Rayagada: Review on disaster preparedness plans held in presence of NDMA officials
By C.B. Singh
Rayagada, Aug. 25: A high-level review meeting on disaster preparedness was held at the Zilla Parishad Conference Hall on August 21, 2025, under the chairmanship of Additional District Magistrate Nabin Chandra Naik during the visit of a delegation from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The meeting was attended by NDMA officials Dr. S.K. Jena (Joint Advisor), Subash Chand (Under Secretary), and Subash Chandra Mohanty (Lead Consultant), along with Subodh Acharya, Chief General Manager of OSDMA, all district-level officers of Rayagada, and District Emergency Officers from Malkangiri and Koraput.
The NDMA team’s primary objective was to share details of disaster-related schemes, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and national guidelines, while also evaluating the functioning of State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs). They also reviewed existing disaster management plans and collected relevant documents, including Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials.
During the session, NDMA officials explained rule-making, approval processes, and execution mechanisms under various provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. They also briefed participants on the Prime Minister’s 10-Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction and outlined the Minimum Standards of Relief prescribed in national guidelines.
Subodh Acharya of OSDMA stressed the need for strong vertical coordination from NDMA to DDMA and underscored the importance of structural safety reviews of schools and healthcare facilities during the pre-monsoon period (November to April) to strengthen preparedness.
The District Emergency Officers of Malkangiri and Koraput presented their disaster preparedness, response, and recovery strategies. Rayagada’s District Emergency Officer, Manoj Kumar Nahak, also delivered a detailed presentation highlighting the district’s preparedness, ongoing capacity-building programmes, and recovery mechanisms.
In addition, district-level officials from various departments shared inputs on their respective preparedness and response plans, reinforcing a coordinated approach to disaster risk reduction in Rayagada and the adjoining districts.
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