NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman, Suman Bery has stressed on building a more resilient infrastructure to effectively deal with disasters. He said that disaster management is not a luxury but an integral part of development. He was speaking on the 19th Foundation Day function of National Disaster Management Authority in New Delhi today. 

He cited Netherlands’s example of having a robust disaster preparedness and relief system which aided its development. Mr. Bery highlighted that an improved disaster management system reduced the casualty rate to 98 per-cent since the 1999 Odisha cyclone. He added that in the recent Biparjoy cyclone, not a single life was lost which is a great achievement. Talking about the theme of this year event, he said, ‘A Vision for Disaster Mitigation’ theme reflects India’s aspiration to be a safer and more resilient nation. He also mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to integrate traditional knowledge to build a robust disaster relief mechanism.

Talking exclusively to Akashwani News, NDMA member Retired Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain highlighted the importance and challenges with rescue operations.