Move to develop landslide early warning system

Bhubaneswar: Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) signed an MoU with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham for developing a landslide early warning system in the State, officials said.

The OSDMA also signed another memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangkok-based Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) to provide support as a knowledge partner and system integrator for implementing the World Bank-supported Odisha State Capability and Resilient Growth Programme (OSCRGP).

The agreements were signed in the presence of Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena and OSDMA Managing Director Satyabrata Sahu here on Wednesday. Asserting that Odisha is the best State in disaster management, Jena said, ‘’Whether in disaster preparedness, management during and after calamities or adopting resilient strategies, we have been trying to do our best every time. These collaborations will also help in the capacity building of youth towards disaster preparedness.’’ Sahu said the collaboration with Coimbatore-based Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham will strengthen the government’s preparedness for managing landslides through early warning dissemination.

Similarly, the collaboration with RIMES will strengthen the government’s preparedness for managing disasters through impact-based forecasting, early warning dissemination and last-mile connectivity, he said.