Delegates attend the workshop at a hotel in Patna on Friday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Many people fail to comprehend flood forecasts because of the technical language used in the messages, Bihar State Disaster Management Authority vice-chairperson Anil Kumar Sinha said on Friday.

Addressing a state-level workshop — Flood Preparedness and Resource Mapping — Sinha urged the state government to frame messages forecasting flood in a language that people can understand and take necessary steps in time.

“Flood forecasting messages are often full of technical terms, which is why the people, especially those belonging to rural and flood-prone areas, fail to understand them. If the state government makes these messages simpler, it would be easier for the people to comprehend them,” Sinha said.

He said there is no system of resource mapping in Bihar and the government needs to develop the same.

Sinha also pointed out that the state government has decided to observe Flood Safety Week-2012 across the state from June 1. “The decision regarding this was taken on June 25 last year in a meeting convened for the state government officials. In the meeting it was decided that the state government will observe Earthquake Safety Week every year from January 15 and Flood Safety Week every year in the first week of June,” he said.

He said the state government would start public awareness programmes during this week where people would be told how to be prepared for flood.

Sinha, however, said the job of the officials will not be easy. “The people in Bihar are used to floods. They have preconceived notions on what to do during such an event. Therefore, the government officials might find it difficult to convince the people about the preparations they should take before the possibility of flood.”

Sinha added that various events would be organised at schools and colleges across the state, as part of the awareness drive.

Organised by Bihar State Disaster Management Authority in association with Unicef, the state-level workshop was attended by a number of dignitaries, including National Disaster Management Authority members T. Nanda Kumar and K.M. Singh and principal secretary of the disaster management department Vyasji.

T. Nanda Kumar said: “The state government should decide the role of its departments in flood preparedness programmes long before the floods actually strike. This would ensure that when the flood strikes a region, the relief programmes (both during and after the flood) could be carried out without any hindrance. Even cellphones could be used in flood-affected areas for communication.”

Vyasji also spoke about different measures taken by the state government to fight floods.

“The state government has recruited five people in each panchayat across the state who will act as volunteers in the flood relief programmes. The state government has also recruited divers in every district who will help rescue people during flood. Besides, motor-boats and life-jackets have also been purchased in large numbers,” he said.