3 phases During Disaster Management – Mitigation / Adaptation
Rescue
Relief
Provision of eseential , apppropriate and timely humaitarian assisatcne to those affected
Appropriate –
culturally acceptable – Non Veg food , Torn clothes
Also highlight this is Ethics and connection to the Loved Ones
Also means providing the material which is more imp – eg medicine, blanket
Non Politicisation – Photos of leaders
Food, Shelter
Suggestion –
Cash ( Economic Distortion, help culturally not appropriate, and spurs the local economy, also suggested by Amrartya Sen )
In relief Camps – 2nd ARC
2nd ARC says trauma care should be set up at relief camps
Safe drinking water and sanitisation should also be the top priority
Monitoring and vigilance committees be set up to tackle grievancfes
Women representaties
Response
Specific actions by govt and people together
Disctrict adm may take help of Army
Generally begins with search and rescue but focus quickly shifts towards basic humanitarian needs of the affected
This assistance may be provided by national or international agencies
Post Disaster Phases
Recovery
Implementation of actions to promote sustainable redevelopment following a disaster
Long term measures like rebuilding of houses, assets and infra and focusses on returngin the infra system to minimum operating standards
Rehabilitation
Implies activities that are undertaken to support the victims retuern to normalcy and re- integration in regular community function
Temporary housing, public utilities and economic rehabilitation through livelihood recovery and finding alternatie employment options to those who can’t go back
Also includes Psycho- Social Rehabilitation for the traumatisesd
Reconstruction
Attempts to return communitites to Improved Pre- Disaster functioning
Includes replacement of buildings, Infra and lifeline favcilities so that long term development prospects are enhanced rather than deproducing the same conditions which made the are or population vulnerable in the first place
Or replacement of buildings, infra in a way that Reduces the vulnerability to a future disaster
Eg Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (DRI)
# Smart city # AMRUT
New York – catastrophe bonds to counter against storm surge
Highlight how governance and civic planning failure have intensified crisis
History
1990s Separate wing in
1999 – Super Cyclone
Disaster Management Act, 2005
NDMA under PM,
Instititutional Mechanism for drawing up and monitoring
Approving Disater Management Plan
Coordinating with states – SDMA – State plan
Support to other countries
SDMA under CM
Review
SDMA very crucial
CAG – Uttarakhand had a dysfunctional one – heavy losses in Kedarnath
DDMA
Under DM – Write this in Ethics, etc
District Plan
Ensures that EACH office in the district makes up plans
Implementation of the plans
PROCURMENT of essential resources
Creation of Community Links
Connects with the Army
NEC (National Executive Body )
headed by home secretary
Looks up at implementations
Too powerful – can direct states – Federal
Plus conflicting role with National Crisis Management Committee ( NCMC) under CaBinet Secretary
CAG – Did bot meet even once between 2008 and 2012
Hence, 2nd ARC has called for removal of the body
Counter – NEC under Act of Parliament
Other issues – Bureaucracy rules the roost
Similarly SEC
Also NIDM – national Institute of Disaster Management for
capacity building
Reseach
NDRF set up
Formed out of Paramililtary
Only Specialist force in world – Highly trained, quick response
Role – 3 Rs, Plus capacity development, etc
CAG – Praised their role
But still, army needed as a last resort
Issues
Funds
Dual governance
Perks, salaries poor
Treated as subordinate forces
DO not have an Air wing of their own
Most states not formed SDRF
Suggestions by 2nd ARC
SoP for deployment
Fill up Vacant positions
DG shhould be given the power to transfer
States be incentives to set up SDRF
14th FC
CSR funds for NDRF
Also called for creation of SDR Fund with 90% contribution from the center
Provision for National Disaster Mitigation Fund
The Central Government can issue directions to any authority (union or state) to assist in disaster management.
Any officer or authority shall have to make available such manpower as requested by NEC, SEC or DDMA.
Actions taken under this law will be immune from court challenges.
Repository of Best practises, Science and tech facilities, Capacity development
Early Warning systems
Funds and logistical support
Disaster be graded to clearly identify the appropriate authority/ level of administration
Fire and Civil Defence under NDMA ( currently states )
NDMA be given powers so that state complies
Role of Local Self-Governments
Local bodies are closest to the people but too small in their reach and capabilities to lead the response operations on their own.
State govt – should enact legislations to provide a more streamlined role under the overall leadership of the District Adinstration
Committee in Large cities
2nd ARC – committee under Mayor, Municipal Commissioner and Commissioner of Police
Because Municipalities have the capacity to provide such relief
Funds Disbursal
CAG – NDMA not disbursing funds to Uttarakhand SDMA – Floods of 2013
Flexibility to District Administration
2nd ARC recommends giving flexibility to concerned officers to requisition resources and services quickly including from private
At the same time, provision against misuse must be made more stringent
Power to order states
NEC too powerful
NDMA though be given the power to enforce its orders
Role of Collector and Administration
2nd ARC
Handling of disasters should be made a criterion for promotion of officers
Unity of command as seen at the district level with DM should continue at all levels – Collector should be given total command
Planning
Dynamic plans at District Level in consultation with all stakeholders
Stress Testing of plans through periodic drills
Plans must integrate plans of PRIs and ULBs and should actively consider demands of vilnerable – women, elderly, disabled
SOP should be provided at district and community level
Third party audits
Evaluation of every plan after disaster
All records pertaining to licenses, permission must be brought in the public domain
At same time, It must be remembered that plans are no substitute for sound judgement at the time of crisis.
Other issues related to SDRF , etc
National disaster Management Policy, 2009
4 themes – Write this in any general answer on Disaster
Community based DM
Capacity development in all spheres
Conslolidation of past best practises
Cooperation of agencies at nation and iternational level
CAG report on Uttarakhand
SDMA ws virtually non functional
No State Disaster Management Plan
National guidelines of NDMA were not adopted
Helicopter landing zones not demarcated
NEC meeting infrequent
Money under Disastar Fund diverted for other purposes
Recommendation of Expert committee on glaciers ignored
State fund did not funds for SDMA for th eyear 2011 -12 because SDMA did not provide details
Floods:
Only eight states had prepared Emergency Action Plans for 192 large
dams against the targeted 4728 large dams in 29 states as of
September 2011.
Role of Precise Information by augmenting the capability of IMD
The reports of IMD have always been very imprecise like “heave to very heavy rainfall in some areas in Uttarakhand”. No one has any idea of what heavy to very heavy means.
The prediction accuracy and forewarning capabilities of IMD need to be increased. Apart from quantifying the amount of rainfall, spatial distribution information should also be given.
World over such systems are in place and even in our country such systems are in place for cyclones
Civil Society and local community – DM
Conventional Role
Mobilisation of Manpower
Damage asessment at local level
Mobilisation of funds for relief
Mobilisation and Channelisation of funds for rehabilitation
Challenge
Mostly in During Rehabilitaiton .
Limited role in prevention and adaptation
No regulatory role of NGOs to define a code of conduct and establish meaningful mechanism
1993 Latur earthquake – Many NGOs – Cross Purposes- so much so that govt intervention became difficult – as multidude of opposing information
Can work
Traingin staff
Information dissemation
Project monitoring
Community KITCHEN
Post Disaster -Recovery, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction
Overall
Involve more NGOs
ALSO include CIVIL DEFENCE forces
Corporate Sector
Affected – economic losses, Manpower, Hindrances
And they themselves create disatsters – Industrial Disasters
Issues out of Survey
More than 90% of Indian SMEs not suffficiently prepared for disasters
6% firms – Operation does not return back within 24 hours – Recovery
Schemes for financing expenditure on disaster management are governed by the recommendations of the Finance Commission.
Under the existing scheme, each state has a Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) administered by the Chief Secretary. The size of the corpus is determined with reference to the expenditure normally incurred by the state on relief and rehabilitation over the past ten years.
In case the funds under CRF are not sufficient, State Governments can seek assistance from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) – the approval for which is granted by the High Level Committee of Ministers.
Delay to Uttarakhand SDRM – floods – CAG
Both these funds, as the names suggest, are meant for relief and rehabilitation and do not cover either mitigation or reconstruction works, which have to be funded separately. Similarl is PMNRF. Hence, SC has recently asked for the creation of National Disater Mitigation Fund to mitigate the danger
CAG Report on Uttarakhand’s Preparedness
It pointed out that the SDMA had remained virtually non-functional.
The state had also failed to incorporate disaster prevention into the development planning.
No thought was given to the fragile ecosystem of the state in the developmental planning process.
Buildings were permitted on floodplains of the rivers.
Such unsafe construction is linked to the religious tourism. Why can’t we adopt policies of Bhutan where tourism is regulated to bring it in harmony with the environment?
Construction of hydel dams require rivers to be diverted through tunnels to generate power. The construction of these tunnels unsettles the mountainous terrain and contributes to a greater quantity of rocks and sediment crashing down.
Also quesstions role of Dams and Mining activities
The disaster management plan was in place but its implementation was absolutely poor.
The communication system was also inadequate, with the delay in sharing of disaster information.
Absence of any guidelines meant the preparedness was almost nil. The disaster struck on June 16 and rescue and relief operations could begin only on June 24 when the Army was called in.
Until then the government had no clue. It had no idea about the magnitude of what had struck the state.
Role of Precise Information by augmenting the capability of IMD
The reports of IMD have always been very imprecise like “heave to very heavy rainfall in some areas in Uttarakhand”. No one has any idea of what heavy to very heavy means.
The prediction accuracy and forewarning capabilities of IMD need to be increased. Apart from quantifying the amount of rainfall, spatial distribution information should also be given.
World over such systems are in place and even in our country such systems are in place for cyclones.
Role of Info
Prexise info – CAG -IMD
Seismic Survey – 2nd ARC – erathwuake
Tsunami – EWS – Also for earthquke- Japan
International Info – Nepal, China
Role of Local People and Private – Skymet
Traditional Knowledge for Disaster Management
If tribals in the Andamans could survive the tsunami, it was because their existing warning systems worked well in comparison to our non-existent modern systems.
The fact that traditional houses of wood and stone survived the Uttarkashi earthquake not so long ago while modern buildings collapsed offered a similar lesson.
In the flood-prone rural North-East, one can find houses on bamboo stilts that allow flood waters to flow under them rather than through or over!
National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP). This is the first ever national plan prepared in the country.
Key facts:
The plan aims to make India disaster resilient and reduces loss of lives.
Comprehensive
The plan is based on the four priority themes of the “Sendai Framework, –
The plan covers all phases of disaster management: Prevention, Mitigation, Response and Recovery.
Planninf for Sr and LR- 5, 10, 15 years .
Govt machinery
Divides role of every level of govt Horizontally and Vertocally
Vertically right up to Panchayat and Urban local body level in a matrix format.
Horizontally Every ministry different role – Eg Ministry of Earth Sciences – Cyclone
In a way, does satisfy, 2nd ARC – Disaster being grade and role specified
Role of govt
Positive – Role against Cyclone Phailin, Hudhud
Negative – Firework in Kollam, Kerala where DM’s order were not executed
The plan has a regional approach, which will be beneficial not only for disaster management but also for development planning.
Framework – SoP
Framework for Disaster Management
Checklist for Agencies
2nd ARC – says more – Audit, Transfer, Stress Test
Media / Information
ethical guidelines for the media
media to respect the dignity and privacy of affected people.
Also, in a move aimed to stop rumours and spread of panic, the plan directed the authorities to schedule regular media briefing (depending on the severity of the disaster) and designate a nodal officer for interacting with the media on behalf of the government.
Integrate Armed Forces in Disater Management
JalRahat Exercise in Assam
Includes role of local communities
Focusses on RECONSTRUCTION – to build back better
Regulars like Training, Capacity building and International best Practices Consolidation
Issues / Way Forward
No fixed goals/ Time frame as in Sendai or SDG
Does nit talks about funds
Role of corporates not institutionalised
Role of traditional Tech missing
Silent Disaster INSURANCE
Does not talk about the special vulnerabilities of women, old, etc
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