Cuttack, Oct. 27: The municipal corporation will conduct an overall vulnerability and risk assessment of Cuttack under an ambitious project of the Union government and the United Nations Development Programmme (UNDP).

The risk assessment will be based on hazard, exposure and vulnerability analysis with regard to cyclones, earthquakes, floods, epidemics, heat wave and other disasters including fire and urban flooding due to rapid urbanisation and climate change.

This is the first time an overall assessment of Cuttack is being conducted to ascertain its vulnerability to that aims at conducting a comprehensive study on the potential risks that the city has been facing and the upcoming challenges keeping in view adversities due to climate changeThe initiative is significant because The administration has also been put to test owing to other disasters including major fire incidents at SCB, Sishu Bhavan and Acharya Harihari Regional Cancer Centre and train accidents in the city in the past two years.

necessary data, our priority would be to come up with a comprehensive city disaster management plan, taking into account stakeholders such as the district administration, the municipal corporation, NGOs and volunteers that can be included at the time of emergency situations in the city," Dey said.

Municipal commissioner Gyana Das said that like other parts of Odisha, Cuttack too was vulnerable to cyclonic storms originating from the Bay of Bengal during September to November each year.

"We are trying to come up with a comprehensive strategy to minimise the loss of life and property in case of natural disasters. We will draw up an action plan after collecting data from various departments to know the equipment and manpower that can be made available in case of such emergencies," said Das.