Team Herald
VASCO: Bearing in mind the vulnerability to natural disasters and the fact that certain residential areas of Vasco were considered a disaster hotspot a seminar on ‘Landslides Risk Management’ was organised by the office of Mormugao Mamlatdar at MPT Institute Hall, Vasco on Tuesday.
In this context, a few education and awareness programs and seminars on disaster risk reduction (DRR), disaster knowledge, disaster readiness and awareness and disaster risk perception should be held among the secondary and higher secondary students from Mormugao Taluka on regular basis, the Chief Officer of Mormugao Municipal Council Deepali Naik said addressing the gathering as the chief guest for the seminar.
Geologists from Geological Survey of India, other members of Goa engineering college and about 200 higher secondary students studying in four different higher secondary schools from Mormugao taluka took part in the programme.
We have full-fledged disaster management teams in north and south Goa, but it is important to create awareness among students about disaster situation and how they can play an effective role in saving lives, before authorities arrive at the site, she said.
Giving real-life example about disaster-prone zones in Vasco, Naik further said officially MMC has already identified certain areas which were vulnerable to natural disaster and especially vulnerable to landslides like Tariwada in Vasco. We have issued eviction notices to people residing in such areas. However, there is urgent need for disaster-management, awareness and preparedness among the citizens and especially among the students as they could use their alertness to save lives, she said.
Geologists, including Director Geological Survey of India Pankaj Jaiswal and senior geologist Megotsohe Chasie spoke on the roles and functions of stakeholders at the time of landslides and also about the landslide signs and mitigation measures to be taken.
Superintending Geologist K V Maruti and senior geologist Rahul Churasis presented landslide studies in Goa carried out by the Geological Survey of India.
