Indian Interior Minister calls for better disaster preparedness among South Asian countries

Reuters: Indian Interior Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (October 10) called for improved disaster preparedness among South Asian countries to reduce loss of lives.

Singh, at the inauguration of the first BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Disaster Management Exercise in New Delhi, said the recent floods and landslides have affected millions of people across almost all the BIMSTEC countries, a sub-regional group of South Asian countries.

The floods had wreaked havoc in South Asian countries during the monsoon season. According to media reports, up to 1,200 people had died and left millions homeless in the Indian subcontinent between July and September.

The four-day program is aimed at strengthening coordination among member-nations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.