The Kochi Corporation is all set to form a three-tier disaster mitigation force. It will be operational at three levels—city disaster management committee, city crisis management team, and response team.
A proposal to this effect submitted by the health standing committee was approved at the corporation council meeting on Saturday. The 19-member city disaster management committee will have the Mayor as chairman, Deputy Mayor as vice chairman, Secretary as convener, and the District Police Chief (Kochi City), Deputy Collector, District Medical Officer, standing committee chairpersons, additional secretary, corporation engineer, health officer, fire fighters, city project coordinator, and a scientist as members.
The additional secretary will be the convener of the city crisis management team, which will function on the advice of the disaster management committee. It will consist of health officer, health supervisor, accounts officer, and executive engineers. The crisis management team will decide and execute measures to be taken in the event of a disaster.
The response team with technical knowledge about fighting disasters will be armed with resources and equipment to fulfil its responsibilities. The team will have two health supervisors, four health inspectors, 10 junior health inspectors, four public health nurses, two assistant engineers, four overseers, and 40 contingent workers.
The primary objective of the three-tier force will be speedy and coordinated action during disasters. Under the existing arrangement, the entire district is covered by the District Disaster Management Authority chaired by the District Collector.
The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation already has a similar force.