Strict vigilance, prior awareness are essential to reduce disaster-related damage: UP CM

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 30 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that timely training of personnel, rescue measures and awareness programmes can bring down the impact of damage caused by disasters to the least.
CM Yogi was addressing the two-day 3rd 'Regional Conference' on Disaster Management organised under the aegis of the National Disaster Management Authority, GOI in Lucknow.
"Strict vigilance and prior awareness are essential to control the impact of disasters. Timely training of personnel, rescue measures implemented and conducted with 'right intent' only can bring down the impact of damage caused by disasters," Yogi said.
He also emphasised the inclusion of disaster management and road safety in the school curriculum and said that if people know what precautions they should take during floods, earthquakes, lightning, and fire mishaps, the loss of lives and property can be prevented.
Yogi also called for implementing an 'Early Warning System' to control deaths due to lightning strikes, particularly in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts, and also appreciated the role of 'Aapda Mitras' in the prevention of disasters.
He also stressed involving Gram Panchayats in this work and increasing the number of Aapda Mitras.
A 'flood atlas' developed by NRSC Hyderabad was also unveiled by the Chief Minister on occasion.
The CM said that till a few years ago, 38 districts of UP were affected by floods every year. It has now gone down to only 4 districts, he claimed.
He said that his government after coming to power in the state received a sum of Rs 100 crore related to Elgin Bridge for flood protection.
"Such a huge amount was spent at one place every year. In such a situation, I went to the site for inspection and decided to channelize the river by dredging it," he said, while adding that as a result, Bahraich, Gonda and Barabanki were saved from floods, instead of spending Rs 100 crore, only Rs 5 crore was spent on this work.
Expressing the need to stop road accidents, the CM said, "Nearly 30,000 people die due to road accidents. This needs to stop. Awareness must be raised." (ANI)