Himachal to Adopt Advanced Disaster Management Systems from Japan and South Korea

Shimla, August 3:
In light of the repeated natural disasters affecting Himachal Pradesh, the state government is now prioritizing the development of pre-disaster management infrastructure and early warning systems. As part of this initiative, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh recently visited Japan and South Korea along with a delegation from the Urban Development Department to study their advanced disaster management models.

During the visit, the team explored state-of-the-art disaster mitigation and early response mechanisms in both countries. Drawing from these learnings, similar frameworks are now being planned for implementation in Himachal.

Speaking about the initiative, Minister Singh emphasized that global warming and climate change are increasingly causing severe damage in the region. “If we can alert people ahead of time, the extent of destruction can be significantly reduced,” he said. The state government is currently working on establishing a comprehensive early warning system and has also initiated discussions with the central government for necessary support and collaboration.

In addition to early warning systems, the government has already banned the construction of government buildings near rivers and streams, and is considering extending this restriction to private and commercial buildings in the near future. Changes are also being made to Town and Country Planning (TCP) regulations to support long-term disaster resilience.