A one-day workshop on the role of media in disaster risk management was organised here today by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) which was chaired by Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Manisha Nanda.Speaking on the occasion, Manisha Nanda said that disasters affect every aspect of life and every person. She said that famine commission was formed in the British era to cope with the devastating famine in the India. Bhopal gas tragedy was another shocking incident in the history of the country. She asked the people to be aware of the disasters and take learning lessons from the previous disasters.She emphasized on the training and preparations during and post disaster and said that the media should work in tandem with the government officials to mitigate effects of disasters.Moiz Mannan Haque, Assistant Professor at Department of Mass Communication, RTM Nagpur University as resource person said that media should play an effective role in the reporting of the disasters events. He also urged Public Relations professionals to inform media in time so that the valuable information could be used to save precious lives and loss of property.
Himanshu Shekhar Mishra, Editor (Government Affairs) NDTV India also shared his reporting and research experiences in the field of disasters. His anecdotes of Kashmir floods provided real life experiences during the disasters to the audience. He stressed on the developmental approach by the media. He also urged emergency managers including governmental and private stakeholders to understand each other's job and coordinate for the public good.Anupam Kashyap, Director Information and Public Relations during his address appreciated the role of media during recent heavy rainfall in the State. He urged media to inform masses in a responsible way to avoid panic during the disasters.Dr. Shashikant Sharma, HoD, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, HP University highlighted several aspects of the disasters in the state. He stressed on the preparations for earthquake as the state falls in seismic zone five. He encouraged mass communication students to work hard as the world was facing new disasters challenges in view of climatic changes.D.C. Rana, Special Secretary Revenue-Disaster Management coordinated the event. He informed about the various steps being taken by the SDMA to prepare for the disasters in the state.Various media persons, governmental officials and media students also participated in the workshop.