Bhubaneswar, Oct 5: The state government has decided to restructure the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), nearly 25 years after its establishment.
The OSDMA is being restructured to address challenges posed by climate change. The Revenue and Disaster Management department has passed a resolution for this stating that climate change is adding to the woes of the State leading to an increase in disasters like cyclones, associated rainfall, and flash floods,
“The current global policies focus on synergy between disaster risk management and climate change. It has become crucial to strengthen the organisational structure of OSDMA in line with national frameworks and guidelines and build its own capacity with a view to move from mitigation, preparedness, response, and reconstruction to disaster risk reduction and resilience in a holistic manner,” says the resolution.
There will be four broad divisions in OSDMA: general, capacity building, project and technology, and finance, which will be headed by an executive director each. Each division will have core staff on deputation, technical experts, and consultants.
Out of a total of 102 staff positions in OSDMA at present, 10 posts will be abolished and 37 new posts created. The staff strength will be 129.
The Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority, India’s first dedicated disaster response body, was founded after the super cyclone that hit Odisha in 1999.
The super cyclone that claimed around 10,000 lives and affected 1.3 crore people in 12 districts causing immeasurable damage to infrastructure and homes forced the state government to form the dedicated disaster response body.
Subsequently, it underwent minor changes in nomenclature, becoming Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) in 2008.
OSDMA has emerged as a unique institution, creating professional manpower and acquiring disaster equipment. Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and Odisha Fire Service personnel are routinely deployed during disasters in other States.
Since its inception, OSDMA has successfully taken up capacity-building, preparedness, and disaster management planning activities, which have led to effective management of significant disaster incidents in the state that is prone to cyclones, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, storm surges, landslides, heatwaves, droughts, thunderstorms, lightning, and forest fires.
