Goa to now deal with terror attacks, disasters
PTI, PANAJI | 20 June 2012 18:58 IST
Tourism-prone beach belts of Goa will now have disaster management plans to ensure speedy rescue from calamities like terrorist attack and natural disasters.
India's premier defence agencies including Indian Coast Guard and Navy are part of this disaster management scheme, which will have participation of local population as well.
State disaster management authority has begun the exercise to work out special rescue plan in the coastal belt, for which expertise has been provided by the National Disaster Management Authority.
North District Collector Mihir Vardhan, who heads the district disaster management authority, said the exercise will begin from Arambol beach village, which is frequented by majority of foreign tourists.
The authorities have tailor-made disaster response for these areas anticipating terrorist attack or even natural disasters like tsunami or cyclone.
Vardhan, who has been holding series of meetings with the villagers and other government agencies at Arambol, said other coastal villages like Calangute, Baga and Anjuna will also have integrated network of plans.
"These are micro-level disaster management plans. The local sarpanch would be responsible for implementation of the plan, while mamlatdar would be a nodal officer," he said.
"Each village has its own distinct feature which would be exploited while designing the plan," he said.
A similar plan would be worked out for each village, which would be integrated with district level and subsequently state level plans.
The collector said each village has different set of problems and advantages.
"The plans are worked out keeping in mind these features," he added.
