Bhubaneswar, January 23: The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and Lunglei Fire Station (LFS), Mizoram, both in the Institutional category, have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2023 for their excellent work in disaster management.
According to a Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India has instituted an annual award known as Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar to recognise 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 on 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, nominations were solicited from July 1, 2022 onwards. The award scheme for the year 2023 was given wide publicity through print, electronic and social media. In response to the award scheme, 274 valid nominations were received from institutions and individuals.
The 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).
The OSDMA has 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 coastline.
