Geography Department of Utkal University plans Diploma course in Disaster Management.

With disaster management increasingly catching the attention of policy makers and researchers, the department of Geography under Utkal University is contemplating to start a diploma programme on the subject.
"Today coastal zone study and disaster management are much sought after programmes in colleges and universities across the globe. Their relevance increases in states like Orissa, as the regions are prone to natural disasters," said department head Prof SK Mohanty.The University Grants Commission (UGC) is, in fact, laying special emphasis on such courses and programmes that address human vulnerability to cyclonic disaster and measures to check loss of lives. The new course will be under its wings.
Studies indicate that about 7,516 km of the country’s coastline is prone to cyclones. Orissa itself is visited by about six cyclones every year of which two or three fall under severe category. At a seminar organised by the department in association with the Eastern Geographical Society here today, Prof.SK Agarwal of Delhi University also noted that cyclonic storm is responsible for 90 percent loss of life.
However, one of the positive developments taking shape in recent years, he observed, is that there had been a paradigm shift from response to preparedness. Things like the heavy loss of life in the 1999 super cyclone could have been averted had such a preparedness plan been in place.
Prof Mohanty said the Department of Research Support under UGC’s special assistance programme has asked the university to organise seminars which discuss thrust areas. Seminars of this kind would be held every five years and can be extended thereafter subject to the assessment report.Tuesday’s theme was based on ‘Human vulnerability to cyclone hazards in the coastal regions and was attended by Utkal University Vice-Chancellor Prof. LN Mishra and others.