New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Preparedness for Monsoon-2026 and technological advancements in the field of disaster management were in focus as the Union Home Ministry’s Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response (ICR-ER) organised a seminar on integration with state agencies, an official said on Saturday.

The third seminar on Integration with State Emergency Operation Centres (SEOCs), held under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is one of the government’s endeavours to achieve the goal of “zero casualty” during disasters, the official said in a statement.

The focus of the seminar was to attain a synergy among State Emergency Operation Centres (SEOCs) of all States and UTs, and other agencies working relentlessly to mitigate disasters, it said.

During the seminar, emphasis was laid on the use of technology to curtail the time in the dissemination of vital information pertaining to disasters, it said.

Eminent scientists and domain experts from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), IMD, NCS and CWC provided valuable inputs on various disaster-related subjects and early warning systems.

A hands-on training on the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM 5.0) was also organised at ICR-ER, said the statement.

The interactive sessions on NDEM 5.0 emphasised measures for anticipation of disasters, risk mitigation, resource utilization and smooth flow of information between the Centre and States, said the statement.

The seminar provided an opportunity to participants from all the States and UTs to learn about technological advancements in the field of disaster management.

A session on Artificial Intelligence (AI) was also conducted during the event, as AI is expected to bring a paradigm shift in the existing approach and provide a much-needed fillip to all agencies engaged in disaster mitigation and response, said the statement.

The seminar also discussed preparedness for Monsoon-2026 and provided a platform to various Central Agencies and representatives from State/UTs to bridge the gap and shift from a relief-centric approach to a proactive, prevention-focused strategy for dealing with disasters, said the official statement.

–IANS

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