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An ambitious plan to build multi-purpose cyclone shelters in all coastal states will be given a further fillip said Marri Sashidhar Reddy, Vice-Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The project with support from the World Bank is expected to be completed by 2015. Coincidentally, the maximum number of shelters have been built in the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. These in a way have helped in evacuating more people to safe places and minimise effect on human lives in the present cyclone Phailin, he said.
The Rs 1471 crore initiative will lead to building these shelters which would function as community centres during normal times. They will be in addition to cyclone shelters constructed by the State Governments, Sashidhar Reddy told Business Line over telephone from Delhi.
The NDMA has already provided designs for these shelters, which will be constructed in large numbers in the villages close to coasts. The Authority has also been conducting mock drills to improve the general awareness about managing natural disasters, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
On the Phailin cyclone, he said the focus would now shift to restoring essential services. Restoration of power, road, rail and communication connectivity is priority. A high level national crisis management committee meeting under the chairmanship of the Union Cabinet Secretary will devise the plan.
On the forecast and technological preparedness front, he said that there was a need to procure an aircraft that can fly into the eye of the cyclone and study and send critical data that can help understand the severity. The India Meteorological Department is working on it.
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