New Delhi, June 25, 2013: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Monday said precious lives could have been saved in Uttarakhand had the weather office made precise forecasts.

“They [India Meteorological Department] need to develop a more precise observational and forecasting capability,” NDMA vice-chairman M. Shashidhar Reddy said here.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the South Asia Regional Consultation on Climate Change Adaptation, Mr. Reddy said the IMD followed a standard format of weather forecast and used certain terminologies like rainfall and heavy rainfall but “how are we supposed to translate it into action? They need to pinpoint where and how much it is going to rain.”

CAG criticism

Responding to reporters’ queries on Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) criticism of the NDMA’s functioning, Mr. Reddy admitted to gaps in disaster preparedness level of the agency.

“As far as our shortcomings are concerned, we are ready to work on them,” he said, adding that the government auditor needed to be sensitised to disasters.

“There is a table in the CAG report which lists India’s major disasters in the last 10 years and I am surprised it hasn’t mentioned the 2005 Mumbai floods,” he said.

David Mcloughlin, Deputy Representative, Unicef India and convener of India’s United Nations Disaster Management Team, appreciated the government’s rescue efforts.

“The government’s response to the crisis was robust given the criticality of the situation, difficult geographical structure and the large number of people involved. But I feel the government has done exceptionally well,” Mr. Mcloughlin said.

Source: The Hindu, DT. June 25, 2013.