A high-level delegation from Odisha, led by Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, along with senior Department and Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) officials, is visiting Gujarat with the aim of further enhancing mutual cooperation through the exchange of experience and knowledge in the field of disaster management.
Minister Suresh Pujari visited the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) and Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) in Gandhinagar with Special Relief Commissioner-cum-Managing Director of the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, and senior OSDMA officials. The party also learned about some crucial facets of disaster management while visiting the Smrutivan Earthquake Memorial and Museum in Bhuj. Suresh Pujari, the minister of revenue and disaster management, met with Bhupendrabhai Patel, the chief minister of Gujarat, and discussed the various disaster management activities being carried out by both states.
Along with senior representatives from the Department and disaster management organizations, the delegation also met with Gujarat’s Minister of State, Revenue & Disaster Management, Sanjaysinh Vijaysinh Mahida; Dr. Jayanti S. Ravi, Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue & Disaster Management Department; Gaurang H. Makwana, Relief Commissioner; and Dr. Dhabal Patel, CEO, GSDMA and DG, GIDM. Disaster preparedness, training, capacity building, technology utilization, mock drills, public awareness, post-disaster rehabilitation, and reconstruction were among the many topics discussed. Both states’ best practices and experiences in these areas were discussed and exchanged.
Emphasis was placed on capacity building through training and knowledge sharing, as well as the planning of joint exercises and workshops, with the goal of elevating collaboration between Odisha and Gujarat in disaster management to a new level. These programs will improve both states’ readiness, disaster prevention, and quick response systems.
