SRINAGAR, July 25: Jammu and Kashmir, which was devastated by unprecedented floods last year, will have a World Bank-supported Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) operational from March next year to meet such challenges in the future and take preventive steps.
World Bank official Saurabh Dani met state Chief Secretary Iqbal Khandey here today and briefed him about the implementation of the Disaster Response and Resilience Project approved by the World Bank Board for the state.
"As part of the project, we will fully support the endeavor of the state government to have a fully operational SDMA in place that is dedicated to disaster management throughout the year," Dani said.
He said the project is expected to be ready for mobilisation of the works by March next year.
"We are in the implementation phase now and it is expected that by March-2016 we are ready for mobilisation of the works," Dani said.
He added that a lot of work needs to be done in terms of prioritising and designing of the works, bidding process and clearances for which timelines have to be fixed in consultation with the line departments to take the recovery project forward.
As part of the project, the World Bank Mission is also looking at preventing the kind of infrastructural damage that took place last year in the future, Dani said.
"Since the state falls in seismic zone 5, structural stability would also be given thrust in the reconstruction process, he said.
Kashmir Valley was devastated by unprecedented floods in September last year, with even Srinagar city being drowned as water level rose to upto 12 feet in localities.
The Chief Secretary pitched for close coordination between the line departments and the World Bank Mission.
The meeting was informed that a three-tier structure has been framed comprising a Steering Committee headed by Chief Secretary for overall monitoring of the recovery project, a PMU for monitoring and managing and Project Implementation Units (PIUs) in the departments which will carry out the works on the ground.
The World Bank team would visit the State again in September to take the Action Plan forward.
