lightning strikes, while 161 people drowned and 80 died due to snakebites during the period, the records said.
Jharkhand registered 9,438 snakebite cases from 2022 to April 2026. The state also witnessed around 100 deaths caused by lightning strikes this year. On an average, around 3,000 people are killed annually in road accidents in the state, as per the records.
Kumar said they have identified drowning hotspots in various water bodies in the state and the locations are being integrated into the portal with coordinate leads.
"We have also provided specialised training in deep diving to 48 people, two from each district, for rescue operations. Besides, training will also be provided to first and second responders.
"Around 500 people, including locals, homeguards and police personnel, will be provided training and they will be deputed at vulnerable sites of water bodies during the rainy season to prevent drowning cases," he added.
He said awareness is the key to preventing casualties in disasters such as lightning strikes and snakebites.
"We carried out disaster awareness programmes in 900 private and government schools during the previous fiscal," Kumar added.
"The accident-prone points and black spots will also be mentioned in the portal to prevent road accidents and losses caused by them," he added.
Kumar said a compensation claim could also be made through the portal, which will make the process easier.
Shashi Prakash Jha, the mission director of the National Health Mission , Jharkhand, said all the civil surgeons have been asked to strictly implement the national snakebite management protocol prescribed by the Union Ministry of Health.
The Jharkhand wing of the National Health Mission will also contribute to the disaster management department's initiative to reduce losses caused by snakebites and drowning.
Jha said they would create awareness about not missing the golden hour after snakebite incidents.
The National Action Plan launched by the National Centre for Disease Control aims to reduce snakebite deaths and disabilities by 50 per cent by 2030.
Experts, however, said that of the more than 250 snake species found in Jharkhand, only 25 per cent are venomous.
They added that most deaths are not caused by the snake's venom, but rather by extreme fear and panic that lead to cardiac arrest.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
