Hazard-prone Gujarat must take up aggressive mitigation plans:UNDP

Ahmedabad, Oct 11 (UNI) Gujarat is the ''danger corridor'' in the country, as not only is it sitting on high-risk seismic zones III, IV and V, but is also vulnerable to floods, cyclones and tsunami, said an UNDP official today.

For this reason, UNDP's project director B R Patel said the state must take up aggressive disaster mitigation planning and underlined the need for increasing the awareness among the people regarding various natural disasters.

''We cannot stop natural phenomena but through capacity building and preparedness, we can reduce the damage such disasters cause,'' he said, addressing a workshop at the Science City here.

He also said preventive measures should be taken at all levels--taluka, district and state--to minimise the effect of the calamities.

''We need to be ready with knowledge, training, infrastructure and vehicles to meet any eventuality,'' he stressed.

Talking about schools, he said the buildings should be low rises and each classroom must have two doors.

''Suppose, a fire breaks out or quake occurs, the children should be able to rush out fast,'' he pointed out.

Also speaking on the occasion, Mr J C Chudasama, Director of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) said children are especially vulnerable to the threats posed by natural hazards, but at the same time they can be powerful agents of change, provided they are well armed with knowledge about how to prepare in advance, act on warnings and reduce risk at home.

''So to promote a culture of safety in schools, GSDMA has launched two major schools safety initiatives on a pilot basis.

The programmes shall train teachers and students about basics of disaster management, prepare school disaster management plans, undertake mock drills etc,'' he said.

The workshop was organised in association with Gujarat tate Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) and UNDP Gujarat State Project Office, Gandhinagar, to observe the 'International Day for Reduction of Natural Disasters' (IDRND).

The IDRND is celebrated each year on the second Wednesday of October to raise awareness on natural disasters and their mitigation plans.

Science Advisors of District Institute of Educational&Training (DIETs) and BRC Coordinators of Primary Schools of Gujarat are participating in the programme that will deal with various activities on disaster risk reduction and safety aspects in school curriculum, said Dr Narottam Sahoo, from the Gujarat Council of Science.

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