CM Yogi said in Lucknow, the government has a big action plan on lightning and wildlife attacks in UP CM Yogi said in Lucknow, the government has a big action plan on lightning and wildlife attacks in UP

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday officially inaugurated the grand and new headquarters building of the UP State Disaster Management Authority (UPSDMA), built at a huge cost of more than ₹ 200 crore, in the capital Lucknow. Addressing this high-profile program, CM Yogi gave a very important diplomatic message that in case of any natural or man-made disaster, huge loss of life and property can be reduced to a great extent by timely, strong preparation, public awareness and effective use of modern technology. He stressed that disaster management is not the responsibility of just one government machinery or department, but should be an absolute duty of every responsible citizen of the country and state.

Hi-tech digital command center worth ₹ 200 crore built on Shaheed Path: Emergency system will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week

This new headquarters building, constructed very near the Dial-112 headquarters at Shaheed Path, Lucknow, is completely equipped with state-of-the-art world-class facilities. Taking disaster management into a new era, a high-tech State Emergency Operation Center operating 24×7 has been set up within this complex. Apart from this, unprecedented arrangements have been made in the building for a huge auditorium with a seating capacity of more than 200 people, hi-tech classrooms, lecture halls, hostels for disaster relief workers, a rich library and a central digital command, control and coordination center to strengthen the entire disaster management system of Uttar Pradesh under one roof.

CM Yogi bluntly: Major accidents can be avoided with correct information, training will be provided in schools

Emphasizing on public awareness, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that in earlier times, information about general precautions to be taken during serious disasters like fire, earthquake and flood did not reach the people. In the absence of proper knowledge, even the common behavior of people could cause huge losses, whereas with correct and accurate information, even the biggest accidents can be easily avoided. He gave strict instructions to the officers that such comprehensive public awareness programs should be conducted across the state so that even ordinary rural and urban citizens can actively cooperate with the administration in relief and rescue operations during disasters. When there is no disaster in the state, then special attention should be given to training and capacity building and students and teachers of all the schools of the state should also be made compulsorily aware about disaster management.

UP becomes the first state in the country to declare human-wildlife conflict a disaster: Example of Bahraich and Bijnor given

The Chief Minister proudly mentioned that Uttar Pradesh is the first state in the entire country to officially include Man-Animal Conflict in the category of natural disaster. Referring to the recent tragic death of a 12 year old innocent boy in a crocodile attack in Bahraich, he said that if people living in rivers and crocodile affected areas are trained in necessary precautions in advance, then such incidents can be prevented to a great extent. More than 4,000 people have been affected so far in incidents of human-wildlife conflict in UP, while around 5,000 people have been affected in other natural disasters. Referring to his recent visit to Bijnor, CM Yogi said that so far 80 leopards have been safely rescued from the sugarcane fields in the district. He said that there is a big difference in the behavior of tiger and leopard, and making the local public aware about its correct identification is very important for survival.

Maximum use of technology and successful operation of Shakambhari Devi temple: Concern over deaths due to lightning

Expressing deep concern over the loss of lives due to lightning, CM Yogi stressed on maximum use of advanced technology like Lightning Early Warning System. Citing the recent severe storm and lightning that killed more than 111 people in a single day, he said that immediately after this incident, the government started working on making the technology-based early warning system more effective and accurate. Giving a successful example of the famous Shakambhari Devi temple of Saharanpur, he said that due to the timely high-alert issued by the Meteorological Department some time ago, the local administration took immediate action and shifted thousands of devotees present there to safe places. Shortly after this, water came from the Shivalik hills with a fierce deluge and strong flow. If people were not evacuated safely in time, there could have been a huge and catastrophic loss of life in the state.