Imphal, December 11: Despite Manipur falling within one of the five seismic zones of the country, the State Government has not yet taken up any definite action plan to deal with the eventuality of the any disaster that may hit the State.

No doubt, as in other parts of India, a Disaster Management Department has also been set up in Manipur but there has been no sign of any progress on the disaster management related activities taking place in the State.

In the early part of the current year, Government of India and UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme appointed one programme officer for each of the State to kick start the disaster management programmes.

For Manipur too, one programme officer has been appointed but as the officer is not physically present, the awareness programmes to be taken up in this connection has taken a back seat.

Following the recent large scale destruction and loss of human lives in the earthquake at Jammu and Kashmir, the Rajya Sabha introduced a Bill on National Disaster Management.

Following this the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued instructions to all the States for setting up their respective State Disaster Management Authorities.

More recently, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil had issued another instruction directing all the State Governments to complete the necessary procedure for setting up the said State Disaster Management Authorities before the Bill is enacted as an Act so that the necessary works could begin.

In this connection, the Department of Relief, Government of Manipur had submitted a proposal to the Chief Minister through the Chief Secretary for setting up the State Disaster Management Authority as well as the associated District Disaster Management Authorities.

One of the most important elements is required to strengthen the functioning of the State Disaster Management Authority is instituting a State Executive Committee.

This Committee has the power to give necessary instruction to all the related Government Depart- ments for coordinated efforts during the time of occurrence of natural calamities like flood, drought, tempest, landslide, hail storm or earthquake.

Since the Committee has not yet been set up in Manipur, Disaster Management Department has no power but to plead for assistance if natural calamities took place.

The Prime Minister is the chairperson of the National Disaster Management Authority and the Chief Ministers of the respective State Government would be the chairmen of the State Disaster Management Authorities.

While in the State Executive Committee, the Chief Secretary would be the chairperson and there would be four other members to be appointed by him, namely the Relief Commissioner and the Secretaries of three other Departments.

Along with the setting of the State Disaster Management Authority, if the State Government gives its appro- val for constituting State Executive Committee, the concerned Depts could start training their officials on disa- ster management.

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