New Delhi, May 10:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday stressed the need for constituting and activating Flood Crisis Management Teams (FCMTs) in all states to strengthen preparedness against floods and other natural disasters.
Chairing a high-level review meeting in New Delhi on flood and heatwave preparedness ahead of the monsoon season, Shah said the country must work towards the vision of “zero casualty disaster management” under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the meeting, the Home Minister directed authorities to improve coordination between the Centre and states through an integrated flood forecasting mechanism and effective dissemination of weather warnings. He also called for strict implementation of disaster management guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Shah further asked the NDMA to study how effectively states are following guidelines related to floods, forest fires and heatwaves. He emphasized that disaster preparedness plans should reach the grassroots level for timely response and minimum loss of life and property.
The Home Minister also advocated the development of early warning systems for high-risk lakes in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. He stressed the importance of water conservation, check dam projects and groundwater recharge to reduce the impact of climate-related disasters.(KNC)