Goa to form ‘Disaster Management Authority’ to avoid Wayanad-like tragedy

Panaji, Aug 9 (IANS) Asserting that the massive landslide in Kerala’s Wayanad has opened the eyes of the Goa government, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that several measures, including the formation of a ‘Disaster Management Authority’, will be implemented to avoid such a tragedy in the coastal state.Sawant said this while interacting with the mediapersons after chairing a high-level meeting of the State Disaster Management Committee, which was attended by Goa Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate and other senior officials.”Illegalities will be stopped. The Wayanad tragedy has opened our eyes. We were a little slow in taking measures, but now onwards, we will work at full pace. Precautionary measures will be taken,” Sawant said, adding that stability reports of hills will be prepared.”The biggest landslides happened in the year 2022 in Sattari taluka, which was in the forest of Satrem, Karanzol and Mauxi villages. Heavy rainfall was one of the reasons, while deforestation that happened in the past also could be another reason,” Sawant said, adding that the landslide was massive as it covered one lakh square metres of the area.”A committee was formed to study the causes of the landslides. The members practically checked all the reasons and have given suggestions to avoid the landslides,” Sawant said.He said that the period of the committee formed in the year 2022 will be extended by another three months to identify landslide-prone areas.”Villages which are under threat will be identified and illegal activities on hills will be stopped. We will give training to forest officers and community involvement to prevent landslides,” the Goa CM said.He further said that his government will take help from the National Disaster Management Authority to identify landslide prone zones and also develop techniques for ‘Early Warning System’.”Our monitoring system will be in place. Henceforth, Talathis (revenue officers) would be responsible to report hill cutting cases,” he said. –IANSsbk/pgh