Shillong, Apr 27: Asserting that Meghalaya is fully equipped to tackle any disaster-related eventualities, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Saturday said all district administrations across the state have been placed on high alert.

Speaking on the state’s preparedness, Rymbui emphasised that both the government and disaster response teams are ready to handle emergencies, aided by technological advancements that enable early prediction of potential crises.

“The government of Meghalaya and disaster management team are well equipped to handle all situations and more importantly, as we know now with the help of technology we can predict beforehand,” he said.

While noting that he did not have the latest statewide situation report, the minister confirmed that response mechanisms are active and operational across districts.

“The team, whether from the SDO or DC office across the state of Meghalaya, have been alerted to attend to any situation that arises. Let us hope that the situation — it is not guaranteed — but all disaster management teams are on standby,” he added.

Rymbui highlighted that disaster response in the state follows a decentralised model, empowering district-level authorities to act swiftly.

“The district magistrate is fully empowered as chairman of disaster management to look into issues related to the district. So it is not for us at the state level to see those things,” he said, adding that existing rules grant district magistrates the authority to take all necessary actions.

On resource readiness, the minister said multiple agencies are working in coordination, including Home Guards, police, and fire and emergency services, along with strong community participation.

“We are well equipped, whether it is the manpower… We are very happy that people are fully cooperating and we have teams from home guards, from the police, and from the fire service and all these teams are on alert,” he noted.

He also stressed that disaster management extends beyond natural calamities to include structural risks and human-induced hazards.

“When we talk about disaster, it is not only because of rain… we have to see whether this wall or hill is stable or not, whether through deforestation it affects the management of disaster works — it is a combination of everything,” Rymbui explained.

Addressing concerns related to funding, the minister clarified that deputy commissioners are empowered to respond immediately to emergencies and can seek additional support from the state government when required.

“If there is a fund shortfall, they can always write to the state so that necessary action will be done,” he said.

Reiterating the state’s approach, Rymbui said decentralisation remains key to ensuring timely assistance to affected people.

“To manage disaster is not a centralized one but we have decentralized everything to see that they can attend immediately to affected people,” he added.