Bhubaneswar, Oct. 29: When disaster strikes, the civil defence's best friend - the dog squad - is on the front lines to rescue distressed people.

Two dogs - Rocky and Rambo - were part of an exhibition held today to showcase the state's disaster preparedness.

The exhibition was part of the observance of Disaster Preparedness Day held by the state government every year on October 29, the day on which a super cyclone had struck the state in 1999.

Ever since the disaster, both the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been busy in acquiring modern equipment to face any kind of disaster.

During the 1999 super cyclone, the state had lost more than 10,000 human lives and 50 lakh people had been badly affected.

Rocky and Ramboo, both five-year-old Labrador retrievers who are a part of the NDRF unit based at Mundali near Cuttack and have won a number of national awards for their outstanding achievements in the rescue operations, today drew a number of visitors at the exhibition at the venue to observe the Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day and National Day for Disaster Reduction here today.

Their masters S.K. Marik and S.S. Samal explained how the dogs operate during disasters. "Thirty-two dogs are undergoing training that starts early every morning. Once they are with us, we are confident to undertake any kind of rescue operation."

Besides the dog squad, what comes to the help of the rescuers are German-made cutters, satellite phones, cameras and other equipment.

This year's theme was "Protecting Human Beings and Animals from Lighting." Significantly, lightning claims more than 300 human lives in the state every year.

Speaking at the event, chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced that the state government would set up 122 warning towers across the state for ensuring co-ordination to mitigate the impact of natural disaster.

Revenue and disaster management minister Bijoyshree Routray said: "We have been able to build our own force to face any eventuality arising out of any natural disaster."

The state, which has emerged as a role model in disaster management, has enacted the Disaster Management Act that empowers it to take up relief, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

"We are now focusing on co-ordination between the state and central forces to step up rescue operations during an emergency," said the minister.