For an effective disaster management, a Memorandum of Association (MoA) was signed between the Relief Commissioner’s Office of Uttar Pradesh and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Lucknow yesterday.
Now, UP has taken a major stride towards making disaster management more effective, coordinated and scientific, and developing a multi-level disaster management system.
Apart from UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, UNDP India Head and Resident Representative Angela Lusigi was present during the signing ceremony.
The purpose of this agreement is to implement a range of disaster risk reduction programs at different levels, making disaster management system more inclusive, accountable and effective.
This partnership will help UP align with global disaster risk reduction standards while ensuring that actions are tailored to local needs and priorities.
Key highlights of the agreement include the development of district disaster management plans for all 75 districts of UP and disaster management plans for 15 key state departments.
Additionally, detailed project reports will be prepared for 10 state departments, and risk and vulnerability assessments will be conducted in 20 major cities, keeping potential disasters in mind.
On the technical front, the state’s disaster information system will be strengthened and integrated. This will involve training workshops, assessment studies, provision of necessary ICT tools, and the establishment of a Project Management Unit (PMU) at the Relief Commissioner’s Office to ensure all activities are well-coordinated and effective.
For the implementation of this program, the Yogi government has approved a budget of about Rs 20 crore over the next three years.
The funds will be spent in a phased manner, and implementation will follow the technical proposals submitted by UNDP.
The state government is advancing this program in line with the recommendations of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which has authorized UNDP to provide technical assistance in this field.
Yogi expressed confidence this partnership with UNDP will help build world-class disaster management capabilities in UP and enable the government and administration to make scientific and informed decisions.
“With these efforts, Uttar Pradesh is poised to become one of the leading states in disaster management,” he noted.