Bhubaneswar: A man of many talents, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday surprised officials during a review meeting called to take stock of the aftermath of Fani.

While the PM left the meeting, attended by chief minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik, stumped with his own insights into disaster management, one of the senior officials said, “What was striking was the human touch with which PM Modi spoke. He gave simple, yet effective, ways to mitigate disasters. His point that disaster management must entail long-lasting permanent solutions as opposed to short-term measures was also well taken.”

The prime minister took stock of the situation in the wake of Fani in Bhubaneswar and left officials highly impressed.

“I have seen cyclones as a common citizen and handled natural disasters while in administration,” PM Modi said in the meeting, drawing upon his own experience in rescue and relief from the devastating Gujarat earthquakes of 1998-99.  

PM Modi said that coming from a coastal state, he understood the threats from cyclones and flooding.

Another top official attending the meet said, “The PM’s eye for detail is amazing. He enquired about the threat of diseases, epidemics and the health of those affected by the cyclone. He also asked about the condition of cattle, including mechanisms to dispose of dead bodies of those animals who lost their lives due to the cyclone.”

Underlining the significance of the convergence of human resource and technology, PM Modi said there was a need to combine technological interface with human capabilities, which would be particularly useful in rescuing people in advance.

He recalled that while Gujarat was affected by the earthquake, one of the biggest challenges was to find masons to rebuild houses. To overcome this, the ITI network was tapped, and masonry training was provided to locals.

Similarly, since many people were injured in the quake, physiotherapy specialists were needed for which youth associated with the National Cadet Corps (NCC) were roped in.

The prime minister saluted the resilience of the people of Odisha.