With Kerala declaring man-animal conflict as a State-specific disaster, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), the apex decision making body to facilitate, coordinate, review, and monitor disaster-management activities in the State, will frame standard operating procedures (SOPs) specifying the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in mitigating the man-animal conflict and issue the guidelines to be followed. These will include who is responsible for what and who should be approached for specific needs in case of a disaster or to avoid such a situation.
According to the present disaster-management norms, cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost and cold waves have already been declared as disasters covered under the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund). Coastal erosion, lightning, strong wind, sunstroke, and soil piping are also considered State-specific disasters.
Sekhar Kuriakose, Member-Secretary, KSDMA, told The Hindu that a high-level meeting to be headed by the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary would take a call on the steps to be followed in the wake of the man-animal conflict being declared a State-specific disaster.
