Himachal govt to change Relief Manual: CM

Shimla, Jun 3 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the state Relief Manual was being reviewed and updated ''to fit into the emerging needs.'' ''The government has initiated the process to review and update the existing Himachal Pradesh Relief Manual in view of the recent disaster experiences. Efforts are being made to incorporate necessary amendments which could cover all the left out issues so that suitable and timely relief and rehabilitation package could be extended to the effected persons,'' he said while addressing the State Level Disaster Management Committee meeting here.

The department of Relief and Rehabilitation had been re-designated as Relief, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Department and training programmes for capacity building of he engineers and architects was being conducted at National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, he added.

Mr Singh said disaster management strategies and latest technology could be helpful in mellowing down the impact of the disaster.

''The new approach of disaster management proceeds from the conviction that development would not be sustainable unless disaster mitigation is infused in the development process,'' he added.

Chief Minister said the state government had constituted a ''State Crisis Management Group'' under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. Besides, District Disaster Management Committees had directed the deputy commissioners to prepare District Level Disaster Management Plans of their districts.

Mr Singh also said learning from past experiences the government had taken all precautions and preparatory steps to successfully meet any challenge. In this context he referred to the artificial lake on the Pareechoo river in Tibet, which had been threatening the state for the last two years.

He said the administration had been kept at high alert and precautionary measures taken to ensure safety to life and property of the people, threatened by the overflowing of the river.

''Regular monitoring of the water level in Sutlej river is being carried at different stages,'' he noted.

He further said although there was no immediate threat of floods from the Sutlej river, but the satellite pictures confirmed existence of the water body on the Pareecho river, which flows into the Sutlej.

He said he had personally taken up the matter with the Union government and requested them to further raise the matter with the Chinese Authorities so as to remove the existence blockade on the Pareecho river.

Mr Singh emphasised the need for construction of all buildings with earthquake resistant provisions since the state was in the highly sensitive earthquake prone and seismic zone.

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