Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria called for stronger coordination among disaster management agencies and greater local community involvement during a two-day workshop in Chandigarh. Agencies from Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, and Haryana are attending the event. Kataria stressed that local people must be trained to help others before official response teams arrive. He noted that agencies need to figure out how to respond effectively to earthquakes, floods, storms, diseases, and famines.
Governor Kataria stated that
administrations should give warnings beforehand instead of waiting for incidents to happen. He pointed out that buildings in bad shape should be evacuated or brought down before rains start to save lives. He also highlighted that
illegal construction in flood-prone areas has made it harder to prevent property loss, referring to hotels collapsing in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Kataria praised the voluntary support seen in Punjab during past crises, mentioning how food and supplies were provided around the clock. He called for accountability within the response system, stating that
there will be strictness where necessary to ensure the administration steps up its job.
