In the presence of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath ji at his official residence today, an important step was taken towards making disaster management in the state more strong, coordinated, scientific and effective. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Relief Commissioner’s Office, Uttar Pradesh and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for this purpose.
The agreement marks a new beginning in the implementation of disaster risk reduction programmes in the state, strengthening institutional capacity and improving multi-level disaster management from a technical point of view.
UNDP India Head and Resident Representative Dr Angela Lusigi was also present on the occasion. While formally meeting the Chief Minister, he appreciated the commitment of the State Government towards disaster management and assured all possible technical assistance.
CM Yogi Adityanath said that disaster management has become an essential administrative priority of today’s time. It is only through technical competence, proper training and proper preparedness that the impact of a disaster can be minimised. This partnership will help take Uttar Pradesh’s disaster management capabilities to the global level and enable the governance to take scientific decisions. This will not only make it easier to protect life and property, but Uttar Pradesh will be among the leading states in this field.
Lauding the visionary leadership of the State Government, Dr Lusigi said that the readiness and commitment of the Government will be instrumental in implementing this partnership effectively on the ground. He also said that UNDP will collaborate at every level from policy formulation, planning to implementation on the ground.
Under the leadership of CM Yogi Adityanath, the state government has taken a historic initiative in the field of disaster risk reduction. Under the MoU, activities related to development of disaster management plans, risk and vulnerability assessment, information system strengthening, training and resource development, setting up of early warning systems and project management will be implemented at the district and divisional level.
Key points of the agreement include:
Development of district level disaster management plans and departmental plans of 15 departments in all 75 districts.
Preparation of Detailed Project Reports for 10 Departments.
Risk and vulnerability assessment and formulation of urban disaster management plans in 20 major cities.
To integrate and strengthen the State level Disaster Information System.
Arrangement of necessary ICT equipment and setting up of project management unit.
The programme will be implemented in a phased manner over the next three years, for which the state government has sanctioned a total amount of ₹19.99 crore. This amount will be spent in line with the technical proposals submitted by UNDP. The State Government is taking this programme forward based on the recommendation of the National Disaster Management Authority, which has authorised UNDP to provide technical support.