Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Pant has called for a stronger, technology driven and community focused disaster management system to improve the state’s preparedness for increasingly frequent natural disasters. He stressed that better institutional coordination, advanced technology, and active public participation are essential to building resilience in the Himalayan state.
Speaking at a post disaster review seminar jointly organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA), Pant said the state’s fragile Himalayan ecosystem and difficult terrain make it highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters such as cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides, and extreme weather events.
He said the devastating disasters witnessed in recent years underline the urgent need to strengthen disaster preparedness, emergency response, and recovery mechanisms. While acknowledging the progress made in managing recent emergencies, he noted that these events had also exposed several operational challenges that require immediate attention.
Pant credited the coordinated efforts of government departments, the armed forces, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, fire services, district administrations, Panchayati Raj Institutions, volunteers, and local communities for helping minimise the loss of lives during recent disasters.
Highlighting the importance of technology, the Chief Secretary said advanced digital tools can significantly improve disaster planning, preparedness, and emergency response. He pointed to several challenges encountered during recent disasters, including damaged roads, communication breakdowns, inaccessible terrain, adverse weather conditions, logistical difficulties, delays in receiving real-time information, and coordination gaps among responding agencies.
According to Pant, the seminar provided an important opportunity to review these experiences, identify best practices, and develop recommendations that will enable faster, more coordinated, and technology enabled disaster response in the future.
He also stressed that local communities are often the first to respond during emergencies and should be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to act quickly. He called for greater investment in awareness campaigns, capacity-building programmes, and volunteer networks to build disaster-resilient communities across the state.
As part of this effort, Pant highlighted the Apda Rakshak Yojana an initiative designed to train community volunteers to provide immediate assistance before professional rescue teams arrive. These volunteers are being prepared to support search and rescue operations, administer first aid, assist with evacuations, and help vulnerable groups during emergencies.
The Chief Secretary further emphasised the need for comprehensive district level resource mapping covering trained personnel, machinery, medical facilities, emergency shelters, rescue equipment, transport systems, and communication infrastructure. He recommended integrating these resource inventories with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to enable scientific planning and efficient deployment of resources during disasters.
Pant also expressed appreciation for the continued technical support provided by the National Disaster Management Authority in strengthening Himachal Pradesh’s disaster management capabilities. He said the recommendations emerging from the seminar would help improve institutional preparedness, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and make the state more resilient to future disasters.
Krishna S. Vatsa, Member and Head of Department at the NDMA, praised the Himachal Pradesh government’s disaster preparedness and response during the major disasters of 2023 and 2025. He commended the proactive role played by the State Disaster Response Force and stressed the importance of further strengthening early response systems and long-term disaster mitigation efforts.
The seminar brought together senior officials from the NDMA, HPSDMA, paramilitary forces, district administrations, and various government departments. Participants exchanged experiences, shared best practices, and discussed strategies to improve disaster risk reduction, preparedness, and emergency response across Himachal Pradesh.
The meeting was also attended by State Disaster Management Authority Chairman Deepak Rathore, NDMA Member Rita Mishra, SDMA Member Amit Purohit, and Pushpendra Rana, Director-cum-Special Secretary for Revenue and Disaster Management. The discussions reflected a growing emphasis on combining modern technology with community participation to strengthen disaster resilience in one of India’s most disaster-prone mountain states.