ASDMA gearing up to tackle any challenge

Workshop on safety and security ahead of intertiol sports and other events in city

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Sept 19: With safety and security as their prime objectives, representatives from shopping malls, cinema halls, hotels, hospitals etc., took part in the daylong workshop on disaster preparedness organized at Assam Administrative Staff College in the city on Tuesday. The workshop assumes significance with a number of intertiol sports and other events being lined up in the city.

Organized by the Assam State Disaster Magement Authority (ASDMA), in association with the Kamrup Metro District Disaster Magement Authority, the workshop was iugurated by Revenue and Disaster Magement Commissioner-Secretary Rajesh Prasad. Jourlist Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Guwahati Police Commissioner Hiren Chandra th, Kamrup (M) DC M Angamuthu, DGP (Fire and Emergency Service) AP Rout and others were present at as the guests of honour at the event.

Speaking at the workshop, Guwahati Police Commissioner Hiren th said: “Our top priority is on the Durga Puja. So as to ensure safety, the puja committees have to ensure sufficient illumition. Security has been beefed up in the State so as to prevent any terrorist from attacking like the one in Taj Hotel in Mumbai. Shopping malls, cinema halls and big hotels should have security officers for keeping vigil.”

DGP AP Rout said: “Problems relating to fire and lift are very common in big buildings like shopping malls, cinema halls and hotels. Special measures should be made to tackle such situation. Big intertiol events like under-19 FIFA World Cup, T-20 between India-Australia, an intertiol semir in February etc., have lined up to be held Guwahati. VVIPs, foreign ambassadors and others will go to five-star hotels, shopping malls, etc. We need to plan disaster magement beforehand. We also need to ensure safety and security so that the VVIPs aren’t haunted by insecurity of any sort in the city.”

The technical session of the workshop discussed at length safety and security in hotels, cinema halls and shopping halls, putting in place an incident-response system and principles of mock exercise, safety in public places, fire safety issues and challenge in hotels, malls and cinema halls, principles of mock drill and prompt evacuation.