Bhubaneswar: Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) was among the two institutions in the country to be selected for the prestigious Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2023 for their excellent work in Disaster Management, official sources said.
The other institution was Lunglei Fire Station (LFS), Mizoram.
Both were selected under the institutional category. The Centre has instituted an annual award known as Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar to recognize and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organizations in India in the field of disaster management.
The award is announced every year January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh and a certificate in case of an institution and Rs 5 lakh and a certificate in case of an individual.
For the award of year 2023, the government had received 274 valid nominations from institutions and individuals.
Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), was established in 1999 in the aftermath of the Super Cyclone.
OSDMA embarked on multiple initiatives including raising of the Odisha Disaster Response Action Force (ODRAF), Multi-hazard Early Warning Service (MHEWS) framework, and a cutting-edge technology-enabled web/smartphone-based platform called “SATARK” (System for Assessing, Tracking, and Alerting Disaster Risk Information based on Dynamic Risk Knowledge).
OSDMA provided effective response during various cyclones, Hudhud (2014), Fani (2019), Amphan (2020) and Odisha floods (2020). OSDMA conducted disaster preparedness initiatives in building community resilience in 381 tsunami prone villages/wards and 879 multi-purpose cyclone/ flood shelters located within 1.5 km from the coastline.
PTI