SHILLONG: Falling under Seismic Zone V, Shillong is under constant threat of a possible earthquake. To drive this point home, and check the city’s preparedness for any such disaster, Jemino Mawthoh (UDP) drew attention to the Shillong plateau earthquake of 1897 during the budget session of the Assembly on Monday besides raising a question as to how prepared was Shillong to deal with another such catastrophe.
The UDP legislator said that the State should draw inspiration from Japan which was able to restore itself after the 2011 T?hoku earthquake (magnitude 9.0) and tsunami.
“We have to learn lessons from a country like Japan which registered minimal casualties due to its level of preparedness,” he said.
Closer home, Mawthoh recalled Sikkim’s disaster in 2011 when an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 devastated the Himalayan state and the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that sent shivers across the city and the North East on January 4 this year.
Mawthoh had moved a cut motion against Education Minister R.C. Laloo after he presented a budget of Rs 34,29,15,000 for the administration of various heads including land revenue, relief on account of natural calamities, other social services, other general economic services, loans for welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes.
Replying to the cut motion, Laloo said the Meghalaya State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) had framed the Meghalaya Disaster Management Policy in 2007 which was revised in 2013.
He added that school sensitization programme on earthquake safety for 1500 students of Shillong was organised jointly with Council of Industrial Scientific Industrial research (CSIR)-North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Jorhat, NDMA, District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), East Khasi Hills and SDMA.
“Nine vehicles, six motorcycles, computers, printers, first aid boxes, IEC materials, PA systems were also distributed to the districts to improve their ability to respond to disasters,” Laloo informed adding that 47 digital satellite phone terminals (DSPTs) were installed in the various districts and another 28 are in the process of installation.
The National School Safety Programme (NSSP) was also successfully implemented in Ri Bhoi and East Garo Hills, he informed.
With regard to sensitizing the masses about disaster management, three books namely Gender and Mainstreaming in Disaster Management, Do’s and Don’ts for the various hazards in the state and First Aid Manual were published by SDMA and distributed by DDMAs while stickers with Do’s and Don’ts on earthquake and fire and posters on earthquake, fire, cyclone and floods were printed in English, Khasi and Garo and distributed to the DDMAs.
On being questioned on the meager financial assistance and relief materials in place, Laloo said that financial assistance in the wake of natural calamities is being provided through the schemes of State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Fund which provides relief by way of gratuitous assistance as an immediate help to overcome stress caused to the effected persons.
When Mawthoh expressed concern over whether the SDMA was proactive in all the 11 districts of the State, Laloo informed the House that the DDMA consisting of five members chaired by the Deputy Commissioner and CEM of the District Council as Co-Chairman has been constituted in all the districts.
Later, he informed the House that the districts are the first responders in any disaster and for the systematic response and management of any disaster, a well prepared disaster management plan is mandatory and that the seven old districts had prepared their DDMPs (District Disaster Management Plan) and the four new districts are in the process of preparing their plan.
Supporting the cut motion was Independent MLA, John Leslee Sangma who said that residents at Bajengdoba had to bear the brunt of the floods as the embankment in the area was completely leveled and the government was yet to come forward to restore it.
“The matter will be taken up with the minister in charge of Water Resources,” Laloo replied.
