The state administration has increased its effort to make 100 more villages and wards tsunami ready in 2023 after receiving international recognition for flood and cyclone management.
In-depth details about 100 more villages in Odisha will be prepared for a tsunami this year
According to representatives of the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), 62 tsunami-prone villages and wards have already been included in the Indian Ocean Tsunami Ready (IOTR) programme, and awareness campaigns will begin in 100 additional tsunami-prone villages and wards in 2023 as part of both IOTR and the Odisha Tsunami Preparedness Program.
The activities include, among others, capacity building, training of various stakeholders, mock drills, mapping of tsunami hazard zones, and tsunami management plans.
It is noteworthy that the Venkatraipur (Boxipalli) village of Rangeilunda block in Ganjam and the Noliasahi village of Ersama block in Jagatsinghpur have been recognised as the first two Tsunami Ready communities under the IOTR programme of UNESCO – Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) in 2020. The OSDMA official claimed that the Covid-19 pandemic epidemic seriously hampered the effort to prepare the selected areas for a tsunami that year. He claimed that the scheme is now being carried out fully as the global health crisis has abated.
According to the officer, there are now 381 instead of 326 tsunami-prone villages and wards recognised in 22 blocks of six coastal districts of the state.
“Our goal is to have all of the designated villages and wards recognised as tsunami-ready communities. As a result, the exercises are being performed in phases, he stated.
Officials from OSDMA stated that in light of the disastrous tsunami that killed thousands of people in South India back in 2004, people need to be made aware of this disaster. Odisha almost avoided the catastrophe that wrecked havoc on the coastlines of Tamil Nadu and Andhra.
