India can face any natural disaster confidently with Killari quake management template: Sharad Pawar
administrative system to face any natural disaster in the country with confidence stemmed from the effective disaster management during the 1993 Killari earthquake in Maharashtra, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who helmed the state at that time, said. Speaking at the 30th anniversary of the earthquake in Latur district, he also reminisced how resources were mobilised by the state government and the Centre for carrying out the huge rehabilitation work.
A temblor of 6.2-6.3 magnitude struck several villages in Latur and Osmanabad districts in the wee hours of September 30, 1993, killing more than 8,000 people and injuring 16,000.
«Currently, India can face any kind of disaster confidently as the country has an effective administrative system in place which originated from the Killari earthquake. The country learned the lesson of disaster management from this massive disaster,» said Pawar.
He said the UN and the World Bank had taken cognizance of this management.
«We gained experience from the Killari earthquake and now we have the strength to deal with future natural crises....Also the strength of the disaster management law,» the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief added.
Pawar also said that he had told the then Prime minister Narasimha Rao to delay his visit to the earthquake-affected villages to ensure that officials stay focussed on rehabilitation work.
Rao was invited later to visit the affected villages, he added.
Recalling the sequence of events, Pawar said (Ganpati) immersion processions were going on the night of September 29, 1993.
«A chief minister should not sleep unless the immersion processions are over. I received a call from the Parbhani superintendent of police at around 3:45 AM informing me that
