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UN expert warns against unsafe roads, skyscrapers in Kerala

The more than two-hour long session was attended by people from all walks of life, who had been following his columns for years.

KOZHIKODE: Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction in the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Muralee Thummarukudy on Tuesday, raised serious concerns regarding the safety of roads and skyscrapers in the state. Having a huge fan following on Facebook for his columns, Mr Thummarukudy attended an interactive session at a Mall here during a function organised by a clothing store.

“Safety is still to make it to the priority list of Malayalis. Maybe during a disaster, the priority level goes up, but everyone starts neglecting the same, once the gravity of the same subsides. On roads and by drowning, on an yearly basis, 8,000 people are dying. In drowning alone, 1,500 people are dying,” he said. Regarding the Ockhi Cyclone tragedy, the UN Expert said that instead of putting blame on the mechanism, the state should be thinking about ways to be better prepared in such an event.

“The government should seriously think about avoiding taxes for safety equipment, and bring in a policy change. The same should be applicable for allotting Corporate Social Responsibility funds for safety and rescue operations,” he added. The more than two-hour long session was attended by people from all walks of life, who had been following his columns for years.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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