A seminar on disaster preparedness with the theme "Disaster Management then and now" was today held at Government Degree College Baramulla with Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Dr Nasir Ahmad Naqash as the chief guest. The seminar was organized by the district administration in collaboration with the college authorities which marked the participation of large number of students, volunteers, and functionaries of Disaster Management Authority and other prominent sections of the society.On the occasion, a special documentary was screened to highlight the vagaries of the earthquake of 2005 especially in the Uri area of Baramulla district.Various speakers spoke on the topic that deliberated on disaster preparedness and gave a detailed account of various disasters including floods, earthquakes, and landslides. The speakers exhorted upon preparedness and said that calamities cannot be avoided but its effects can be mitigated by proper management and preparedness.
Speaking on the occasion, the DC lauded the participants and termed holding of the seminar a way forward to mitigate disaster losses as it proves very beneficial in awareness dissemination. He described holding of the seminar on natural disasters as a milestone and said it a sign of mental as well as physical alertness to tackle it more efficiently in future times. He also reiterated his commitment in strengthening disaster management plan and said that various initiatives are afoot in this regard. Dr Nasir Naqash, who is also the chairman of District Disaster Management Authority called for a collective effort in disaster risk reduction and sought public support in maintaining the ecological balance of nature. He also appealed to people to adopt proper and scientific construction plan while building their houses especially in slope areas besides consultation from the concerned experts.
Director State Disaster Management Authority Amir Ali said that things have changed drastically after the catastrophic 2005 earthquake. After which the State Disaster Management Authority was established in 2007, besides other divisional and district disaster management authorities. He said that State Disaster Response and Disaster Mitigation Funds have also been created under which the government allocated Rs one crore which is at the disposal of the DC so that the victims are rehabilitated at an earliest. Later a mock drill was organized at Showket Ali Stadium Baramulla in which volunteers of Civil Defence, Home Guard, Police, NDRF Baramulla, Information Department, Red cross society, Youth Services and Sports, Revenue, NYK and other departments participated during which special techniques with reference to first aid and other rescue operations were imparted by the experts.