Latest news with #Jan-Bhagidari
India Gazette
11 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"States should focus on low-cost but high-impact interventions to mitigate disaster risks": Principal Secretary to PM
New Delhi [India], June 17 (ANI): The two-day Annual Conference of Relief Commissioners and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of States and UTs-2025, organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), concluded in New Delhi today. PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, chaired the valedictory session, Ministry of Home Affairs said in an official statement. Speaking on the occasion, P K Mishra said that this annual conference is more than a routine--it's a shared opportunity to reflect, recalibrate, and reinforce our collective approach to disaster risk management. Observing that the nature of disasters is changing, he said that we must accept this reality i.e. hazards are interconnected, impacts are multiplying, and risks are evolving faster than we are adapting. P K Mishra highlighted the actions to be focused in the days to come, which will strengthen our position in a long run: Preparedness and awareness is crucial for tackling increasing uncertainty on disaster occurrence. The hazard and vulnerability landscape are changing and so should enhance the preparedness level of the states and for better transition from relief and response approach to preparedness and mitigation approach, states need to institutionalise the lessons learnt. This is essential, so that insights from the past disasters are not forgotten. He emphasised that while India's DRR financing model has been acknowledged at the Global Platform on DRR held in Geneva on 4-6 June, States should ensure for proper utilisation of recovery and mitigation funds. He added the need to highlight India's vast geography, which mandates that besides a robust national disaster response force, states should assess and invest in capacity augmentation of agencies involved in the disaster relief operations, as per the ministry. Disaster preparedness is not a matter of hours but is a matter of minutes, as every minute taken in mobilisation and starting relief operation counts. Thus, the speed of response should be improved. There is still a lot to be done on the early warning from for certain disasters, PK Mishra highlighed, according to the release. He also emphasised, 'Potential of loss in certain disasters is found to be more than estimated. For example, drought has the potential to severely affect lives and livelihood. These days lightning is coming forth as one of the largest-fatality disasters. Hence, our mitigation efforts should be re-calibrated to tackle these kind of disasters.' 'States should focus on low cost but high impact interventions to mitigate disaster risks. Urban flooding solutions need to keep in mind the local geographical and climatic conditions,' he emphasised. He pressed on Volunteer mobilisation like involvement of community through Aapda Mitra is very important for enhancing the effectiveness of disaster response, adding that states should realise the role Jan-Bhagidari can play in saving lives in the aftermath of disasters. Highlighting the importance of data in disaster management, he urged the use of PM's Gati Shakti layers in making DM Plans, according to the release. The two-day conference was attended by over 1000 delegates from State Governments/ UTs, Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations of Central Government and from SDRFs/Civil Defence/ Home Guards/Fire Services in the States/UTs. During the conference, various sessions were organized and the experts dwelled upon the subjects like Early Warning, Post Disaster Need Assessment, Urban floods management, new challenges and adoption of new technologies, Role of Disaster Response Forces, Mock exercises, volunteerism, etc. the release added. (ANI)
Hans India
27-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Top priority to make Kurnool TB-free district: Collector
Kurnool: District Collector P Ranjith Basha on Monday directed officials to effectively implement the 'TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan' campaign and work towards making Kurnool a tuberculosis (TB)-free district. The Collector unveiled the campaign posters of 'TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan' at the Sunayana Auditorium in the Collectorate. Addressing the gathering, the Collector announced that the campaign will formally commence on June 2. As part of the Intensified TB Screening initiative, individuals belonging to high-risk groups across the district will be identified and screened. Those exhibiting symptoms will be subjected to NAAT or X-ray testing. If TB is diagnosed, prompt medical treatment will be initiated, he stated. He elaborated that the high-risk population has been classified into seven categories: people above 60 years of age, those with diabetes, hypertension, cancer, individuals who had undergone TB treatment in the past five years, smokers, alcohol consumers, mine and factory workers, prisoners, the homeless, and residents of orphanages and shelters. All these groups will be screened for ten common TB symptoms. The Collector also emphasized the importance of community involvement through the Nikshay Mitra and Jan-Bhagidari initiatives, appealing to district and mandal-level officials, industrialists, NGOs, corporate bodies, elected representatives, and other willing individuals to register as Nikshay Mitras. These volunteers are expected to provide nutritional support and moral assistance to TB patients, thereby aiding the goal of eradicating TB from society. He stressed the need to organise TB awareness sessions through local leaders, self-help groups, health committees, and urban/rural institutions to foster widespread community awareness. Further, he urged active participation from departments such as Panchayati Raj, PD-DRDA, and PD-MEPMA in the national priority initiative and called for coordinated implementation of the campaign. District Leprosy, AIDS, and TB Officer Dr L Bhaskar, District Medical and Health Officer Dr Shanti Kala, District Malaria Officer Nookaraju, DNMO Dr G Mallikarjuna Reddy, and several TB support staff attended the meeting.
