Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday said his government has decided to spend more than Rs 2,000 crore to create disaster-resilient infrastructure in various parts of the state. Addressing a gathering virtually at a function at Rabindra Mandap here on the occasion of Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day 2023, he said the government was giving priority to resilient infrastructure and state-wide risk mapping would be undertaken for various disasters. Today, we assemble here to deliberate on our disaster preparedness. We remember the valuable human lives lost during the super cyclone 1999. Since then, we have made significant strides in making Odisha safer during disasters. Today, we are a model for other states and countries to follow, Patnaik said. Noting that the state's efforts for effective disaster management have received wide acclaim, the chief minister said Odisha has been bestowed with the prestigious 'Nataji Subash Chandra Bose Apadaa Prabandhan Puraskar' for 2023 by the Centre. Recalling the train accident at Bahanaga in Balasore that took place on June 2 this year, he said, Altogether 288 people died on the spot, and hundreds of passengers were injured. The state responded quickly. All emergency services were made ready almost instantly. We could save many lives despite serious injuries. The CM said the state was able to save so many lives due to the immediate intervention of local communities, volunteers, members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and specialised responders like Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), fire services and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and of course, the tireless efforts of doctors. "The government has now decided to create four regional disaster response hubs at Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rayagada to reduce the response time to any disaster," he said. This year's theme for the Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day' is Empowering Community for Resilient Odisha. As communities are the first responders to any disaster situation, amendments to Panchayat Acts have been made to ensure disaster management planning at the level of PRIs, the chief minister said. "To make the communities resilient, disaster management plans will be prepared in more than 10,000 vulnerable villages," he said. On the occasion, Patnaik called upon all stakeholders and citizens to join hands to strengthen the state's disaster risk reduction initiatives and make Odisha disaster-resilient. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the chief minister said, Odisha's disaster management model has been lauded all over the world for its highest degree of preparedness, efficient response and zero casualty approach during calamities. On #OdishaDisasterPreparednessDay, pledge to further bolster our disaster resilient infrastructure and readiness to protect every precious life. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi said Odisha became the number one state in the country in disaster management. Due to the active participation of local people, the state was able to save many lives in the Bahanaga train tragedy, he said. Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said automated weather forecasting and rain gauge stations will be set up in all panchayats of the state. About 3,000 such stations will be set up with funding from the World Bank, and the remaining will be done by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC). SRC Satyabrata Sahu said, We are prepared for natural disasters like cyclones, floods etc. However, many people have lost lives in other disasters like lightning, drowning, snake bites, etc. So, we will create awareness among people to tackle such incidents. We will create one man in every household, who can tackle all kinds of disasters. Disaster management has been included in school and college curriculums and the government has decided to train all persons working at the grassroots level, Sahu said. Further, the state government has decided to deploy an ODRAF team in every district. Now, 20 ODRAF units are there in Odisha, he said. Earlier in the day, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) in association with the the Department of Sports and Youth Services organised a mini-marathon here to mark the day.