Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday urged government departments to ensure disaster mitigation measures in line with the Orange Book of Disaster Management prepared by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).
Mr. Vijayan was chairing a meeting on the updated version of the ‘Orange Book of Disaster Management 2 – Monsoon Preparedness and Response Guidelines.’ He called for meetings at the district-level to review the arrangements made so far.
The meetings should be chaired by the Ministers in charge of each district. Local bodies have been directed to ensure basic amenities in buildings identified for opening relief camps. The meeting also discussed health-related aspects of disaster management. Private hospitals should be included in the disaster management plans. A decision was also taken to prepare a list of hospitals providing treatment for snakebite.
Funds allotted
Grama panchayats can spend ₹1 lakh, municipalities ₹3 lakh and corporations, ₹5 lakh for arranging equipment needed for rescue/relief operations. They can also spend, respectively, ₹1 lakh, ₹2 lakh and ₹5 lakh on improving the facilities in relief camps. The Chief Minister urged the local bodies to spend the sanctioned funds in a useful manner to put in place the necessary arrangements.
Revenue Minister K. Rajan, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, Higher Education Minister R. Bindu, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran, Chief Secretary V. Venu, Secretary (Disaster Management) Tinku Biswal, and KSDMA member secretary Sekhar V. Kuriakose attended the meeting.
The KSDMA first brought out the ‘Orange Book’ in 2019. It is updated every year by incorporating recent experiences and new requirements.
