Odisha disaster management authority wins Centre’s award

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and Lunglei fire station, Mizoram, have been selected in the institutional category for Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2023 for their excellent work in disaster management.
The award is given by the National Disaster Management Authority on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary to recognize and honour invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organizations in the field of disaster management.
The award carries a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh and a certificate in case of an institution, and Rs 5 lakh and a certificate in case of an individual. The winners were picked from 274 valid nominations from institutions and individuals, a government statement said.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik congratulated OSDMA. “It has been saving precious lives during every disaster,” part of a tweet by the CM’s office read.
Established in the aftermath of the 1999 super cyclone, which killed more than 15,000 people, OSDMA took initiatives such as raising the Odisha Disaster Response Action Force (ODRAF), initiating a multi-hazard early warning service (MHEWS) framework, and a cutting-edge, technology-enabled web/smartphone-based platform called ‘SATARK’ (System for Assessing, Tracking, and Alerting Disaster Risk Information based on Dynamic Risk Knowledge).
OSDMA made effective response during cyclones Hudhud (2014), Fani (2019), Amphan (2020) and the 2020 Odisha floods. It also conducted disaster preparedness initiatives in building community resilience in 381 tsunami-prone villages.