15
VISIONIAS VISION IAS ™ www.visionias.in www.visionias.wordpress.com
DISASTER AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT (B)
op!ri"#$ % &! Vision IAS All rights are reserved. No No part of this document may be reproduced, stored stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Vision IAS
1
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
'#a$ is a Disas$er
Disaster is an undesirable occurrence resulting from forces that are largely outside human control stri!es "uic!ly with little or no warning which causes or threatens serious disru#tion of life and #ro#erty including death and in$ury to a large number of #eo#le and re"uires therefore mobilisation of efforts in e%cess of that which are normally #rovided by statutory emergency services. Deini$ion or Indian oicia p*rposes+ Disaster means a catastro#he misha# calamity or grave occurrence in any area arising from natural or man&made causes or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to and destruction of #ro#erty or damage to or degradation of environment and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the co#ing ca#acity of the community of the affected area Disas$er is assessed on $#e &asis o $#e oowin" ea$*res+ •
• •
•
Disru#tion to normal #attern of life. Such disru#tion is usually severe and may also be sudden une%#ected une%#ected and wides#read. 'uman effects such such as loss of of life livelihood and #ro#erty in$ury hardshi# and adverse effects on health (ffects on Social Structure such as destruction of or damage to infrastructure buildings communications and other essential services. )ommunity needs such as shelter food clothing medical assistance and social care.
AGGRAVATING ,ATORS O, DISASTERS -over$!
All disaster studies show that the wealthy among the #o#ulation are less affected and also able to recover "uic!ly. 'owever #overty generally ma!es #eo#le more vulnerable to all the im#acts of disasters. It is only due to #overty that #oor #eo#le are forced to live in more vulnerable areas such as flood #lains of rivers.
-op*a$ion Grow$# If there are more #eo#le and structures where a disaster stri!es there will be more im#act. Increasing number of #eo#le will com#ete for limited resources *e.g. em#loyment o##ortunities+ which can lead to crisis&induced migration. ,his aggravates the disasters disasters in develo#ing countries. countries. Rapid r&anisa$ion
-a#id and un#lanned urbanisations ma!e the #oor #eo#le to live at unsafe #laces and with least resources at their dis#osal. any of the landslides or flood disasters are closely lin!ed to ra#id and unchec!ed urbanisation which forces low&income families to settle on the slo#es of stee# hillsides or ban!s of rivers. Transi$ions in Socia -rac$ices
All societies are under a continual state of transition which is often disru#tive and uneven leaving ga#s in social co#ing mechanisms and available available technology. ,hese transitions include nomadic #o#ulation #o#ulation that become sedentary sedentary rural #eo#le who move to urban areas and both rural and urban #eo#le who move from one economic level to another. Environmen$a De"rada$ion
any disasters are either caused or aggravated by environmental degradation. Deforestation leads to ra#id rain runoff which contributes to soil erosion and flooding. /ac0 o Awareness and Inorma$ion
/ac! of awareness and #ro#er information usually converts a ha0ard into into a Disaster. ,his ignorance may not necessary be due to #overty but due to a lac! of awareness of what measures can be ta!en to build safe structures on safe locations.
2
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
'ar and ivi S$rie
ar and civil strife are regarded as ha0ards that is e%treme events that #roduce disasters. ,he causal factors of war and civil strife include com#etition for scarce resources religious to ethnic intolerance and ideological difference. 1E2 DISASTERS IN INDIA Ear$#3*a0e
(arth"ua!es are considered to be one of the most dangerous and destructive natural ha0ards. ,he im#act of this #henomenon is sudden with little or no warning ma!ing it $ust im#ossible to #redict it. ,herefore the best strategy is to ma!e #re#arations against damages and colla#ses of building and other man&made structures About 53&43 of total area of the country is vulnerable to seismic activity of varying damage #otential. ost of the vulnerable areas are generally located in 'imalayan and sub&'imalayan regions e%tending from 6ashmir to Arunachal 7radesh 6utch and in Andaman and 8icobar Islands. Suggestions9 In our #resent state of !nowledge earth"ua!es can neither be #revented nor #redicted in terms of their magnitude or #lace and time of occurrence. ,herefore the most effective measures of ris! reduction are #re&disaster mitigation #re#aredness and #reventive measures for reducing the vulnerability of the built environment combined with e%#editious and effective rescue and relief actions immediately after the occurrence of the earth"ua!e.
,oods
:loods occur when large volume of water from heavy rainfall and;or river s#ill is not able to drain off "uic!ly through normal channels. India is the second most flood affected country where flood is a common natural disaster es#ecially during the later #art of the monsoon #eriod. In India the most affected states due to floods are
disha ? est
Suggestions •
,here should be a master #lan for flood control and management for each flood #rone basin.
•
Ade"uate flood&cushion should be #rovided in water storage #ro$ects wherever feasible to facilitate better flood management. In highly flood #rone areas flood control should be given overriding consideration in reservoir regulation #olicy even at the cost of sacrificing some irrigation or #ower benefits.
•
hile #hysical flood #rotection wor!s li!e emban!ments and dy!es w ill continue to be necessary increased em#hasis should be laid on non&structural measures such as flood f orecasting and warning flood #lain 0oning and flood #roofing for the minimisation of losses and to reduce the recurring e%#enditure on flood relief.
•
,here should be strict regulation of settlements and economic activity in the flood #lain 0ones along with flood #roofing to minimise the loss of lif e and #ro#erty on account of floods.
•
,he flood forecasting activities should be modernised value added and e%tended to other uncovered areas. Inflow forecasting to reservoirs should be instituted for their effective regulation
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
Dro*"#$
Drought is wides#read in India. It is #rimarily a deficiency in rainfall but over e%#loitation of ground water aggravates the situation. /arge eva#oration resulting from #oor water retention ca#acity of soil adds to the #roblem. It is also the result of #oor water management strategy deforestation and indiscriminate industrial e%#loitation of water resources. 'uman or social factors often aggravate the effects of drought. De#letion of forest overgra0ing soil erosion e%tension of cultivation to marginal lands and lowering of water level etc. directly contribute to and aggravate the ill effects of drought. hen the monsoon rainfall deficit for the country as a whole is 13 below normal or worse and 23 or more area of the country suffers from rail1 deficit it is rec!oned as a drought year for the country as a whole. !cone
)yclones are characteri0ed by very strong winds torrential rains and associated floods which cause e%tensive damage to human lives and #ro#erty in the coastal areas. India has a very long coastline of B51B !m a ma$or #ortion of which is e%#osed to tro#ical cyclones arising in the ctober and December. Suggestions An effective cyclone disaster #revention and mitigation #lan re"uires9 • •
•
efficient cyclone forecast & and warning servicesC ra#id dissemination of warnings to the government agencies #articularly marine interests li!e #orts fisheries and shi##ing and to the general #ublic and construction of cyclone shelters in vulnerable areas a ready machinery for evacuation of #eo#le to safer areas and community #re#aredness at all levels to meet the e%igencies.
/andside
Among the natural ha0ards that stri!e the mountainous areas almost #erennially landsli#s occu#y a #osition of ma$or concern. ,he 'imalayan range constitutes a young and therefore a fragile mountain system. ,he 'imalayas in general are fragile in nature due to tectonically dis#laced and folded as well as crum#led roc! formation and due to #eriodic earth tremors ill this belt. Causes of !andslides
A slo#e may yield a wide variety of mass movements. Slo#e failures are normally due to sheer stresses which increase with the inclination and height of ? slo#e and occur when sheer stress e%ceeds the sheer strength. hen the forces of e"uilibrium alter marginally the landslide is slow and if the disturbing forces undergo significant change the movement of mass is fast. ,he roc! fall and debris flow in 'imalayas are caused due to heavy #reci#itation and saturation during rainy season and conse"uent develo#ment of hydrostatic.
Suggestions: ,hese can be classified into structural and non&structural measures9 Structural measures9
7lanting *Avalanche 7revention :orest+ Ste##ed ,erraces
Avalanche )ontrol 7iles
Avalanche )ontrol :ence
Sus#ended :ences
Snow )ornice )ontrol Structures
7rotection structures such as sto##ing deflecting and retarding structures.
8on&structural measures & removing snow de#osits on slo#es by blasting #redicting avalanches and evacuating #eo#le from vulnerable areas.
@
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
Ts*nami
,sunamis are large waves generated by sudden movements of the ocean floor that dis#lace a large volume of water. Although usually associated with earth"ua!es tsunamis can also be triggered by other #henomena li!e submarine or terrestrial landslides volcanic eru#tions e%#losions or even bolide *e.g. asteroid meteor and comet+ im#acts. ,sunamis have the #otential to stri# beaches u#root #lantations and inundate large inland tracts and e%tensively damage life and #ro#erty in coastal areas. ,he Indian coastal belt had not recorded many tsunamis in the #ast. ,he #henomenon of tsunami that usually occurs near seismically active s#ots in the 7acific >cean was uncommon in India till it hit the east and west coast in December 233@. ,he waves damaged the life and #ro#erty in the coastal areas of Andhra 7radesh ,amil 8adu 7ondicherry 6erala and Andaman and 8icobar Islands a s never before. Ind*s$ria Disas$er
Among the man&made disasters #robably the most devastating *after wars+ are industrial disasters. ,hese disasters may be caused by chemical mechanical civil electrical or other #rocess failures in an industrial #lant due to accident or negligence which may cause wides#read damage within and;or outside the #lant. ,he worst e%am#le globally was the ethyl Isocyanate gas lea! in 1E@ from the =nion )arbide :actory in
Disas$er Response Mec#anism in India •
•
:ield level res#onse on behalf of the government in rural areas is by the nearest #olice station and the revenue functionary *#atwari;#atel;talati;!arnam etc.+C in urban areas the res#onse is articulated by agencies li!e the civic authorities the fire brigade and the local #olice station. At #resent 7anchayats do not have the ca#acity to react institutionally in any effective manner to such situations and it is the district administration which retains the basic res#onsibility of handling crises situations with the )ollector #laying a #ivotal role. ,he District agistrate;)ollector has the res#onsibility for the overall management of disasters in the district. ,he District )ollector also en$oys the authority to re"uest for assistance from the Armed :orces if circumstances so demand. 8F>s have also been effective in #roviding relief rescue and rehabilitation in recent times.
Roe o S$a$e Governmen$ •
•
In India the basic res#onsibility to underta!e rescue relief and rehabilitation measures in the event of natural disasters rests with the State Fovernments. (very state has a )risis anagement )ommittee under the chair#ersonshi# of the )hief Secretary consisting of secretaries in charge of concerned de#artments which reviews crisis situations on a day&to&day bas is at the time of crisis coordinates the activities of all de#artments and #rovides decision su##ort system to the district administration.
Roe o nion Governmen$ •
•
•
5
Although the State Fovernment concerned has the #rimary res#onsibility for crisis management the =nion Fovernment #lays a !ey su##ortive role in terms of #hysical and financial resources and #roviding com#lementary measures such as early warning and co&ordination of efforts of all =nion ministries de#artments and organi0ations. At the a#e% level a )abinet )ommittee on 8atural )alamities reviews the crisis situations. ,he )abinet Secretary as the highest e%ecutive officer heads the 8ational )risis anagement )ommittee *8))+. ,he )entral -elief )ommissioner in the inistry of 'ome Affairs is the )hairman of the )risis anagement Frou# *)F+ consisting of nodal officers from various concerned ministries. ,he )FGs functions are to review annual contingency #lans formulated by various ministries de#artments and organi0ations in their res#ective sectors measures re"uired for dealing with a natural disaster coordinate the activities of the
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
•
=nion inistries and State Fovernments in relation to disaster #re#aredness and relief and to obtain information from the nodal officers on all these issues. ,he Armed :orces in view of their ability to organi0e action in adverse ground circumstances their s#eed of o#erational res#onse and also the resources and ca#abilities at their dis#osal #lay a ma$or role in assisting the civil administration.
T#e Disas$er Mana"emen$ Ac$4 5667
,his Act #rovides for the effective management of disaster and for matters connected there with or incidental thereto. It #rovides institutional mechanisms for drawing u# and monitoring the im#lementation of the disaster management. ,he Act also ensures measures by the various wings of the Fovernment for #revention and mitigation of disasters and #rom#t res#onse to any disaster situation. ,he Act #rovides for setting u# of a 8ational Disaster anagement Authority *8DA+ under the )hairmanshi# of the 7rime inister State Disaster anagement Authorities *SDAs+ under the )hairmanshi# of the )hief inisters District Disaster anagement Authorities *DDAs+ under the )hairmanshi# of )ollectors;District agistrates;De#uty )ommissioners. ,he Act further #rovides for the constitution of different (%ecutive )ommittee at national and state levels. =nder its aegis the 8ational Institute of Disaster anagement *8ID+ for ca#acity building and 8ational Disaster -es#onse :orce *8D-:+ for res#onse #ur#ose have been set u#. It also mandates the concerned inistries and De#artments to draw u# their own #lans in accordance with the 8ational 7lan. ,he Act further contains the #rovisions for financial mechanisms such as creation of funds for res#onse 8ational Disaster itigation :und and similar funds at the state and district levels for the #ur#ose of disaster management. ,he Act also #rovides s#ecific roles to local bodies i n disaster management. rd
th
:urther the enactment of B and B@ Amendments to the constitution and emergence of local self & government both rural and urban as im#ortant tiers of governance the role of local authorities becomes very im#ortant. ,he D Act 2335 also envisages s#ecific roles to be #layed by the local bodies in disaster management.
4
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
Na$iona /eve Ins$i$*$ions
Na$iona Disas$er Mana"emen$ A*$#ori$! (NDMA)
Details of res#onsibilities are as follows9 • •
• •
• • •
•
•
/ay down #olicies on disaster management A##rove the 8ational 7lan and #lans #re#ared by the inistries or De#artments of the Fovernment of India in accordance with the 8ational 7lan /ay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing u# the State 7lan /ay down guidelines to be followed by the different inistries or De#artments of the Fovernment of India for the #ur#ose of integrating the measures for #revention of disaster or the mitigation of its effects in their develo#ment #lans and #ro$ects )oordinate the enforcement and im#lementation of the #olicy and #lan for disaster management -ecommend #rovision of funds for the #ur#ose of mitigation 7rovide such su##ort to other countries affected by ma$or disasters as may be determined by the )entral Fovernment ,a!e other measures for the #revention of disaster or the mitigation or #re#aredness and ca#acity building for dealing with the threatening disaster situation or disasters /ay down broad #olicies and guidelines for the functioning of the 8ational Institute of Disaster anagement.
Na$iona E8ec*$ive ommi$$ee (NE)
A 8ational (%ecutive )ommittee is constituted under Section E of D Act 2335 to assist the 8ational Authority in the #erformance of its functions. 8() consists of 'ome Secretary as its e%&officio )hair#erson with other Secretaries to the Fovernment of India as members. 8() may as and when it considers necessary constitute one or more sub&committees for the efficient discharge of its functions. 8() has been given the res#onsibility to act as the coordinating and monitoring body for disaster management to #re#are a 8ational 7lan monitor the im#lementation of 8ational 7olicy etc. ,he same authorities as above two are also established at state level *SDA and S()+ and while DDA at district level. Na$iona Ins$i$*$e o Disas$er Mana"emen$ (NIDM)
Disaster anagement Act 2335 entrusts the institute with numerous res#onsibilities9 • • • •
to develo# training modules underta!e research and documentation in disaster management organise training #rogrammes underta!e and organise study courses conferences lectures and seminars to #romote and institutionali0e disaster management.
Na$iona Disas$er Response ,orce (NDR,)
,he 8ational Disaster -es#onse :orce *8D-:+ has been constituted under the D Act 2335 by u#&gradation; conversion of ei"#$ standard battalions of )entral 7ara ilitary :orces i.e. $wo &a$$aions eac# from
,he )ivil Defence Act 14E defines )D and #rovides for the #owers of )entral Fovernment to ma!e rules for )D s#elling out various actions to be ta!en for )D measures. It further sti#ulates for constitution of )D cor#s a##ointment of members and officers functions of members etc. ,he Act has since been amended in 2313 to cater to
B
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
the needs of disaster management so as to utilise the services of )ivil Defence volunteers effectively for enhancement of #ublic #artici#ation in disaster management related activities in the country. ,he conce#t of )D over the years has shifted from management of damage against conventional wea#ons to also include threat #erce#tions agai nst nuclear wea#ons biological and chemical warfare and environmental disasters.
-oic! and G*ideines
Na$iona -oic! on Disas$er Mana"emen$ (N-DM) 5669
,he #olicy envisages a safe and disaster resilient India by develo#ing a holistic #roactive multi&disaster oriented and technology driven strategy through a culture of #revention mitigation #re#aredness and res#onse. ,he #olicy covers all as#ects of disaster management including institutional and legal arrangements financial arrangements disaster #revention mitigation and #re#aredness techno&legal regime res#onse relief and rehabilitation reconstruction and recovery ca#acity develo#ment !nowledge management research and develo#ment. It focuses on the areas where action is needed and the institutional mechanism through which such action can be channeli0ed. ,he 87D addresses the concerns of all the sections of the society including differently abled #ersons women children and other disadvantaged grou#s in terms of granting relief and formulating measures for rehabilitation of the #ersons affected by disasters. It aims to bring in trans#arency and accountability in all as#ects of disaster management through involvement of community community based organisations 7anchayati -a$ Institutions *7-Is+ local bodies and civil society.
Na$iona -an on Disas$er Mana"emen$
An institutional mechanism for #re#aration of the 8ational 7lan has been #ut in #lace which is under #re#aration in three #arts namely9& • • •
8ational -es#onse 7lan 8ational itigation 7lan and 8ational )a#acity
-reven$ion and Mi$i"a$ion
Mains$reamin" o Disas$er Ris0 Red*c$ion in Deveopmen$a S$ra$e"!
,he Fovernment of India has ado#ted mitigation and #revention as essential com#onents of their develo#ment strategy. Accordingly the ,enth :ive Hear 7lan document had a detailed cha#ter on disaster management. ainstreaming has three #ur#oses9 •
•
•
,o ma!e certain that all the develo#ment #rogrammes and #ro$ects are designed with evident consideration for #otential disaster ris!s and to resist ha0ard im#act ,o ma!e certain that all the develo#ment #rogrammes and #ro$ects do not inadvertently increase vulnerability to disaster in all sectors9 social #hysical economic and environment ,o ma!e certain that all the disaster relief and rehabilitation #rogrammes and #ro$ects are designed to contribute to develo#mental aims and to reduce future disaster ris!.
ainstreaming D-- into the develo#mental #lans is an im#ortant mandate of the Disaster anagement Act 2335. Integration of disaster ris! reduction measures into on&going flagshi# #rogrammes of Fovernment of India is being
E
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
used as an entry #oint for mainstreaming D-- in develo#ment #lans. Ste#s for ensuring the incor#oration of D-- into various on&going #rogrammes;#lans are as follows9
Identification of !ey #rogramme;#ro$ects of Fovernment of India Identification of entry #oints within the #rogramme for integration of D-- *structural non&structural and other mitigation measures+ at various levels vi0. national state and district levels )lose coordination with concerned de#artments such as State 7lanning )ommission and :inance De#artment for #romoting D-- measures into develo#ment #lans and #olicies Advocacy for allocation of dedicated budget for D-- within the de#artmental #lans 7re#aration of guidelines for integration of disaster ris! reduction measures into develo#ment #lans of various de#artments at the district and sub&district levels.
Disaster anagement Act 2335 also #rovides for constitution of 8ational Disaster itigation :und. Meas*res $a0en or -reven$ion and Mi$i"a$ion o :a;ards
-is! of destruction and casualties associated with different disasters can substantially be reduced by introduction of #revention and mitigation measures. itigation is generally categorised into two main ty#es of activities i.e. s$r*c$*ra and non
•
Structural mitigation refers to any #hysical construction to reduce or avoid #ossible im#acts of ha0ards which include engineering measures and construction of ha0ard&resistant #rotective structures and infrastructure. 8on&structural mitigation refers to #olicies awareness !nowledge develo#ment #ublic commitment and methods and o#erating #ractices including #artici#atory mechanisms and the #rovision of information which can reduce ris! with related im#acts.
Some of the initiatives are described below. Ear$#3*a0es =.
2.
.
@.
Na$iona Ear$#3*a0e Ris0 Mi$i"a$ion -ro>ec$ (NERM-)+ ,he #ro#osed #ro$ect aims at strengthening the structural and non&structural earth"ua!e mitigation efforts and reducing the vulnerability in the high ris! districts #rone to earth"ua!es. 8DA tas!ed with this #ro$ect has #re#ared a Detailed 7ro$ect -e#ort *D7-+ which is under consultation with all the sta!eholders. ,he #ro#osed com#onents of the #ro$ect include techno&legal regime institutional strengthening ca#acity building and #ublic awareness etc. Na$iona B*idin" ode (NB)+ ,he 8ational 9 It releases funds under
Such mitigation ste#s s#ecific to the other disasters li!e )yclones :loods and /andslides etc. have a lso been ta!en.
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
7re#aredness and -es#onse
Ins$i$*$iona Arran"emen$s
:orecasting about climate change as a #re re"uisite for ta!ing #re#aredness measure to res#ond to the disaster is the most im#ortant element of disaster management. Fovernment of India has designated the offices as given in the
India Me$eoroo"ica Depar$men$ (IMD)
:orecasting and arning of )yclones9 ID is the nodal agency in the country to monitor and #redict the cyclonic disturbances and issue the warning and advisory bulletins. ,he cyclone warnings are issued to State Fovernment officials in four stages. • • • •
#re&cyclone watch issued B2 hours in advance cyclone alert issued at least @E hours in advance cyclone warning issued at least 2@ hours in advance a nd as #ost landfall outloo! issued at least 12 hours in advance of e%#ected time of landfall.
en$ra 'a$er ommission
:lood :orecasting 8etwor! of the )) covers the entire ma$or flood #rone inter State basins in the country. ,he flood forecasting involves the following four main activities9 • • • •
observation and collection of hydrological and hydro meteorological data transmission of Data to forecasting centres analysis of data and formulation of forecast and Dissemination of forecast
Indian Na$iona en$re or Oceanic Inorma$ion S!s$em (INOIS)
I8)>IS gives information to all res#onders about the origin time location of the e#icentre magnitude and de#th of an earth"ua!e inside the ocean and accordingly issues bulletins. Ts*nami Ear! 'arnin" S!s$em (TE'S) at I8)>IS is ca#able of detecting all earth"ua!e events of more than 4 agnitude occurring in the Indian >cean in less than 23 minutes of occurrence and first re#ort on the occurrence of an earth"ua!e in India and the Indian >cean region is sent to 'A within 25&3 minutes indicating the location and magnitude of the earth"ua!e. Geoo"ica S*rve! o India (GSI)
,he FSI was designated as nodal agency for coordinating geological studies landslides ha0ard 0onation monitoring landslides avalanches studying the f actors res#onsible and suggesting #recautionary and #reventive measure.
13
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
Disas$er Mana"emen$ S*ppor$ (DMS) @ Indian Space Researc# O r"ani;a$ion (ISRO)
,he Disaster anagement Su##ort *DS+ 7rogramme of IS-> #rovides timely su##ort and services from aero&s#ace systems both imaging and communications towards efficient management of disasters in the country. ,he DS #rogramme addresses disasters such as flood cyclone drought forest fire landslide and (arth"ua!e. ,hese include • • • • • •
creation of digital data base for fa cilitating ha0ard 0onation damage assessment etc. monitoring of ma$or natural disasters using satellite and aerial data develo#ment of a##ro#riate techni"ues and tools for decision su##ort establishing satellite based reliable communication networ! de#loyment of emergency communication e"ui#ments and -?D towards early warning of disasters.
-reparedness •
•
•
•
•
•
An annual )onference of -elief )ommissioners Secretaries to the De#artment of Disaster anagement of States and =,s is organi0ed before the onset of south west monsoon to review the status of #re#aredness for ensuing onsoon and to discuss other disaster management related issues. 8ecessary guidelines in the form of chec!list for ta!ing necessary #re#aratory measures are issued to the State for their guidance and a##ro#riate action. Instructions are also issued for creating reserves of essential items re"uired during rescue and relief #hase. ,rigger echanism has been develo#ed to activate the disaster res#onse system automatically after receiving warning signals of a disaster ha##ening or li!ely to ha##en or on recei#t of information about the incident. )risis anagement 7lan com#rises of two #arts & 7art&I deals with as#ects which are common to all contingencies situations and 7art&II about the individual Standard >#erating 7rocedures *S>7s+ for dealing with s#ecific crisis situation. At the )entre under the )hairmanshi# of the )abinet Secretary the 8ational )risis anagement )ommittee*8))+ has been constituted in the )abinet Secretariat. ,he 8)) gives direction to the )risis anagement Frou# as deemed necessary. )risis anagement Frou# *)F+;8ational (%ecutive )ommittee is a grou# under the )hairmanshi# of the 'ome Secretary com#rising the senior officers from the various ministries and other concerned de#artments. )FGs function is to review contingency #lans every year formulated by the )entral inistries; De#artments and the measures re"uired for dealing with a natural disasterC co&ordinate the activities of the )entral inistries and the State Fovernments in relation to disaster #re#aredness and reliefC and to obtain information from the nodal officers on measures relating to the above.
Recover!4 Recons$r*c$ion and Re#a&ii$a$ion
11
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
Assessmen$
,he first ste# after stabili0ing the situation by #roviding sufficient relief is to assess the damage. A meticulously e%ecuted assessment e%ercise would #rovide an ideal base for the rehabilitation efforts. ,his e%ercise is best carried out through multi&disci#linary teams which go into all as#ects of damage *social economic #sychological+ in #artici#ation with the local community.
:ollowing any ma$or disaster a number of #layers arrive on the scene and as already stated ensuring #ro#er coordination amongst them thus becomes very im#ortant. -ecovery activities are ta!en u# by government agencies local bodies international agencies voluntary organisations and others through se#arate overla##ing and uncoordinated interventions. ,his leads to imbalances in the scale of o#erations du#lication of efforts in some areas ga#s in others and lea!age and misuse of resources. ,herefore establishing a framewor! for coordination is necessary for effective recovery. ,he administration is also re"uired to set u# a voluntary organisationsG coordination centre to coordinate the relief and rehabilitation activities of the multi#le organisations so that they are not concentrated in a few #oc!ets. ,he role of voluntary organisations including international ones li!e the -ed )ross is e%tremely useful for mitigating the im#act of disaster. S#e$er
Shelter is one of the most visible and immediate needs in #ost&crisis settings. -elief efforts are often focused on #roviding shelter "uic!ly without ta!ing into account the im#act of short&term shelter strategies. /ong&term shelter strategies hel# not only to focus on determination and im#lementation of realistic and #ermanent reconstruction #lans for the affected communities but are also concerned with rebuilding community confidence and su##ort structure for civic res#onsibility and urban governance through #artici#atory #lanning of reconstruction. ,he develo#ment of disaster resistant housing is a ma$or factor in reducing vulnerability to disasters. 'owever shelter issues in mitigation go beyond the structural as#ects. -ights to ownershi# and security of tenure ma!e an enormous difference to the maintenance management and develo#ment of shelter #articularly in urban areas. S*s$aina&ii$! in Recover! -rocess
It is often observed that #ost&disaster recovery efforts tend to focus on ra#id and visible solutions to restore normalcy at the cost of sustainable develo#ment. ,he #ost&disaster recovery #hase #rovides a window of o##ortunityG for disaster ris! reduction. -is! reduction as#ects should therefore be built into the redevelo#ment #rocess. 8ormally it is also seen that the r ecovery efforts have a tendency of ta#ering off with the #assage of time. ,he
A system of accountability needs to be evolved during the relief and rehabilitation #hase. ,his system should ensure that the relief material reaches the target grou#s and that the funds are being utilised efficiently and o#timally. A grievance redressal mechanism should also be #ut in #lace. Eva*a$ion
After the recovery #hase it is necessary to conduct a detailed evaluation of all as#ects of crisis management. ,his should bring out the strengths and wea!nesses of the disaster management machinery and also #rovide the basis for future im#rovements. Such an evaluation should be carried out by an inde#endent #rofessional agency li!e the 8ID in all ma$or disasters. ,his assessment should a lso include a "uic! audit of the e%#enditure incurred.
12
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
apaci$! Deveopmen$
(ffective disaster management re"uires trained man#ower to deal with com#le% situations effectively and s#eedily to reduce the im#act of disaster on human life and #ro#erty. =8D7 describes ca#acity buildingG as the creation of an enabling environment with a##ro#riate #olicy and legal framewor!s institutional develo#ment including community #artici#ation *of women in #articular+ human resource develo#ment and strengthening of managerial systems. It adds that ca#acity building is a long&term continuing #rocess in which all sta!eholders #artici#ate Capacity building is much more than training and includes the following •
•
•
'uman resource develo#ment9 the #rocess of e"ui##ing individuals with the understanding s!ills and access to information !nowledge and training that enables them to #erform effectively >rganisational develo#ment9 the elaboration of management structures #rocesses and #rocedures not only within organisations but also the management of relationshi#s between the different organisations and sectors *#ublic #rivate and community+ Institutional and legal framewor! develo#ment9 ma!ing legal and regulatory changes to enable organisations institutions and agencies at all levels and in all sectors to enhance their ca#acities.
Following are considered as vital components of the capacity development
Trainin"+ It is a learning #rocess that involves the ac"uisition of !nowledge shar#ening of s!ills conce#ts rules or change of attitude and behaviour to enhance the #erformance of individuals associated with different de#artments and institutions. Ed*ca$ion+ Amidst changes of the #ast decades in school education sector the most discussed to#ic of national im#ortance is #lanning for more conte%tual #ractical and a##lication oriented curriculum for students at different levels of schooling. Researc#9 -esearch is an organised and systematic way of finding answers to "uestions. Systematic because there are certain things in the research #rocess which are always done in order to get most accurate result. Awareness+ Awareness is generally defined as !nowledge created through interaction between an agent and its environment. It cannot be sim#ly referred to as J!nowing what is going on.K ,his conce#t of awareness involves state of !nowledge as well as dynamic #rocesses of #erce#tion and action.
,he 8ational 7olicy on Disaster anagement *87D+ describes its a##roach to ca#acity develo#ment. A strategic a##roach to ca#acity develo#ment can be addressed effectively only with the active and enthusiastic #artici#ation of the sta!eholders. ,his #rocess com#rises of awareness generation education training research and develo#ment *-?D+ etc. It further addresses to #ut in #lace an a##ro#riate institutional framewor! management systems and allocation of resources for efficient #revention and handling of disasters. ,he a##roach to ca#acity develo#ment includes& •
•
• • • • •
According #riority to training for develo#ing community based D systems for their s#ecific needs in view of the regional diversities and multi&ha0ard vulnerabilities )once#tualisation of community based D systems at the national level through a consultative #rocess involving the States and other sta!eholders with the state and local level authorities in charge of im#lementation Identification of !nowledge&based institutions with #roven #erformance 7romotion of International and -egional coo#eration Ado#tion of traditional and global best #ractices and technologies /aying em#hasis on table&to# e%ercises simulations moc! drills and develo#ment of s!ills to test the #lans )a#acity analysis of different disaster res#onder grou#s at State District and local levels.
87D has further elaborated on national #riorities institutional ca#acity develo#ment training of communities #rofessional technical education D education in schools training of artisans training of other grou#s and licensing and certification.
1
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
apaci$! deveopmen$ in India+ A realistic 8ational )a#acity Develo#ment 7rogramme commensurate with the intensity and e%tent of the ha0ard in India needs to be evolved and im#lemented !ee#ing in view the available resources. ,his #rogramme of resource enhancement should encom#ass all institutions organi0ations and individuals that have a role in a ny #art of the disaster management cycle. apaci$! "aps in disas$er mana"emen$+ ,o mitigate the im#act of disasters there is a need to wor! collectively through multidimensional channels combining the efforts resources and e%#ertise of the government non& governmental organisations and civil societies. anaging such incidents holistically is a highly s#ecialised and s!illed $ob which cannot be a##roached in an ad hoc manner. Disaster anagement com#rises of multi sectoral issues and accordingly calls for all sectors that #lay #ivotal role in managing e%igencies to develo# their human resource ca#acity accordingly. ,here seems to e%ist a wide ga# in the ! nowledge s!ill and attitude of the disaster managers for efficiently managing emergency situations #articularly at local and state level where according to one study made by 8ID )a#acity&-is! ratio is remar!ably low. ,o bridge this ga# it is im#ortant to have s#ecific ca#acity develo#ment #lans and strategies. Tar"e$ "ro*p+ In the field of ca#acity develo#ment #riority is to be given to training o f D officials functionaries trainers and elected re#resentatives and community re#resentatives. Due im#ortance re"uires to be given to D training and orientation of #rofessionals li!e doctors engineers and architects a#art from those engaged in res#onse and relief. )a#acity Develo#ment re"uire to be included in curricula of educational institutions at all levels of schooling and should include #ractical in structions as well.
-eali0ing the im#ortance of )a#acity Develo#ment of sta!eholders in Disaster anagement 8ID has been given the tas! of #re#aring 8ational 'uman -esource and )a#acity Develo#ment #lan which is at the advanced stage of its formulation. ,he first draft has been #re#ared and #resented before the 'A. 8ID is finali0ing the #lan after holding the discussion with 'A on its first draft.
,inancia Arran"emen$s
:inancial assistance in the wa!e of natural calamities is #rovided in accordance with the schemes of relief funds. ,hese schemes are based on the recommendations of the successive :inance )ommissions. ,he #resent scheme of State Disaster -es#onse :und *SD-:+ and 8ational Disaster -es#onse :und *8D-:+ are based on the recommendations of the 1th :inance )ommission. S$a$e Disas$er Response ,*nd9 Disaster anagement Act 2335 #rovides for constitution of State Disaster -es#onse :und *SD-:+ by the state Fovernments. ,he inistry of 'ome Affairs has issued the guidelines to the state for o#eration of SD-:. Allocations to the State -elief :unds have been made based on the recommendations of the successive :inance )ommissions. Na$iona Disas$er Response ,*nd (NDR,)
D Act 2335 #rovides for constitution of 8D-: for meeting any threatening disaster management situation or disaster. Accordingly D Division issued notification for the constitution of 8D-:. ,he :inance inistry has also issued guidelines to the state for o#eration of 8D-:. ,he Fovernment of India raised this :und by levying the J8ational )alamity )ontingency DutyK on im#orted #etrol and #roducts crude oil motor cars im#orted multi utility vehicles two wheelers mobile #hones #an masala and certain s#ecific tobacco #roducts. Addi$iona ,inancia Assis$ance+ >ver and above the #rovisions of the SD-: funding is #rov ided from the 8D-: in the wa!e of calamities of severe nature. Disas$er Response Reserve
In the conte%t of disaster relief the 1th :inance )ommission has observed that #rocurement of relief materials on short notice is often associated with #remium in #ricing and could adversely im#act "uality. ,he )ommission also felt that a national inventory of e"ui#ment and material should be maintained for #roviding immediate relief. It is advisable to !ee# an inventory of items such as life&saving e"ui#ment and tents etc. with the 8D-:. ,he )ommission has accordingly recommended an initial grant of 253 crores in the form of a revolving fund to be
1@
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
#rovided to the 8D-: for this #ur#ose. henever these items are used for res#onding to a calamity the cost *or rent for those items that can be reused+ should be boo!ed to the overall cost of relief o#erations incurred by the state government and the inventory re#lenished on a regular basis. A #ro#osal to constitute this fund along with guidelines for its o#erations is under consideration of the government. apaci$! B*idin" Gran$
>n the recommendation of the 1th :inance )ommission 525 crore has been allocated to the states for ta!ing u# activities for building ca#acity in the administrative machinery. ,he guidelines #rovide for #re#aration of an action #lan for the entire #eriod of 2313&15 as well as action #lans f or each financial year. ,hese #lans would inter alia include items for training and ca#acity building of sta!eholders and functionaries in states #re#aration of disaster management #lans based on ha0ard ris! and vulnerability analysis and setting u# and strengthening of emergency o#erations centres in states. Environmen$a Reie ,*nd
In e%ercise of the #owers conferred by 7ublic /iability Insurance Act 11 the )entral Fovernment has established the (nvironment -elief :und Scheme in 233E.
In$erna$iona oopera$ion
:!o"o ,ramewor0 o Ac$ion 5667<56=7 T#ree S$ra$e"ic Goas+ •
•
•
,he more effective integration of disaster ris! reduction into sustainable develo#ment #olicies #lanning and #rogramming at all levels with a s#ecial em#hasis on disaster #revention mitigation #re#aredness and vulnerability reduction. ,he develo#ment and strengthening of institutions mechanisms and ca#acities at all levels in #articular at the community level that can systematically contribute to building resilience to ha0ards. ,he systematic incor#oration of ris! reduction a##roaches into the design and im#lementation of emergency #re#aredness res#onse and recovery #rogrammes in the reconstruction of the affected communities.
,ive -riori$! Ac$ion Areas9
1. 2. . @. 5.
(nsure that disaster ris! reduction is a national and a local #riority with a strong institutional basis for im#lementation Identify assess and monitor disaster ris!s and enhance early warning =se !nowledge innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels -educe the underlying ris! factors Strengthen disaster #re#aredness for effective res#onse at all levels.
1e! Ac$ivi$ies+ • • • • • • •
15
7romote socio&economic develo#ment #ractices /and&use #lanning and other technical measures Disaster anagement in India Strengthening of institutional and technical ca#acities -eview and im#lement #re#aredness and contingency #lans 7romote voluntarism and community #artici#ation )reation of #rovision of emergency funds Dialogue coordination and e%change of information between disaster managers and develo#ment sectors.
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
SAAR Disas$er Mana"emen$ en$re (SDM)
SAA-) Disaster anagement )entre *SD)+ was set u# in >ctober 2334 at the #remises of 8ational Institute of Disaster anagement in 8ew Delhi. ,he )entre has the mandate to serve all eight ember )ountries of South Asia Association of -egional )oo#eration *SAA-)+ & by #roviding #olicy advice and facilitating ca#acity building services including strategic learning research training system develo#ment and e%change of information for effective disaster ris! reduction *D--+ and management in South Asia. ,he )entre has develo#ed its networ! with various organisations and institutions in the South Asian countries for research documentation training and ca#acity building. and to #romote better coo#eration and understanding amongst the countries for holistic management of disasters.
T#e 'a! ,orward
Recen$ Ini$ia$ives+ ,he 11th five year #lan document of Fovernment of India gave im#etus to mainstreaming disaster ris! reduction as one of the #riority #rogrammes in the develo#ment #lanning #rocess and disaster management. J
• •
•
• • •
•
7olicy guidelines at the macro level that would inform and guide the #re#aration and im#lementation of disaster management and develo#ment #lans across sectors #erational guidelines of integrating disaster management #ractices into develo#ment and s#ecific develo#mental schemes for #revention and mitigation of disasters 'aving robust early warning systems cou#led with effective res#onse #lans at district state and national levels. s )S>s and the media at all stages of D Addressing gender issues in disaster management #lanning and develo#ing a strategy for inclusive a##roach addressing the disadvantaged sections of the society towards disaster ris! reduction and Addressing climate ris! management through ada#tation and mitigation.
S*""es$ed S$eps
,o achieve results in these !ey identified areas the following suggested ste#s should be integral to all stages of D9 • •
•
•
develo#ing a culture of #revention by introducing disaster management in school curricula #rofessional courses and enhancing the ca#acity of disaster managers by strengthening training facilities for disaster management creating mass awareness by disseminating !nowledge about the ha0ards and ris!s and #romoting co#ing ca#acities of the communities through community bas ed disaster ris! management for better #re#aredness fostering social and gender e"uality in disaster ris! reduction by #lanning and focusing on the needs of the disadvantaged sections of the society.
,he summarised list of actions that needs to be ta!en is as follows9 Deveopin" a en$raised Da$a&ase
In collaboration with the )entral Statistical >rgani0ation *)S>+ an integrated )entralised Disaster database re"uires to be develo#ed. Data collection on standardised format should be the res#onsibility of the concerned state government. Such database would facilitate researchers and decision ma!ers to underta!e range of analyses to better understand the lin!ages between disaster management and other sectors that would hel# in ta!ing u# informed ris! reduction activities as well as to understand the im#act of disasters on economy.
14
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
Ear! 'arnin" S!s$ems and omm*nica$ion and onnec$ivi$! *p$o $#e /as$ Mie
(arly warning systems vary for the different ty#es of disasters. Due to recent un#recedented devastation unleashed by tsunami often early warning gets lin!ed with tsunami only mas!ing the im#ortance of early warning against other forms of disasters. 'a0ard& s#ecific efficient early warning systemsG is the need of the hour and it has to be #ut in #lace #ermanently so that useful information flows throughout the year and is easily understood by the local community. ,here is sco#e for im#rovement in flood cyclone and storm surge warnings. Such #ro$ects need further encouragement and newer #ro$ects should be accorded high #riority. (ven with the best of early warning systems the im#act may still be catastro#hic if early warning signals are not #ro#erly inter#reted and communities are not educated and trained to res#ond to the early warning signals in real time. ,herefore the technology to early warning on the one hand and community res#onse to early warning to the other are urgently re"uired. ,his needs to be cou#led with the 8ational (mergency )ommunication 7lan to ensure real time dissemination of early warnings and information to the at ris!G community and the local authorities. Emer"enc! Opera$ions en$res (EOs)
(>)s in the country could #lay a critical role in coordinating emergency activities as well as in #roviding information to various sta!eholders. (ffective functioning of these (>)s during emergencies continues to be a ma$or challenge. JState of the artK (>)s at state and district levels with access to satellite based imageries need to be #lanned and established. Mi$i"a$ion -ans and Mains$reamin" Disas$er Mana"emen$ in$o $#e Deveopmen$ -annin" -rocess
,hree committees constituted by Fovernment of India are wor!ing towards #re#aring the 8ational -es#onse 7lan 8ational 'uman -esource and )a#acity Develo#ment 7lan and 8ational itigation 7lan in res#ective ministries that have been designated as nodal agencies for various disasters. ,he draft 8ational -es#onse 7lan and 8ational 'uman -esource and )a#acity Develo#ment 7lan are ready. )ertain rectifications and modifications are underway before it is #resented to the 8ational (%ecutive )ommittee for its finalisation. It is e%#ected that 8ational -es#onse 7lan will be #ut in #lace once it is ado#ted by Fovernment of India. It will #ave the way for institutionalising the res#onse #lan in three tiers as envisaged in the Disaster anagement Act. Similarly the )a#acity Develo#ment 7lan once it is a##roved and ado#ted will #rovide the roadma# for underta!ing the ca#acity building of #ersons engaged in different facets of disaster management and enhancing the ca#acities both at the individual and organi0ational levels. S$ren"$#enin" $#e -reparedness -#ase
Urban Planning and Zoning <,here is a need to enhance the efforts for integrating disaster ris! reduction elements in settlement #lanning and land use 0oning to mitigate flood and earth"ua!e ris!s. 7lanned urban settlements and housing is the need of the day for disaster ris! management that leads to sustainable develo#ment #articularly in ecologically sensitive regions high ris! locations and high #o#ulation density #oc!ets. Building Codes and Enforcement:
1B
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
level. (ncouraging such good #ractices in other flood #rone #arts of the country would go a long way to reduce the ris! in such area.
Promoting development of new financial tools 9 ,here is need to wor! for the develo#ment of new financial tools such as catastro#hic ris! financing ris! insurance catastro#hic bonds microfinance etc. -is! transfer and ris! insurance mechanisms would be needed for infrastructure cro#s and other assets. a!ing ris! insurance mandatory at least in highly ha0ard #rone states in the country needs to be encouraged. Insurance distributes disaster ris! among the broader society and ma!es great sense when ris! has been reduced to some acce#table level. *See the
1E
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
"oads and #nfrastructure: Standards are generally set to #rotect roads railways #ower and communication infrastructure from being damaged or destroyed by a 13 or 23 or 53 year flood level. Any new infrastructure #ro$ect should conduct a disaster im#act analysis and ensure that construction does not im#ede water flow and cause dee#er or #rolonged floods. Designing the roads to the higher standards re"uires factoring of not only the vulnerability of the roads to floods but also their contribution to ha0ard. $ogging activities: ,hese activities in the hilly areas destabilise slo#es cause landslides and increase mudflow and silting in the nearby rivers. ,he revenue generated by logging is far lesser than the losses incurred due to the serious #roblems of landslides silting and ecological disturbance caused. ,here should be a #lan for afforestation in the logging area before or $ust after the logging. Design and construction of critical infrastructure and lifeline facilities %&ospitals' sc&ools etc(): It has been observed in the #ast disasters that schools and hos#itals are badly affected. ,herefore construction of all new schools and hos#ital needs to be brought under the regime of disaster resistant technology. edical 7re#aredness for recovery of affected #erson in any !ind of disaster is of #aramount im#ortance. ,here e%its huge ga# between demand and su##ly of medical care #articularly in the area of trauma care. ,his needs to be strengthened and ca#acity augmented at every level from #rimary to referral level. ,he ca#acity of doctors and 7aramedical staff also needs to be strengthened and to be geared to meet the challenges of #ost&disaster recovery. apaci$! B*idin" -an •
•
•
•
•
In addition to develo#ment of 8ational 'uman -esource 7lan a training calendar of Disaster anagement institutes and agencies at the international national and sub&national levels needs to be com#iled and #ublicised so that the sta!eholders could avail of the o##ortunities to build ca#acities. )oncerted efforts are re"uired to wor! closely with =8 agencies bilateral agencies and 8F>s for D--.
Na$iona4 S$a$e and Dis$ric$ /eve Response -ans
,he recent Na#anese earth"ua!e and tsunami followed by fire and the nuclear energy crisis is a #ointer to the fact that des#ite best #re#aredness and mitigation and ca#acity building #lans being in #lace res#onse and crisis management #lans continue to be relevant. ,o #ut things in #lace an effective res#onse #lans at the 8ational States Districts and the Sub&districts level should therefore be encouraged to strengthen review and u#date the e%isting ca#acity for res#onse and crisis management. orpora$e Socia Responsi&ii$!
,he current trends of climate change are e%#ected to increase the fre"uency and intensity of e%isting ha0ards an increased #robability of e%treme events s#ur the emergence of new ha0ards and vulnerabilities with differential 1 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
s#atial and socio&economic im#acts. ,his is li!ely to further degrade the resilience and co#ing ca#acities of #oor and vulnerable communities who ma!e u# from a "uarter to half of the #o#ulation of most Indian cities Vulnerability has ty#ically contributed more to overall ris! in India than ha0ard e%#osure. ,he efforts for integrating climate change and D-- measures needs to be further strengthened and institutionalised and community be sensitised to ta!e u# such ada#tive measures which reduces their vulnerability. onc*sion
,he above mentioned initiatives are only an indicative list of actions re"uiring attention. (very sta!eholder involved needs to contribute his bit in order to ensure that the increasing ha0ards and ris!s and the vulnerabilities get addressed in a #lanned and systematic manner thereby increasing the co#ing ca#acities of the communities at large and ma!ing them resilient to the im#acts of disasters. ,he Fovernment is committed to structure and convert these re"uirements into actionable format to #lace them on a roadma# and source the funding for their im#lementation.
Reerences+
1. 8)(-, India 7hysical 2. IF8>= 9 7A&31E Disaster anagement . 2nd A-) -(7>-, *)risis anagement + @. Disaster anagement in India & inistry of 'ome Affairs 9 htt#9;;www.ndmindia.nic.in; 5. htt#9;;www.und#.org;content;dam;india;docs;disasterOmanagementOinOindia.#df
op!ri"#$ % &! Vision IAS All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Vision IAS
23
www.visionias.in
©Vision IAS
