Educating people in disaster management is necessary: S M Krishna

Kolhapur, May 30 (UNI) Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna today said, creating awareness among the people through disaster education and training are necessary steps for enabling the community to cope with disasters.

Mr Krishna was speaking at a function here after inaugurating 'Avhan 2007', a special training camp on rescue and relief operations held under the auspies of disaster management for National Cadet Corps (NCC) here. The function was presided by Maharashtra Marketing Minister Harshwardhan Patil.

Educating people in disaster management was remained unattended so far, Mr Krishna said.

Citizens or a community are the first who respond to any disaster hence educating them and creating awareness among them is a must. 'Avhan 2007' will help to bridge the glearing lacunae in the relief and rehabilitation efforts.

India is home to the most vulnerable regions, especially to natural disasters. In the last 15 years, disasters like the earthquakes at Latur, Osmanabad and Gujrat, the cyclone in Orissa, devastating tsunami and the Mumbai floods strucked India causing large-scale death and destruction, he pointed out and said the State and Centre are making institutional arrangements to address the issue of disaster preparedness.

NCC is India's premier youth organisation and since its inception it is recognised as a visible symbol of discipline, character, secularism and patriotism. It is our proud privilege that the Maharashtra Directorate of NCC has won the most coveted Prime Minister's banner and trophy for the third consecutive year in 2007, Mr Krishna said.

Shivaji University Vice-Chancellor Dr Manikrao Salunkhe; Lt Gen Prakash S Choudhary, Director General of NCC, Government of India; Brig Ramesh Chander Sharad, Deputy Director General of NCC Maharashtra were among the prominent persons present at the function.

UNI