Disaster Management in India

Disaster Management in India :

Disaster Management in India Edward Borden, Jr. International Emergency Management Dr. Janet Dilling 22 March 2011

Introduction:

Introduction For as far back as can be remembered, India has been threatened by a plethora of natural disasters, and more recently technological. Having an efficient and effective emergency management system in place is crucial to the development, safety, and wellbeing of every country. With a total population of just under 1.2 billion people, having an effective disaster management system in place is vital to avoiding significant losses in life and property in the event that a disaster should occur. India’s lack of information and communication channels has been a serious problem in India’s development. Vulnerabilities: 54% Indian land is vulnerable to earthquakes 28% is vulnerable to droughts 12% is vulnerable to floods 8 % is vulnerable to cyclones This is not including man-made hazards.

Historical Importance of Disaster Management :

Historical Importance of Disaster Management India’s geography and its apparent risk for natural disasters make it evident of the importance of an establishment of a complete disaster management program. Two major events made it apparent that a multi-dimensional disaster management program was needed. The Orissa super cyclone in 1999 and the Bhuji Gujarat earthquake in 2001 were two catalysts for the implementation of a large scale disaster management reform with a focus on risk reduction as well as developmental plans and mitigation efforts. Over that past decade, India has been able to build a new disaster management policy that puts an importance on disaster mitigation as a way of further developing the country. Another factor of the Indian disaster management program, which will be later discussed, is that the approach is “multi-disciplinary” approach spanning many different sectors. In the past, India’s disaster management has been a top-down approach, yet that is shifting to a bottom-up approach.

Disaster Management Framework :

Disaster Management Framework

Disaster Management Framework :

Disaster Management Framework Ministry of Home Affairs: responsible for all disaster management. Central Relief Commissioner (CRC) in the Ministry of Home affairs: responsible for all coordination of relief efforts for natural disasters. From this point, there are a handful of ministries, organizations and departments that have a direct or indirect role in disaster management, ranging from the Ministry of the Railways to the Department of Food. Each of these groups nominates an officer for the Crisis Management Group who is led by the Central Relief Commissioner. Each member and their respective group is responsible for disaster relief within their given roles The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC): heads all the other secretaries of all the ministries and departments. This committee gives oversight to the Crisis Management Group. The Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for making sure that all pertinent information is brought to the NCMC.

Disaster Management Framework:

Disaster Management Framework The Crisis Management Group is comprised of all the senior officers and is responsible for review of crisis contingency plans every year. Also, during an event of a natural disaster, this group will meet frequently to review recovery efforts and offer assistance in particular sudations. Emergency Operation Room located in the Ministry of Home Affairs: This room serves as a centralized communication hub for the natural disaster relief, particularly providing up to date information at the state of the crisis and steps that have been implemented. National Contingency Action Plan (CAP): explains all the contingencies in dealing with a natural disaster in India. The CAP was put into effect as a means of decreasing response time for recovery efforts in the wake of a natural disaster. It also identifies the roles that each ministry or department must play. The Sate Relief Manuals provide codes for disaster management at a state level to facilitate relief efforts.

Mitigation and Prevention:

Mitigation and Prevention There has been an immense shift in disaster management in that there has been a focus on mitigation and preventative measures as means of not only ensuring proper crisis management response, but also as a means of increasing development in developing countries, including India. According to Yokohama Strategy, four main elements of the implementation of a sustainable development is prevention, mitigation, preparedness and relief. Nations must incorporate these mitigation and preventative into their crisis management strategies. The idea is that disaster response programs on their own are not sufficient to increase development in that they only give “temporary results at a very high cost.” In contrast, mitigation and preventative measure increase the overall success of development within a country.

Examples of Mitigation Efforts:

Examples of Mitigation Efforts Construction Seismic Construction Platform Buildings Dams and barrages Warning Systems Monitoring Systems Cyclone Shelters

Preventative and Recovery Efforts:

Preventative and Recovery Efforts Response time in this and many disaster situations is very much dependent on preparedness efforts prior to the natural disaster. Search and rescue teams were not properly trained and were not able to provide sufficient recovery efforts, such as specialized search and rescue dogs. Another area the lack of preparation effected recovery efforts was the lack of mobile hospitals. In response to this event, the Indian government equipped of one hundred search and rescue teams, which included individuals from a wide range of professions, including doctors, paramedics and engineer POLNET: extended to all levels of management and cut back on miscommunication and double messages

Conclusion:

Conclusion Overall, disaster management in India has made great strides in dealing with problems that may occur in a natural disaster. With the occurrence of natural disasters in India being so frequent, it is clear that clear and precise contingency plans are needed in India. The Indian government has seemingly been able to take major steps in providing efficient disaster management. One paradigm shift that has occurred within the Indian natural disaster management is the focus on mitigation and prevention efforts that help development outside of emergency management, while still making disaster relief efficient. This shift seems to speak to the idea that in both disaster management and development long-term results are far more valuable than short-term gains.