Tuesday, April 4 2006 14:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jammu: The Disaster Management Mechanism in the state needs to be strengthened in order to tackle natural calamities of any magnitude, Director General of Police Gopal Sharma has said.

"The adverse effect of natural calamities on mankind can effectively be dealt with when we have better disaster management teams operating in the states," he said addressing the one-day regional conference of the High Powered Committee of Civil Defence at police headquarters here yesterday (Apr 04, 2006).

Appreciating the role played by J-K police and the civil defence committees during the devastating earthquake, he assured that Jammu and Kashmir police would help in minimizing the adverse effects of natural calamities on mankind in the future also.

Speaking on the occasion, K M Singh, member, National Disaster Management Authority and Chairman, high powered committee of civil defence, threw light on the recommendations of 'Pant committee' constituted by the centre and said that these have to be implemented at the grass root level for having the desired impact of DMM.

A decision had been taken at the national level meet on disaster management in New Delhi to have regional meetings in various states for taking appropriate measures to revamp the civil defence to include disaster management under it, he said.

The recommendations of the regional conferences will be put before the National Disaster Management Authority headed by the Prime Minister and union home minister, he added.