VADODARA, April 29: In order to make the country's only Disaster Management Central Control Room -- located here on the IPCL campus -- more vibrant and encourage more participation by the public, the government has decided to honour volunteers with a token honorarium and a memento.``Though the CCR has showed a marked improvement, a need has been felt to make it more active and initiate motivating steps by honouring services rendered by the common people,'' District Collector A G Mukim, who heads the CCR, told Express Newsline after a meeting with CCR council members on Wednesday. The council members informed Mukim that since its inception on August 1, 1996, the CCR had effectively co-ordinated with others in handling 24 disasters, including fires, in several parts of Central Gujarat.
According to official information, though the preparedness of the CCR to meet any eventuality was commendable, it was necessary to acknowledge the honorary services of police personnel, doctors and firemen, among others, who rendered selfless service and risked their lives.
``The exact details about the awards will be finalised in about a fortnight when we meet again'', Mukim said, adding that the persons who were associated with the CCR in the past would also be honoured at specially held functions.
Mukim directed the CCR members to concentrate on the educational front, besides motivating the people. He said the CCR must hold awareness programmes for the general public and the police personnel, besides meetings with the medical emergency workforce. There had not been enough of such programmes.
Appreciating the coordination among even the senior executives of the oil giants, Mukim proposed the 16 big member-industries improve the infrastructure pool.
It was proposed that the Nandesari area control room be adopted as a model for each of the industrial pockets, which could later be brought under the CCR.
Having been notified in the Union ministry gazette three years ago, the CCR has also initiated a scientific study on workability, funding and management, which on completion, will further formalise its organisational and structural operations at different sites in the State. Mukim exhorted the members to finalise plans for a shadow CCR to take over the coordination function in case the main location was affected during a mishap.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
