BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise 2020 begins in Odisha

A two-day preparatory meeting for 2nd Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Ecomic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Disaster Manment Exercise - 2020 began on Thursday with me "response to a cultural herit site that suffers severe dam in an earthquake" and "response to a cultural herit site that is affected by flooding or storm surge".

" main objective of preparatory meeting was to work out modalities and requirement of BIMSTEC DMEx-2020 in vance. main focus of BIMSTEC DMEx will be to test existing procedures for tification, preparedness and response to an emergency in a coordinated manner during a major earthquake scenario and flooding or storm surge at cultural herit site. This will test multi-stakeholders coordination in a disaster scenario involving international, national, state, district, and local ncies," re press release.

RE | MUST RE: se Are 30 Biggest Battles In 2019 Lok Sabha Elections To Look Forward To On Counting Day

'BIMSTEC rich in cultural herit'

Delivering inaugural dress, Chief Guest Lt. Gen. Marwah said that BIMSTEC region is rich in cultural herit but prone to various kinds of disasters. Citing examples of recent disasters that took place in BIMSTEC countries and affected herit sites, he said that re is a need for comprehensive and systematic action for safety of herit sites during a disaster, especially during floods and earthquakeS.

RE | Cyclone Fani Intensifies In Odisha On Friday, Over A Million Evacuated: LIVE Updates

He furr ded that during last 10 years, frequency of cyclone in region has increased by over 30% and caused severe dam to herit sites. He also underlined frequent changes in climatic condition, its effect on herit sites and steps to be taken for prevention of se herits sites.

DG NDRF SN Prhan, BIMSTEC Director Pankaj Hazarika, and SRC Odisha PK Jena were among representatives of BIMSTEC member countries who attended meeting. second 7-Nation BIMSTEC Disaster Manment Exercise 2020 is scheduled to be held in Puri and Konark in month of February next year, where all seven nations — India, Banglesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand will participate.

RE | PM Narendra Modi To Contest From Varanasi For Lok Sabha 2019 Polls: Sources

RE | "'Jewel' Of Gandhi Family Has Contributed To Rahul Gandhi's 'politics Of Love'": Here's BJP's Sambit Patra's Sarcastic Take On Mani Shankar Aiyar Justifying His 'neech' Remark At PM Modi 'prophetic'

(with ANI inputs)