Caritas India Facilitates Coordination Meeting to Strengthen Disaster Response in Ganjam

Government officials and civil society representatives gathered for a district-level coordination meeting on 8 July 2026 to strengthen disaster preparedness across Ganjam, one of Odisha’s most disaster-prone districts.

The meeting, held at Zilla Parishad Bhawan and organised by Caritas India under its Empowering Communities for Resilience Building in Odisha project, brought together 45 representatives from the District Disaster Management Authority, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority, the District Panchayat, the Education and Agriculture Departments, Panchayati Raj Institutions, community-based organisations, and nodal NGOs operating in the district.

Mr. Deepak Jena, Assistant District Collector, inaugurated the session and told participants that disaster resilience remains a shared responsibility that requires sustained collaboration between government institutions, civil society, and local communities. He said platforms of this kind help strengthen institutional convergence and enable more effective collective planning to reduce disaster risk.

Mr. Debendra Nayak, District Project Officer at the state disaster management authority, called for community-centred preparedness and closer coordination among stakeholders. He urged NGOs and government departments to work jointly to improve early warning dissemination and raise community awareness ahead of future disasters.

Mr. Prahalad Pradhan, District Panchayat Officer, said Disaster Risk Reduction must be integrated directly into Gram Panchayat Development Plans, and called on Panchayati Raj Institutions to adopt risk-informed planning using available government resources. He said non-governmental organisations have a critical role to play in educating communities on disaster preparedness.

Ms. Sabitribala Dash, District Project Coordinator for Samagra Shiksha, addressed the role of schools in disaster resilience, emphasising the Comprehensive School Safety Framework. She said school disaster management plans need to be strengthened and that teachers and students require greater preparedness training to keep classrooms safe before, during, and after emergencies.

The discussions, facilitated by Caritas India, centred on five priorities: strengthening district-level coordination mechanisms, integrating Disaster Risk Reduction into Gram Panchayat Development Plans, improving school and community preparedness, enhancing early warning systems, and ensuring government programmes align with community-led resilience efforts. Participants also shared experiences from past disaster responses and identified gaps specific to the district before discussing opportunities for joint action.

The meeting concluded with participants agreeing to maintain regular interdepartmental coordination, share information consistently, and undertake joint capacity-building and preparedness initiatives across the district. Organisers said the initiative supports the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 by strengthening disaster risk governance, and advances Sustainable Development Goal 11, which calls for inclusive, safe, and resilient communities.

The meeting reflects Caritas India’s broader approach to disaster risk reduction: building coordination between institutions before disasters strike, rather than only after. Officials said the priorities identified will guide district-level planning in the coming months, with the integration of Disaster Risk Reduction into village-level development plans expected to be an early focus of that work.