Port Blair, Feb 12: The entire Islands territory falls in Seismic Zone V and is prone to Geological and Hydro-Meteorological disasters like Earthquake, Tsunami, Cyclones, Storms, and Landslides etc. The devastating Tsunami of 26th December, 2004 was the maiden and unforgettable lesson for the Islands Administration as well as the Islanders. Besides the heavy death toll, the damage caused by the Tsunami to the infrastructure was in such a high magnitude that people were literally pushed back by decades. But, with the extraordinary financial aid by Govt. of India, dedicated efforts of UT Administration and the zeal of the Islanders, almost everything has been restored and now people are marching shoulder to shoulder on the path of progress with the rest of the nation.
With the lesson learnt in December, 2004, a special emphasis on disaster preparedness and mitigation, which got a legal thrust with the enactment of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Recently, under the leadership of Dr. Nitin Shakya, Director, Disaster Management, A & N Administration conducted Capacity Building Programmes – SwasthyaDoot on disaster preparedness in Great Nicobar Sub-Division and trained around 8000 persons including children in association with A&N Police, Fire Services, Health Department, Indian Coast Guard and A&N Command. The Disaster Management Trainings have been impacted by conducting one day training workshops/programmes wherein the basics of disaster management search & rescue and medical first response were covered. The community of the entire Great Nicobar is the first Sub-Division in India where each resident is trained in Disaster Management and they are fully prepared to respond to any eventuality in future.
The similar programme on disaster preparedness to be organized in all Sub-Divisions of A&N Islands in association with A&N Police, Fire Services, Health Department, NDRF, Indian Coast Guard and A&N Command to build the capacity of entire community of all Sub-Divisions of A & N Islands in line with the disaster preparedness programmes carried out in Great Nicobar Sub-Division wherein the basic trainings on disaster management, search & rescue and medical first response to be given to the community to cope up any crisis/disasters in future by themselves as disaster first responder.
The Directorate of Disaster Management is going to organize one day training workshops for all the resident of each village/ward of all Sub-Divisions/Tehsil/Island on basic trainings on disaster management, search & rescue and medical first response theoretically as well as practically so that the entire populous of this Union Territory shall be fully trained on disaster response and management and able to cope up any crisis/disaster.
