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COASTAL COMMUNITY RESILIENCE: A FIELD SURVEY ANALYSIS OF
SANDESHKHALI-II BLOCK, WEST BENGAL;
SARADA AND NOLIASAHI VILLAGES, ODISHA, INDIA
Dr. Sushma Guleria
Research Associate
National Institute of Disaster Management,
IIPA Campus, IP Estate, ITO, New Delhi-110002, India
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ABSTRACT
India has a coastline of 7517 km. with 20% occupying the coastal
areas. Scientific study of the coastal hazards of the Indian coast
has assumed greater significance after the 2004 tsunami. Recurrent
floods and cyclonic events are reminder that coastal communities
are vulnerable to unforeseen events. This corroborates the need for
developing resilience as an effective approach to reducing impacts
and enhancing capacities to ensure sustainable recovery. The
present study was carried out in 2 states of India namely West
Bengal and Odisha. Eight elements of resilience were assessed which
are: Governance, Coastal Resource Management, Land Use and
Structural Design, Society and Economy, Risk Knowledge, Warning and
Evacuation, Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery. Findings
reveal that while there still lacks measures for better coastal
resource management, land use and disaster recovery, the aspects of
governance and knowledge of risk seem good, it is heartening to
note that people are adequately sensitized for preparedness and
efficient evacuation. The assessment can be used to pre-empt
decision makers and seek policy interventions to develop better
public outreach programmes and empower communities on strategies to
improve and maintain their resilience to natural hazards.
Key Words: Disaster Recovery, Risk Knowledge, Resilient
Elements, Vulnerability Assessment.
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INTRODUCTION
Coastal areas are geographic locations in proximity to the
worlds oceans (Clark, 1996). They are arrangements of complex,
diverse and fragile ecosystems, and unique in nature. According to
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, the average
population density in the coastal zone was 77 people/km2 in 1990
and 87 people/km2 in 2000, and a projected 99 people/km2 in 2010
(Unep, 2007). Collectively, this is placing both growing demands on
coastal resources as well as increasing peoples exposure to coastal
hazards. Furthermore, global climate change and the threat of
accelerated sea-level rise exacerbate the already existing high
risks of storm surges, severe waves, and tsunamis. India has a long
coastline of about 7517 km. with 20% occupying the coastal areas.
Scientific study of the natural hazards and coastal processes of
the Indian coast has assumed greater significance after the
December 2004 tsunami because the country learned lessons on the
impact of natural hazards in terms of high damage potential for
life, property, and the environment especially along the coast
side. Indian coastal communities are increasingly at risk from many
such coastal hazards as coastal habitats such as reefs, mangroves,
wetlands etc are being destroyed by a wide range of human uses,
including shoreline development, land reclamation, mining, and
aquaculture. Over fishing and the use of destructive fishing
practices are causing the decline of fishery resources and changes
in marine ecosystems structure and function. The degradation of the
coastal environment from chronic human-induced actions has
threatened food security, livelihoods, and the overall economic
development and well being of coastal communities (ADPC, 2007).
Most of the coastal population in states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha live in relatively densely
populated areas where basic services are limited and they lack
adequate capacity to plan and respond to coastal hazards which is
an addendum to their already vulnerable status and increases their
risk to hazards. Resilience provides the capacity to absorb shocks
while maintaining function. People's capacities are also
highlighted by what are known as "coping strategies". Regional
flood or cyclone event affecting the coasts are painful reminders
that, coastal communities are vulnerable to unforeseen events and
not resilient to normally recurring hazards. This fact has raised
the question of developing community resilience as an effective
approach to reducing the long-term impact of coastal hazards and to
enhance capacities of coastal communities aiming for sustainable
recovery in the aftermath of a disaster as well as reducing peoples
vulnerability to these hazards. Coastal Community Resilience (CCR)
is the capacity of a community to adapt to and influence the course
of environmental, social, and economic change. CCR assessment
studies can be useful to characterize the resilience status and
trends at the community level and can identify strengths, weakness,
and gaps in resilience capacity, raise awareness and broadly assess
community capacity and vulnerability to coastal hazards and develop
adaptive preparedness and mitigation measures. In all, eight
elements of resilience have been identified which are considered
essential to reduce risk from coastal hazards, accelerate recovery
from disaster events, and adapt to changing conditions by the
affected community. These are: Governance, Coastal Resource
Management, Land Use and Structural Design, Society and Economy,
Risk Knowledge, Warning and Evacuation, Emergency Response and
Disaster Recovery (ADPC, 2007). METHODOLOGY
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The present study is a field based survey carried out in 2
states namely, West Bengal and Odisha and as per the Vulnerability
Atlas of 2006 prepared by Building Materials and Technology
Promotion Council (BMTPC), both West Bengal and Odisha are
multi-hazard prone coastal states f India. The field visit was
carried out in West Bengal during 17-19th December 2014 and in
Odisha from 22-24th April 2015. One Coastal Block was identified
each in both the states to assess their levels of resilience on the
eight indicators mentioned above. Vulnerabilities and Capacities
were assessed through semi-structured interviews which included
group interviews (size: 5-8 persons), focus group discussions (on
special issues such as health care, livelihood, gender needs,
hazard knowledge and adequate preparedness etc) and key informants
which included discussion with persons who provided certain
valuable information like those who had faced previous disasters or
had experienced the recent cyclone phailine (2013) and hud-hud
(2014), recurrent floods etc and how they regularly cope with such
crisis. STUDY AREA WEST-BENGAL: The State is in the Eastern region
of India. It is situated between N 2130' & 27 30' and E 85 30'
& 8945'. Its northern part is in the Himalayan Range, whereas
the extreme southern part touches the Bay of Bengal and is covered
by the Active Delta of the Sundarbans Mangrove forest. The total
area of the State is 88,752 sq km having a dense population of more
than 80 million people of which about 72% live in the rural areas.
The State of West Bengal is vulnerable to natural hazards like
flood, cyclone, hail storm, thunder squall, drought, landslide,
erosion and sometimes to earthquakes.In fact there are multiple
high risk Multi Hazard zones. The study site chosen was
Sandeshkhali-II Block and Grampanchayat (Figure 1). The village
visited was Darijangal (Colonypara) from 24 North Paraganas
district of West Bengal which is about 65 km from the capital city
of Kolkata. Darijangal covers an area of 127.9 sq km and has a
population of 160128, with an approx number of 38000 houses. There
are a total number of 5 islands and the major rivers which flow are
Kalagachia, Bidyadhari and Raimangal and are in close proximity to
the Sunderbans.
Figure 1: Location of Sandeshkhali Block-II
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*Source: the map has been prepared by Open Source Map (OSM)
using Qantam GIS
Software
ODISHA: it is located in the north-eastern coast of India, a
maritime state with immense potential in natural resources. It is
located between 1749' N & 22 34' N latitude and 81 27 E' &
8729' E longitude. It covers an area of 156,000 km2 and has a total
population of 36.7 million (2001 census). It is gifted with Asias
largest brackish water lagoon, the Chilika; a 672 km2 extensive
mangrove forest and wetland, the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary;
and the worlds largest known nesting beaches of olive Ridley sea
turtles, the Gahirmatha and the Rushikulya. It is pitiable that
Odisha is also vulnerable to multiple disasters such as tropical
cyclones, storm surges, recurrent floods and tsunamis. Extreme sea
levels are major causes of concern for coastal flooding in this
region. The study site chosen here were 2 villages namely Sarada
and a coastal fishing village located at Konark beach namely
Noliasahi; both forming part of Gop Block under Puri District
(Figure 2). VILLAGE SARADA: It is a roadside village situated in
the Gop Block. It is 5kms from the river Kushabhadra and 10kms away
from the sea beach i.e, Bay of Bengal at Konark. The forest area is
situated 4 km ahead along the road side towards Konark beach. The
village is surrounded by cultivable land. The Gram Panchayat is
about 2 km from the village at Banakhandi. It comprises of 300
houses with male-female ratio being 50:50 and approximately 1800
population, all come under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.
VILLAGE NOLIASAHI: The village is situated on the sea coast at a
distance of 2 kms from the Konark beach. The villagers mostly
belong to the migrated population from Andhra Pradesh and Telengana
(neighbouring State). Almost the entire village belongs to
fisherman community. It is commonly known as Chandrabhaga-
Noliasali and comes under Konark and Gop Block. Comprises of about
1350 families within 1-2 sq.km radius with a population of
approximately 10000 having male-female ratio of 4.5 : 5.5.
Figure 2: Locations of village Sarada and Nolisahi
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*Source: the map has been prepared by Open Source Map (OSM)
using Qantam GIS
Software
OBSERVATIONS
In this study, eight resilience elements were examined with
respect to vulnerability and capacity assessment in order to
identify the extent of resilience in the study villages which are
as follows:
A) Governance: this refers to availability of some critical
facilities in the villages. In Darijanagal, the houses are mostly
kaccha- made of mud and surrounded by ponds and few concrete houses
can be seen although, gradually the houses are being covered under
the various government housing schemes. Concrete and earthen river
embankment is constructed as a mitigation measure for protection
against recurrent floods. There was a newly laid concrete road
constructed which has enhanced the accessibility of the villagers
with other parts of the area though, personally owned vehicles are
almost nil and villagers depend on government and private owned
buses and auto facilities for transportation. The villagers have
limited utility facilities such as LPG etc, Mobile connections are
very few and hence, lack good network coverage. The entire block
has primary, schools and shishu kendras which serve mid may meals
to the children. There is a higher secondary school (co-ed) which
has a capacity for 2000 students. There are 2 Primary Health
centres (PHC) at Korakati and Jeliakhali and 1 Sub-health centre
(SHC). Provision of round the clock doctors is unavailable and lack
basic health care services. Adequate drinking water facility is
available through use of tube wells and taps. 8 Cyclone Shelters
have been constructed under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Project of the coastal blocks which are multi-purpose shelters
handed over to Multi-purpose Cyclone Shelter Management and
Maintenance Committee (MPCSMMC) by the department of disaster
management, West Bengal. The name of the cyclone shelters denote
that during normal time, these will be utilised for various
community uses like community hall, social function hall, training
centre, angan wadi centre etc apart from compulsory use as a
school. There is absolute lack of toilets and sanitation provision
in the villages and they dump the complete domestic wastes in
nearby ponds/ open land which again adds to their community health
risk. In Sarada, the houses are mostly kaccha-made of mud and few
new concrete construction are coming up which the villagers feel
will help them save from severe winds and future flooding. There is
1 school available up-to class VIII, 1 Womenscollege (konark) and 2
Anagwadi kendras. Although, 5 community ponds are available but the
water is salty, so, for potable drinking water facility, 5 tube
wells are the only sources as the water table is good with ground
water level from 140-180ft. For availing government health
facilities, there is a
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Community Health Care (CHC) at Gop which is about 5 to 6 KMs
from this village. There are 3 to 4 MBBS doctors with
specialization in paediatric and gynaecology, 4 to 5 staff nurses
and 2 paramedic staffs are available. 1 PHC- 7 km distance at
konark. There is a cement concrete road from National Highway to
the village with 6 bridges available for better connectivity and it
connects to multipurpose cyclone shelter which has a capacity to
accommodate 700 persons. Utility facilities such as gas cylinders,
electricity, TV and mobiles are good. Approximately 10% latrines
are only available, bathroom facilities are totally absent. The
village has a youth club named Hanuman Youth club. The youth
members are helpful at the time of disasters for the purpose of
generating awareness as well as in relief and rescue operations.
Another Bhagawat tungi (community centre) is also there in the
middle of the village which is used for the purpose of safety of
the property and lives of villagers to some extent. It is also
otherwise used for the purpose of solving village level conflicts,
prayer/ meditation etc. Noliasahi is situated on the sea coast at a
distance of less than 2 kms from the Konark beach. The villagers
mostly belong to the migrated population from Andhra Pradesh and
Telengana (neighbouring State) and live in huts made of bamboo and
palm leaves. Almost the entire village consist of fisherman
community. It is commonly known as Chandrabhaga- Noliasali and
comes under Konark and Gop Block. Comprises of about 1350 families
within 1-2 sq.km radius with a population of approximately 10000
having male-female ratio of 4.5 : 5.5. There is 1 school and 1
education centre which imparts vocational courses to the community.
Potable drinking water supply is available through 12 tube wells.
There is only one main concrete road which connects this village to
the mainland, and, if this road gets blocked because of the any
eventuality, the village will get disconnected from the rest of the
district. Since, the village is in close proximity to the sea
beach, it faces a continuous risk from tidal surge, sea erosion,
salinity, cyclones and severe winds, epidemics and tsunami etc yet,
there is only 1 multi-purpose cyclone shelter which has a capacity
to accommodate 500-700 people during emergencies. The cyclone
shelter is used as a temporary school during the lean seasons. B)
Coastal Resource Management: In Dorijangal, few villagers have
farmlands (about 5%) and strive on cultivation as their main source
of income, and when the agriculture used to get affected by
cyclones or floods, most villagers used to migrate to nearby towns
and major cities for livelihood. But, now these villagers are
turning their brackish ponds for fisheries purpose (90%) especially
for prawn cultivation which generates good revenue. Cyclone Aila
(2009) was a wake-up call for the villagers and they realised the
importance of mangroves and have taken mangrove plantations (Figure
3) around the river embankments shoreline.
Figure 3: Mangrove Planatation in Darijangal
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In Noliasahi, sea is the only source of survival and income
generation as most inhabitants in this village belong to the
fishing community. They do posses adequate fishing skills, weave
their own nets ( Figure 4) and have their own boats. Dry fish
business is a big market for this village. Whereas, in Sarada,
there is one common pond for the purpose of fresh water
aquaculture. The village community is solely dependent on the
government resources for other purposes. Also, there is no
watershed scheme nor the villages have any forest owned land as an
income generating source through cultivation of fruits and
vegetables such as mango, guava, teak, coconut, banana plantation,
mangrove belt etc. villagers use the limited land for agricultural
purpose (mostly they grow paddy but if the fields get affected by
flooding, winds then, pulses especially green and black gram are
grown along with few green leafy vegetables as alternate crops) and
during the lean period few run their petty business close to their
settlements which are at high risks towards the vagaries of nature.
Hence, many of them migrate to take up small businesses as their
daily livelihood and many turn drivers in bigger cities. Villagers
have never attempted dairy or poultry farming. The village has a
rice boiling centre available and about 1% of the population works
as daily wage workers. Few ongoing projects in the area are 1 dairy
processing unit by milk-mood, 1 small scale industry on bag making.
There is no van-sanrakhshan samiti available although, they have a
forest development agency which is functional.
In all the three villages, there are many active groups
functioning comprising of youth, NGOs, religious institutions,
volunteer organizations, etc. whose potential and services can be
tapped by both the State Government and Local Authorities to
implement plans and projects related to adoption of conservation
practices. Knowledge of indigenous groups can be tapped for
preserving forestry and their inputs can be valuable for
development of watershed, forestry, fishery and other livelihood
management programs. C) Land Use and Structural Design: Effective
land use and structural design must complement environmental,
economic and community goals to reduce risks from hazards. In
Dorijangal, it was observed that the land
Figure 4: Fishermen weaving nets in Noliasahi
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has multi-purpose usage. Besides growing paddy as the main crop,
few vegetables and pulses are also grown in these fields and most
of the ponds in an around the village area are converted into
fishery ponds for fish and export quality prawn cultivation (
Figure 5). Most of the houses are thatched with straw, asbestos and
tarpaulin and are unplanned and very near to the water bodies and
river embankments. The villagers feel the need to install more
domestic industries and pisci-culture so that the locals can earn
better. Sarada is situated in low lying area and is quiet prone to
flooding. The plain area is used mostly for agricultural purposes
for harvesting khareef and rabi crops. Most of the houses are at a
very low height thatched houses (> 500 are concreter
constructions and < 850 are still mud houses) As compare to
this, Noliasahi is situated in close proximity to the sea and
hence, making it vulnerable to the furies of the sea. Villagers do
not own landed property for cultivation and so, are solely
dependent upon fishing for livelihood. Most houses have thatched
roofs made of palm or asbestos and very few concrete constructions
can be seen. Apart from fishing, a few number of local small
grocery shops can be seen in the village. Sanitary conditions are
extremely poor in both the villages with no drainage and waste
disposal facilities putting the families at health risks. Further,
the coast line does not have any protective walls, break waters,
which could act as necessary cushion during emergency
situations.
D) Society and Economy: It was found in the study that majority
of the communities in Dorijangal, West Bengal and Noliashai, Odisha
are completely dependent on fishing for their sustenance and lack
skills and capabilities to shift occupation when fishing could not
be practiced making them completely dependent on external
assistance during emergencies. Every year, the onset of monsoon
results in small to medium intensity cyclones which is a regular
phenomenon leading to not only the deterioration of the sea
resources, but also affects the livelihood security of the
fishermen which adds to their already low financial status. In
Dorijangal, Most men-folk from the villages migrate to neighbouring
bigger towns and cities in search of better livelihood and job
opportunities. Maximum population in the village consists of the
schedule castes and tribes who do not have exposure to either
formal education or others alternative skills for income generation
other than fish farming. The younger generation is although;
inclined and curious for formal education but due to financial
instability they subsequently
Figure 5: Fish and Prawn cultivation in Darijangal
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discontinue their schools/colleges since they fall under the low
income group.Fishery and paddy cultivation principal source of
income. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA-2005) which aims at enhancing the livelihood security of
people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of
wage-employment in a financial year to rural households is their
steady source of income. During cyclone Aila, villagers lost their
livestocks and were not compensated well because of lack of
awareness as well as lack of knowledge about insurance. Whereas, in
Noliasahi, the literacy percentage is extremely low and mostly the
fishing community lays emphasis on earning their daily livelihoods.
Though, the younger generation feels the need to not only enhance
their fishing techniques, but, they also are eager to learn other
related livelihood options such as fish processing and drying,
pickle making and better marketing of their catch. Only 1-2% of the
population is engaged in owning small businesses or doing
government of private jobs. Women participation in decision making
is not encouraged much. Since, these are mostly migrants from
neighboring states and are although, in a dilapidated state, the
governments keenness to run schemes and projects for their
upliftment is abysmal. As compared to both the other villages, in
Sarada, the literacy percentage is about 30-50%, out of which,
10-20% of women are literate but they are all housewives and
dependent on the male members of their family. Only 2 % of literate
male members have government jobs. The village has about four
persons with disability, few orphan, pregnant ladies and aged
population. To encourage learning, the government provides free
mid-day meals, uniforms, study material/books etc. Income
generation is very low and mostly the community spends whatever is
earned and no concept of savings practiced. Plans are on to raise
the socio-economic status of this community through praudha sikhya
(adult education) for the older groups and non-formal education to
the younger age groups below 6 years through Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS) projects. Pregnant women and lactating
mothers are generally provided nourishment under various ICDS run
projects. Some women led Self-Help Groups (SHG) are also functional
in this village which are formed by opening of zero balance
accounts in nearby banks. Under the supervision of the Agriculture
officer, who provides the villagers with not only farming tools
such as tractors, paddy cutters for farming but also impart skill
in application of better farming practises especially related to
seeds and use of manure to enhance crop production. E) Risk
Knowledge: This deals with community awareness about hazards and
vulnerable areas, at-risk populations and risk information to be
utilized by practitioners. Darijangal is mostly affected by
recurrent cyclones and flood seasons and the villagers have
iinadequate knowledge of risks associated with these hazards. There
was absolute lack of awareness amongst the villagers earlier on
these aspects, but posts Aila cyclone experience, there was a shift
in their thinking for better preparedness and have installed
various mitigation measures for safety during cyclones and floods.
Villagers have started re-bilding their houses, and tube wells with
raised basements and platforms (Figure 6& 7). All their
valuables and belongings, assets are being kept in water-proof
covers for safety from getting destroyed. New earthen ring dams are
being constructed at erosion prone zones and the already existing
dams have been raised. It has been planned to provide various types
of search and rescue equipments to members of the cyclone shelter
committee and members of the Disaster Management Teams (DMT) of
the
Figure 6: Raised basement of a new house in Darijangal
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villages will be imparted hands on training on search and
rescue, first aid record keeping and shelter management skills.
Since Sarada village is located in a low lying area close to the
Kushabhadra river, and Noliasahi is on the sea beach, heavy monsoon
and high winds become a regular issue with the villagers. The
villagers have seen detrimental impacts of the annual floods and
cyclonic storms in the past affecting not only the lives, but,
crops, domestic animals and harm to other flora and fauna. And,
since they frequently encounter such furies of nature, they have a
fairly good knowledge about these calamities. Village committees
have been formed which takes the lead role during any crisis
management situation and meet five/six times in a year during
different occasions to take quick decisions on various safety
measures. Sensitization is done through use of local folk forms and
community is made aware about risk of the natural hazards by
trained volunteers. The government also runs few training
programmes on basic life saving techniques and search and rescue,
skill enhancement etc. People living in close proximity to the
riversides and embankments are kept under the directions of local
leaders and government machinery towards which they are pretty
receptive. During any crisis, old people, pregnant women and
children are moved to safety. Livestock protection is given equal
priority and taken under utmost care. Villagers are sensitized
towards co-operating with NGOs, volunteers, youth club members and
local leaders to become part of their post disaster management
initiatives. In Sarada, some people have started constructing
concrete houses (Figure 8) with the help of govt. resources like,
Indira Awaas Yojna (IAY) and Biju kutir Yojana.
Figure 7: Raised platform of tube-well as a protective measure
in Darijangal
Figure 8: Concrete construction in Sarada
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Overall, the survey otherwise revealed that in all the three
villages there was lack of awareness regarding proper use of
government schemes to avail subsidized loan which becomes a
challenge as these villagers are not aware about compensation
facility extended towards loss of life, livestock or assets during
natural calamities provided by disaster management departments. All
the three villages have strong Panchayat and local committee
systems, but are not involved much in imparting training or
capacity building initiatives for the villagers reiterating the
importance of being well trained except in Sarada. For this,
government can sponsor programmes related to formal and non-formal
education which can be addressed through public information,
education and multi-disciplinary professional training by targeting
and coordinating such initiatives with local NGOs, Panchayat
members, other CBOs who can play a major role in facilitating such
work. F) Warning and Evacuation: Community must be capable of
receiving notifications about impending hazards, warning at-risk
populations and individuals acting on the alert through setting up
of warning towers and centres, evacuation zones, routes and
shelters. Having technology in place is important, but the
dissemination of the same to those who need it the most for raising
alarm and efficient evacuation to safe locations is a challenge. In
Dorijangal, evacuation is locally managed with the help of local
administration, NGOsand through use of mike. Pre-Aila phase, there
was not much done in terms of having in a place a systematic
warning system but, people received warnings for evacuation during
the Cyclone hud-hud in 2014 and they are well aware about the newly
constructed multi-purpose cyclone shelters (Figure 9) and other
flood shelters although, they do not intend to leave their
belongings and houses due to emotional attachments. In both Sarada
and Nolisahi, the general practice of disseminating warnings about
impending hazards is done via use of TV, radio, mobiles, loud
speakers, print and electronic media by local administration, ward
members and volunteers. The message is communicated through village
mukhiya (head). Many times administration have to resort to forced
evacuations under police and supervision of government officers by
establishing rapport and faith with the community and moved to
cyclone shelters (Figure 10& 11). Help is also extended by
social, asha and aganwadi workers, local religious leaders, NGOs,
public representatives, Panchayat members and few government
officials. Immediate evacuation to safe locations especially to
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multi-purpose cyclone shelters is carried out. Villagers have
been sensitized on preparing emergency kits and many villagers have
such kits readily available with them. Road and forest routes are
used to carry food supply and other amenities which become
vulnerable during floods and cyclones.
G) Emergency Response:
Figure 9: Multi-purpose Cyclone Shelter at Darijangal
Figure 10: Multi-purpose Cyclone Shelter at Sarada
Figure 11: Multi-purpose Cyclone Shelter at Noliasahi
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These measures include establishing mechanisms and networks to
respond quickly to hazards and address emergency needs at community
level effectively. Common to all the three villages was the fact
that villagers had a strong faith in their religious institutions
and these religious centers played a crucial role in post disaster
relief and psycho-social support. While in Darijangal, it was the
responsibility on the local government and the private sector to
work closely and generate awareness amongst the localities about
hazards and disasters. Post any disaster, the rescue and relief is
generally taken care by the Panchayat Raj Bodies and local NGOs and
CBOs in supplying basic amenities such as drinking water, medicine,
dry food & relief articles etc. As was seen during the hud-hud
cyclone in 2014, most villagers were well aware about the locations
of flood and newly constructed multi-purpose cyclone shelters, it
comes across clearly that the community is in a state of readiness
for prompt response to face disasters. In both Noliasahi and
Sarada, the Multi-purpose Cyclone shelters are located close to the
villages for easy access during emergency. The response and other
preventive and protective measures in both the villages is
initiated first by local volunteers, teachers, Asha and Anganwadi
members and Gram Panchayat members immediately before the striking
of any hazard to shift those affected to safe shelters. To and fro
flow of the information to higher administrative level is made
through these members for better assistance and management. There
is provision of free kitchen in the cyclone shelters and are
provided with dried rice, banana, sugar, candles, essential
medicines, match box, biscuits, water pouches, bleaching powder and
also for lactating mothers with milk pouches, milk powder etc along
with adequate clothing and polythene sheets bamboos, ropes for
raising extra shelters and making the community get a feel of
honour-ship. For an effective response, it was observed that in
Sarada especially, elderly persons along with youth and few
volunteers also prepare and update their contingency plans during
community meetings. H) Disaster Recovery: Once the basic relief
support gets exhausted, the process of long term recovery (both
reconstruction and rehabilitation) starts. The study villages are
not self reliant yet, and so, during adverse situations are
exclusively dependent on external aid. Although, most villagers
were illiterate, they knew that livelihood trainings can help them
learn new trades, develop business skills and help them
re-establish after any disaster. Every house in Darijanagal got a
grant of approx Rs. 25000 per household for
retrofitting/reconstruction along with damage compensation post the
Cyclone Aila in 2009. Further, the administration (village and
block level) took up the initiatives for restoring the basic
infrastructure gradually and also constructed road through the
MGNREG scheme. Also, as has been mentioned earlier keeping in mind
the strategy of build back better all new dwelling in this village
has been built with higher basements as protective measure. No
specific disaster risk management plan or response plan is
available with the community and they depend upon the government
functionaries for the same. Both Sarada and Noliasahi need a
dispensary nearby and have also been advised to raise their common
community fund to be utilized during such emergencies. The District
Disaster Management Task Force does the damage and loss assessments
post any eventuality under the supervision of the administrative
officer of the village. The District Disaster Management Plan
(DDMP) is available with the district headquarters but its
implementation is questionable. The DDMP is made for re-development
and re-establishment of the community after taking inputs form
local community leaders. Government had provided 25 kg of rice to
each affected family in the past, monetary support
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for damaged property and for renovation of their houses.
Villagers who had domestic animals were provided with fodder for
their animals. Essential of delivery kits are provided to the
pregnant women with clothes etc. Waving in bank loans and seeds are
also provided to the marginal farmers who are mostly affected and
feel hopeless. Government is now making community granary for
children and pregnant women. Survival/family kits are prepared by
many locals which contain biscuits, nuts, chhatua, basic medicines,
basic first-aid, safe drinking water and some valuable records of
landed property, bank documents and policy bonds. Disaster recovery
calls for a holistic approach, and is incomplete if the
psycho-social need of those affected is not catered too. It came
out in discussion that most of the times, those who need such care
and assistance are mostly referred to either psychologists ( and
not counsellors) or general medicine practitioners who put these
persons on medication which has seen to cause them harm than bring
comfort. It once again corroborates the need to address the issue
of psycho-social counselling to be made an integral part of all
disaster management initiatives. SUGGESTIONS
Hazard mapping must be conducted for vulnerable areas and
government must identify more safe locations for building
multi-purpose cyclone and flood shelters in such areas
Ensure active participation by the communities in trainings on
life saving and basic first-aid, encourage regular mock drills in
the villages.
Strong need to run awareness campaigns regarding various welfare
and developmental schemes/projects run by government/ private
sector for the benefit of these villagers.
Need felt by community for more logistic support during
emergencies like motor boats, life jackets, emergency lights
etc.
District administration can use these study findings in their
Disaster Management Plans and emphasize on integrating disaster
management aspects into developmental planning.
Involve community led Self Help Groups, local clubs, NGOs
towards restoration of mangrove forests and encourage conservation
practices for other coastal resources.
Noliasahi has a great fishing potential which must be tapped and
encouraged and the locals have been demanding the setting of a fish
processing plant.
There is certainly a dearth of doctors and paramedic services in
all the three villages, for this, the medical department should
ensure lucrative measures for ensuring placements of doctors and
staff in rural areas. The sub-health centers must be upgraded to
Primary health centers. Besides, NGOs and youth can be encouraged
to be attached to these medical practitioners and trained in life
saving skills and medical-aid.
Generate funds for infrastructure development such as roads,
communication and transport network, modify ambulance facilities
and have provision of water ambulance etc.
Due to unemployment, many families migrate in search of other
livelihood sources, hence, small scale industries must be
encouraged. Also, alternate livelihood measures
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such as mushroom cultivation, vermi- compost, leaf plate making,
coir manufacturing, oil and pulses processing unit, candle and
agarbatti making units etc can be taught through continuous tailor
made training along with tapping and promoting tourism
potential.
Engineering solutions must be integrated in the mitigation
strategies of the developmental plans for changing the housing
pattern, improving the drainage and waste management systems,
promote construction of tube-well on raised platforms, revamping of
the warning systems in the risk zones.
Women participation must be ensured and encouraged in all
decision making and developmental planning.
CONCLUSION Linkages between community development and coastal
disaster management processes are needed to build resilience. These
linkages need to be explicit and driven by community members
themselves. But, again, sustaining interest and support to address
risks from natural hazards is a significant challenge. For this,
CCR assessment results can be used to develop local actions,
enhance local, state level and national plans. Further, effective
practices should be documented, evaluated, and shared with other
communities. The CCR assessment results can be used to develop a
public outreach program to help educate different audiences on what
they can do to improve and maintain their resilience to natural
hazards. ACKNOWLEDGMENT: The Author would like to extend
appreciation towards Mr. Vikrant Singh for his support in
developing the Maps for the study. REFERENCES 1. Asian Disaster
Preparedness Center (ADPC). 2000. Community Based Disaster
Management, Trainers Guide (chapter 13). 2. Coastal vulnerability
for Orissa State, East Coast of India by T. Srinivasa Kumar, R.S.
Mahendra, Shailesh Nayak, K. Radhakrishnan and K. C. Sahu: Journal
of coastal research, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA 3. How Resilient
is your Coastal Community? A guide for evaluating coastal community
resilience to tsunamis and other hazards; U.S. Indian Ocean Tsunami
Warning System Programme, Printed in Bangkok, Thailand; 2007, pp
10-164. 4. John R. Clark, Coastal Zone Management Handbook: Lewis
Publishers, 1996; pp 1-35. 5. Vulnerability Atlas of India. 2006.
Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council, Ministry of
Housing & Poverty Alleviation, Govt. of India, New Delhi.