The decision was taken at a meeting between the Noida and Greater Noida authorities and the top brass of the NDRF on Friday. While the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) will be built on a 10-acre plot in Greater Noida, a 24×7 disaster management cell, installation of seismometers and a resource directory of all stakeholders are also on the cards, officials said.
The chairman and CEO of the Noida and Greater Noida authorities, Rama Raman, said that making the district safe from disasters “is the priority” and for this purpose, he had allocated a budget of an “unlimited amount.”
The twin cities, which fall in the seismic zone 4, are highly vulnerable to earthquakes and the measures will help deal with them, he said. The proximity of the disaster cell to the Hindon Air Force base, which was recently used to evacuate Indian citizens stuck in Nepal, is also likely to be an advantage.
Raman said that the composite plan for disaster management would be implemented in a time-bound manner. “The allotment of land to NIDM will be done as soon as modalities are worked out. A 10,000 sq m built-up area will soon be earmarked for setting up space for NDRF in Noida’s phase-II,” said Raman.
He said that the disaster management cell will be put into place within the next fortnight. “The cell will undertake training of all stakeholders, by experts and professionals. A resource directory for risk mapping will be readied within a month-and-a-half, while advisory for policy changes to ensure earthquake-resistant buildings in the district will be in place within the next three months,” Raman said.
In order to ensure that building construction and earthquake-resistance norms are followed, sensitization workshops for empanelled architects will also be conducted, he said. “This will fix responsibility and will enable us to take strict action against violations of building code,” Raman said.
He added, “To address the vulnerability of structures in village areas, we will soon implement building regulations. We will also invite retired defense personnel to associate with us and volunteer for disaster management and reward their efforts.”
Guatam Budh Nagar district magistrate N P Singh said that risk mapping will be done according to seismic zone 5 norms, even though Noida is located in seismic zone 4. “Vulnerable areas prone to high seismic activity will be identified by inviting geological experts. These added efforts will be undertaken to ensure quick response in times of disaster,” he said.
Experts have praised the proactive measures for disaster preparedness taken by the authorities. “Foresight and smart planning is a testament to what a huge life-or-death difference smart building codes and well-designed architecture can make,” said Prof Santosh Kumar, the director of SAARC Disaster Management Centre in Delhi, who was also present at the meeting.
