Delegates attend the sensitisation programme on Incident Response System, conducted by the National Disaster Management Authority in Muzaffarpur on Tuesday. Picture by Prakash Kumar

Muzaffarpur, Oct. 25: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), New Delhi, organised a daylong sensitisation programme on Incident Response System (IRS) in collaboration with Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development, Patna, at the collectorate today.

Inaugurating the programme, J.K. Sinha, member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said IRS is a mechanism that reduces “adhocism in response” through a well-conceived team. There must be a pre-designed team, the members of which should know their responsibilities well to tackle situations arising out of disasters.

It should be a flexible modular system and adaptable to natural disasters as well as “man-made emergencies”. Sinha advocated the need for preparing the Indian version of NDMA, which would fit into the country’s administrative structure.

He said the NDMA had decided to create IRS awareness among senior officers of the state government and explain them its key features and organisational approach to disaster response management. More than 50 senior administrative and police officers belonging to Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, East Champaran and West Champaran districts of Tirhut division attended the sensitisation programme.

Sinha said IRS was introduced in India in 2003 to help professionalise the emergency disaster response management system in the country. It strengthened the existing disaster response management system by ensuring designated controlling authorities at different levels. The critical components of disaster management include clarity of roles and responsibilities of designated authorities, effective communication and co-ordination among security agencies.

Sinha said the programme is being held to facilitate better understanding of the IRS, enabling a professional approach in disaster response management. It will help in identifying issues, challenges and critical areas of concern.