TABLE OF CONTENTSS.NOCHAPTER NONAME OF THE CHAPTER
1CHAPTER -IINTRODUCTION: Executive Summary Overview Objectives
of the project and study Research and Methodology Limitations
2CHAPTER IITHEORITICAL FRAMEWORK Introduction Disaster
Mitigation Awareness about Disasters
3CHAPTER IIITHE DISASTER MANAEGEMENT Importance of Disaster
Management Role of Municipalities in Disaster Management Place
Declared as Diaster Area dentifying Disaster Hazards Prevent
Disasters Prevention of Fire Disasters
4CHAPTER - IVSCHEME OF NATURAL DISASTERS
5CHAPTER VDISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE
6CHAPTER VIAPPROACHES Integrated approach The latest perspective
Workshop and Councelling Quality Statistics Conclusion Measures to
solve the problems
7CHAPTER -VIIBIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAPTER1-INTRODUCTION1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARRYThe Yokohama message
emanating from the international decade for natural disaster
reduction in May 1994 underlined the need for an emphatic shift in
the strategy for disaster mitigation. It was inter-alia stressed
that disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and relief are
four elements which contribute to and gain, from the implementation
of the sustainable development policies. These elements along with
environmental protection and sustainable development, are closely
inter related. Therefore, nations should incorporate them in their
development plans and ensure efficient follow up measures at the
community, sub-regional, regional, national and international
levels. The Yokohama Strategy also emphasized that disaster
prevention, mitigation and preparedness are better than disaster
response in achieving the goals and objectives of vulnerability
reduction. Disaster response alone is not sufficient as it yields
only temporary results at a very high cost. Prevention and
mitigation contribute to lasting improvement in safety and are
essential to integrated disaster management. The Government of
India have adopted mitigation and prevention as essential
components of their development strategy. The Tenth Five Year Plan
document has a detailed chapter on Disaster Management. The plan
emphasizes the fact that development cannot be sustainable without
mitigation being built into developmental process. Each State is
supposed to prepare a plan scheme for disaster mitigation in
accordance with the approach outlined in the plan. In brief,
mitigation is being institutionalized into developmental planning.
The Finance Commission makes recommendations with regard to
devolution of funds between the Central Government and State
Governments as also outlays for relief and rehabilitation. The
earlier Finance Commissions were mandated to look at relief and
rehabilitation. The Terms of Reference of the Twelfth Finance
Commission have been changed and the Finance Commission has been
mandated to look at the requirements for mitigation and prevention
apart from its existing mandate of looking at relief and
rehabilitation. A Memorandum has been submitted to the Twelfth
Finance Commission after consultation with States. The Memorandum
proposes a Mitigation Fund.
1.2 OVERVIEW
The repertoire of Indigenous Knowledge that communities in the
four study areas Kenya, Tanzania, Swaziland and South Africa draw
on to deal with natural disasters is very large. This knowledge
serves communities well within the traditional power structures.
The successful application of this knowledge is based on good
prognosis, close observation and a thorough understanding of the
local environment.These elaborate power structures ensure that
communities are properly guided on the actions to take to prevent
or mitigate disasters. Signs of coming disaster are obvious to
everyone and this leads to instinctive response and preparation for
coming events without necessarily being instructed as such by
elders.People revere elders in their role of divining climatic
conditions and natural disasters. The culture and belief system of
a community also influences its response to disaster. In most
communities disasters were believed to be of supernatural origin
and as such the communities affected resigned themselves to the
fact that they had no power to stop them once triggered but could
only mitigate their effects.1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT &
STUDYThe main objectives of the project are:1.) To understand the
concepts disaster mangement skills2.) To study about disater
management.3.) To explain what are disatermangement skills.4.) To
explain the importanve of disaster management skills.5.) To find
the strategy for development of disaster management
1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGYWithout proper methods one cannot make a
project. for this purpose research design is required.
Researchdesign is blue print for collection, measurement and
analysis of data. it is framework of project that stimulates what
information is to be collected from which sources and by what
procedure.there are four types of research metrology which are as
follow:1.) DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH.2.) EXPLORATORY RESEARCH.3.)
EXPLANATORY RESEARCH.4.) CONCLUSIVE RESEARCH.
Descriptive research Descriptive research is used to obtain
information concerning the current status of the phenomena to
describe what exists with respect to variables or conditions in a
situation. The methods involved range from the survey which
describes the status, the correlation study which investigates the
relationship between variables, to developmental studies which seek
to determine changes over time.Descriptive research is also called
Statistical Research. The main goal of this type of research is to
describe the data and characteristics about what is being studied.
The idea behind this type of research is to study frequencies,
averages, and other statistical calculations. Although this
research is highly accurate, it does not gather the causes behind a
situation. Descriptive research is mainly done when a researcher
wants to gain a better understanding of a topic for example, a
frozen ready meals company learns that there is a growing demand
for fresh ready meals but does not know much about the area of
fresh food and so has to carry out research in order to gain a
better understanding. It is quantitative and uses surveys and
panels and also the use of probability sampling.Descriptive
research is the exploration of the existing certain phenomena. The
details of the facts wont be known. The existing phenomena facts
are not known to the persons.
THE PRESENT RESEARCH IS OF DESCRIPTIVE IN NATURE.This project is
of descriptive in nature because it is used to obtain information
concerning the current status of the phenomena to describe what
exists with respect to variables or conditions in a situation. The
methods involved range from the survey which describes the status,
the correlation study which investigates the relationship between
variables, to developmental studies which seek to determine changes
over time. The main goal of this type of research is to describe
the data and characteristics about what is being studied. It is
mainly done when a researcher wants to gain a better understanding
of a topic.
DATA COLLECTIONDATA COLLECTION: It refers to collection of
information .for a research to suceedrawfacts must be collected in
a form which helps in effective production of result and meeting
the objective of study.Primary DataDataobserved or collected
directly from first-handexperience. Primary data is the data which
is collected by the researcher directly from his own observations
and experiences. For example, if the researcher conducts a survey
for the collected of data then it is known as primary data.
Primary Data SourcesPrimary sourceis a term used in a number of
disciplines to describe source material that is closest to the
person, information, period, or idea being studied. Primary data
collection is necessary when a researcher cannot find the data
needed in secondary sources. Market researchers are interested in
primary data about demographic/socioeconomic characteristics,
attitudes/opinions/interests, awareness/knowledge, intentions,
motivation, and behavior.Three basic means of obtaining primary
data are observation, surveys, and experiments. The choice will be
influenced by the nature of the problem and by the availability of
time and money.
Examples include surveys, interviews, observations, and
ethnographic research. A good researcher knows how to use both
primary and secondary sources in her writing and to integrate them
in a cohesive fashion.
Conducting primary research is a useful skill to acquire as it
cangreatly supplement research in secondary sources, such as
journals, magazines, or books. Primary research is an excellent
skill to learn as it can be useful in a variety of settings
including business, personal, and academics.
"Primary sources provide the 'raw data' that you use first to
test the working hypothesis and then asevidenceto support
yourclaim. In history, for example,primary sourcesinclude documents
from the period or person you are studying, objects, maps, even
clothing; in literature or philosophy, your main primary source is
usually the text you are studying, and your data are the words on
the page. In such fields you can rarely write a research paper
without using primary Secondary Data Published data and the data
collected in the past or otherpartiesis calledsecondary
dataSecondary data is data that has already been collected and
collated by somebody for some reason other than the current study.
It can be used to get a new perspective on the current study, to
supplement or compare the work or to use parts of it, as another
study may prove costly and time consuming e.g. the census.
"Secondary sourcesare research reports that use primary data to
solve research problems, written for scholarly and professional
audiences. Researchers read them to keep up with their field and
use what they read to frame problems of their own by disputing
other researchers' conclusions or questioning their methods. You
can use their data to support your argument, but only if you cannot
find those data in a primary source."Asecondary sourceis a report
on the findings of the primary source. While not as authoritative
as the primary source, the secondary source often provides a broad
background and readily improves one's learning curve. Most
textbooks are secondary sources; they report and summarize the
primary sources.""Secondary datais neither better nor worse than
primary data; it is simplydifferent. The source of the data is not
as important as its quality and its relevance for your particular
purpose. The major advantages of using secondary data are economic:
using secondary data is less costly and time-consuming than
collecting primary data. Its disadvantages relate not only to the
availability of sufficient secondary data but also to the quality
of the data that is available. Never use any data before you have
evaluated its appropriateness for the intended purpose."Secondary
data analysis saves time that would otherwise be spent collecting
data and, particularly in the case of quantitative data, provides
larger and higher-quality databases than would be unfeasible for
any individual researcher to collect on their own. In addition to
that, analysts of social and economic change consider secondary
data essential, since it is impossible to conduct a new survey that
can adequately capture past change and/or developments.The present
study is based on secondary data.1.5 LIMITATIONSThe following may
be the precived limitation of the proposed study: Secondry data is
used for this project because of due to time constraint it was not
possible to collect primary data using interviews or
questionnaires. Researches done only on disatermangement. Limited
time was provided to complete the study. Cost involved in
collecting the data was high
CHAPTER2THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK2.1 INTRODUCTION Disastermanagement
is a process or strategy that is implemented when any type of
catastrophic event takes place. Sometimes referred to as disaster
recoverymanagement, the process may be initiated when anything
threatens to disrupt normal operations or puts the lives of human
beings at risk. Governments on all levels as well as many
businesses create some sort of disaster plan that make it possible
to overcome the catastrophe and return to normal function as
quickly as possible.The Government of India have issued guidelines
that where there is a shelf of projects, projects addressing
mitigation will be given a priority. It has also been mandated that
each project in a hazard prone area will have disaster
prevention/mitigation as a term of reference and the project
document has to reflect as to how the project addresses that term
of reference. Measures for flood mitigation were taken from 1950
onwards. As against the total of 40 million hectares prone to
floods, area of about 15 million hectares have been protected by
construction of embankments. A number of dams and barrages have
been constructed. The State Governments have been assisted to take
up mitigation programmes like construction of raised platforms etc.
Floods continue to be a menace however mainly because of the huge
quantum of silt being carried by the rivers emanating from the
Himalayas . This silt has raised the bed level in many rivers to
above the level of the countryside. Embankments have also given
rise to problems of drainage with heavy rainfall leading to water
logging in areas outside the embankment. To evolve both short-term
and long-term strategy for flood management/erosion control,
Government of India have recently constituted a Central Task Force
under the Chairmenship of Chairman, Central Water Commission. The
Task Force will examine causes of the problem of recurring floods
and erosion in States and region prone to flood and erosion; and
suggest short-term and long-term measures. The Task Force will
submit its report by December 2004. Due to erratic behaviour of
monsoons, both low and medium rain fall regions, which constitute
about 68% of the total area, are vulnerable to periodical droughts.
Our experience has been that almost every third year is a drought
year. However, in some of the States, there may be successive
drought years enhancing the vulnerability of the population in
these areas. Local communities have devised indigenous safety
mechanisms and drought oriented farming methods in many parts of
the country. From the experience of managing the past droughts
particularly the severe drought of 1987, a number of programmes
have been launched by the Government to mitigate the impact of
drought in the long run. These programmes include Drought Prone
Area Programme (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP), National
Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA), Watershed
Development Programme for Shifting Cultivation (WDPSC), Integrated
Water Development Project (IWDP), Integrated Afforestation and
Eco-development Project Scheme (IAEPS). 2.2 Disaster
MitigationsFlood preparedness and responseIn order to respond
effectively to floods, Ministry of Home Affairs have initiated
National Disaster Risk Management Programme in all the flood-prone
States. Assistance is being provided to the States to draw up
disaster management plans at the State, District, Block/Taluka and
Village levels. Awareness generation campaigns to sensitize all the
stakeholders on the need for flood preparedness and mitigation
measures. Elected representatives and officials are being trained
in flood disaster management under the programme. Bihar Orissa,
West Bengal, Assam and Uttar Pradesh are among the 17 multi-hazard
prone States where this programme is being implemented with UNDP.
USAID and European Commission. Earthquake Risk MitigationA
comprehensive programme has been taken up for earthquake risk
mitigation. Although, the BIS has laid down the standards for
construction in the seismic zones, these were not being followed.
The building construction in urban and suburban areas is regulated
by the Town and Country Planning Acts and Building Regulations. In
many cases, the Building regulations do not incorporate the BIS
codes. Even where they do, the lack of knowledge regarding
seismically safe construction among the architects and engineers as
well as lack of awareness regarding their vulnerability among the
population led to most of the construction in the urban/sub-urban
areas being without reference to BIS standards. In the rural areas,
the bulk of the housing is non-engineered construction. The mode of
construction in the rural areas has also changed from mud and
thatch to brick and concrete construction thereby increasing the
vulnerability. The increasing population has led to settlements in
vulnerable areas close to the river bed areas which are prone to
liquefaction. The Government have moved to address these
issues.
National Core Group for Earthquake Risk MitigationA National
Core Group for Earthquake Risk Mitigation has been constituted
consisting of experts in earthquake engineering and administrators.
The Core Group has been assigned with the responsibility of drawing
up a strategy and plan of action for mitigating the impact of
earthquakes; providing advice and guidance to the States on various
aspects of earthquake mitigation; developing/organizing the
preparation of handbooks/pamphlets/type designs for earthquake
resistant construction; working out systems for assisting the
States in the seismically vulnerable zones to adopt/integrate
appropriate Bureau of Indian Standards codes in their building
byelaws; evolving systems for training of municipal engineers as
also practicing architects and engineers in the private sector in
the salient features of Bureau of Indian Standards codes and the
amended byelaws; evolving a system of certification of
architects/engineers for testing their knowledge of earthquake
resistant construction; evolving systems for training of masons and
carry out intensive awareness generation campaigns. Review of
building bye-laws and their adoptionMost casualties during
earthquakes are caused by the collapse of structures. Therefore
structural mitigation measures are the key to make a significant
impact towards earthquake safety in our country. In view of this
the States in earthquake prone zones have been requested to review,
and if necessary, amend their building bye-laws to incorporate the
BIS seismic codes for construction in the concerned zones. Many
States have initiated necessary action in this regard. An Expert
Committee appointed by the Core Group on Earthquake Risk Mitigation
has already submitted its report covering appropriate amendments to
the existing Town & Country Planning Acts, Land Use Zoning
Regulation, Development Control Regulations & Building Bylaws,
which could be used by the State Governments & the local bodies
there-under to upgrade the existing legal instruments. The Model
Building Bylaws also cover the aspect of ensuring technical
implementation of the safety aspects in all new constructions &
upgrading the strength of existing structurally vulnerable
constructions. To facilitate the review of existing building
byelaws and adoption of the proposed amendments by the State
Governments & UT administrations, discussion workshops at
regional level in the country are being organized. It is expected
that all planning authorities and local bodies will soon have
development control regulations and building byelaws which would
include multi-hazard safety provisions. Development and Revision of
CodesThere are Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) codes which are
relevant for multi-hazard resistant design and construction. These
codes have to be regularly updated. An action plan has been drawn
up for revision of existing codes, development of new codes and
documents/commentaries, and making these codes and documents
available all over the country including on-line access to these
codes. An Apex committee consisting of representatives of Ministry
of Consumer Affairs, BIS and MHA has been constituted to review the
mechanism and process of development of codes relevant to
earthquake risk mitigation and establish a protocol for revision by
BIS.Hazard Safety Cells in StatesThe States have been advised to
constitute Hazard Safety Cells (HSC)headed by the Chief Engineer
(Designs), State Public Works Department with necessary engineering
staff so as to establish mechanism for proper implementation of the
building codes in all future Govt. constructions, and to ensures
the safety of buildings and structures from various hazards. The
HSC will also be responsible for carrying out appropriate design
review of all Government buildings to be constructed in the State,
act as an advisory cell to the State Government on the different
aspects of building safety against hazards and act as a consultant
to the State Government for retrofitting of the lifeline buildings.
Rajasthan, West Bengal and Chhatisgarh have already constituted
these cells and other States are in the process. National Programme
for Capacity Building of Engineers andArchitects in Earthquake Risk
MitigationTwo National Programmes for CapacityBuildingin Earthquake
Risk Mitigation for Engineers and Architects respectively, have
been approved to assist the State Govts in building capacities for
earthquake mitigation. These two programmes are being implemented
for training of 10,000 engineers and 10,000 architects in the
States in seismically safe building designs and related
techno-legal requirements. Assistance is being provided to the
State/UTs to build the capacities of more than 125
StateEngineeringCollegesand 110 ArchitectureCollegesto be able to
provide advisory services to the State Govts to put in place
appropriate techno-legal regime, assessment of building and
infrastructures and their retrofitting. These institutions will
function as State Resource Institutions. Twenty-one National level
Engineering and Architecture Institutions have been designated as
National Resource Institutes to train the faculty members of
selected State Engineering and Architecture colleges. 450
engineering faculty members and 250 architecture faculty members of
these State Resource Institutions will be trained during the
current year. Training of rural masonsA programme to assist the
States/UTs in training and certification of 50000 masons has been
formulated in conultation with Housing and Urban Development
Corporation (HUDCO) and the Ministry of Rural Development. The
training module for masons to include multi-hazard resistant
construction has also been prepared by an expert committee, and
revised curriculum will be introduced in the vocational training
programme of Ministry of Human Resource Development.Earthquake
Engineering in Undergraduate Engineering/Architecture CurricularThe
role of engineers and architects is crucial in reducing earthquake
risks by ensuring that the construction adhere to the norms of
seismically safety. In view of this, the elements of earthquake
engineering is being integrated into the undergraduate engineering
and architecture courses. The model course curricula for adoption
by various technical institutions and universities have been
developed and circulated to the Universities and Technical
Institutions for adoption in the under graduate curricula. Ministry
of Home Affairs is working with All India Council of Technical
Education (AICTE) and Council of Architecture (COA) for
introduction of revised curricula for engineering and architecture
course from 2005-2006.Hospital Preparedness and Emergency Health
Management in Medical EducationHospital preparedness is crucial to
any disaster response system. Each hospital should have an
emergency preparedness plan to deal with mass casualty incidents
and the hospital administration/ doctor trained for this emergency.
The curriculum for medical doctors does not include Hospital
Preparedness for emergencies. Therefore capacity building through
in-service training of the current heath managers and medical
personnel in Hospital Preparedness for emergencies or mass
causality incident management is essential. At the same time, the
future health managers must acquire these skills systematically
through the inclusion of health emergency management in the
undergraduate and post graduate medical curricula. In consultation
with Medical Council of India(MCI), two committees have been
constituted for preparation of curriculum for introduction of
emergency health management in MBBS curriculum, and preparation of
in-service training of Hospital Managers and Professionals. Rajiv
Gandhi University of Health Sciences Karnataka have been identified
as the lead national resource institution for the purpose.
Retrofitting of Lifeline buildingsWhile these mitigation measures
will take care of the new constructions, the problem of unsafe
existing buildings stock would still remain. It will not be
possible to address the entire existing building stock, therefore
the life line buildings like hospitals, schools or buildings where
people congregate like cinema halls, multi-storied apartments are
being focussed on. The States have been advised to have these
buildings assessed and where necessary retrofitted. The Ministries
of Civil Aviation, Railways, Telecommunication, Power and Health
and Family Welfare have been advised to take up necessary action
for detailed evaluation and retrofitting of lifeline buildings
located in seismically vulnerable zones so as to ensure that they
comply with BIS norms, Action plan have been drawn up by these
Ministries for detailed vulnerability analysis and retrofitting/
strengthening of buildings and structures. The Ministry of Finance
have been requested to advise the financial institutions to give
loans for retrofitting on easy terms. Accordingly the Ministry of
Finance had advised Reserve Bank of Indiato issue suitable
instructions to all the Banks and Financial Institutions to see
that BIS codes/bye laws are scrupulously followed while
financing/refinancing construction activities in seismically
vulnerable zones. National Earthquake Risk Mitigation ProjectAn
Earthquake Mitigation Project has been drawn up, with an estimated
cost of Rs.1132 crore. The project has been given in-principle
clearance by the Planning Commission. The programmeincludes
detailed evaluation and retrofitting of lifeline buildings such as
hospitals, schools, water and power supply units, telecommunication
buildings, airports/airport control towers, railway stations, bus
stands and important administrative buildings in the States in
seismic zones IV and V. The programme also includes training of
masons in earthquake resistant constructions. Besides, assistance
will be provided under this project to the State Governments to put
in place appropriate techno legal regime. Startup activities for
implementation of this project have already been initiated.
Acceleration Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction
ProgrammeAn accelerated urbanearthquake vulnerability reduction
programmehas been taken up in 38 cities in seismic zones III, IV
& V with population of half a million and above. 474
Orientation programmes have been organized for senior officers and
representatives of the local planning and development bodies to
sensitize them on earthquake preparedness and mitigation measures.
The training programme for engineers and architects are being
organized to impart knowledge about seismically safe construction
and implementation of BIS norms. So far 1088 engineers and 825
architects have been trained. For enhanced school safety, education
programmes have been organized in schools, colleges and other
educational institutions. This programme will be further extended
to 166 earthquake prone districts in seismic zones IV & V.
Awareness generation programmes, community and neighbourhood
organizations have been started in these cities. These cities are
also being assisted to review and amend their building bye-laws to
incorporate multi hazard safety provisions. City Disaster
Management Plans are being developed under the project. Nine Cities
have prepared city Disaster Management Plans. Mainstreaming
Mitigation in Rural Development SchemesRural housing and community
assets for vulnerable sections of the population are created at a
fairly large scale by the Ministry of Rural Development under the
Indira AwasYojna(IAY) and SampooranGrameenRojgarYojna(SGRY). About
250 thousand small but compact housing units are constructed every
year, besides community assets such as community centres,
recreation centres, anganwadicentres etc. Technology support is
provided by about two hundred rural housing centres spread over the
entire country. The Ministry of Home Affairs is working with the
Ministry of Rural Development for changing the guidelines so that
the houses constructed under IAY or school buildings/community
buildings constructed under SGRY are earthquake/cyclone/flood
resistant; as also that the schemes addressing mitigation are given
priority under SGRY. Ministry of Rural Development are carrying out
an exercise for this purpose. This initiative is expected to go a
long way in popularization of seismically safe construction at
village/block level .National Cyclone Mitigation ProjectA project
for Cyclone Mitigation(estimated cost Rs. 1050 crore) has been
drawn up in consultation with the cyclone prone States. This
project envisages construction of cyclone shelters, coastal shelter
belt plantation in areas which are prone to storm surges,
strengthening of warning systems, training and education etc. This
project has also been given in-principle clearance by the Planning
Commission and is being taken up with World Bank
assistance.Landslide Hazard MitigationA National Core Group has
been constituted under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Border
Management and comprising of Secretary, Department of Science and
Technology, Secretary, Road Transport & Highways, and the Heads
of Geological Survey of India and National Remote Sensing Agency
for drawing up a strategy and plan of action for mitigating the
impact of landslides, provide advise and guidance to the State
Governments on various aspects of landslide mitigation, monitor the
activities relating to landslide mitigation including landslide
hazard zonation and to evolve early warning systems and protocols
for landslides/landslide risk reduction. The Government have
designated Geological Survey of India (GSI) as the nodal agency
responsible for coordinating/ undertaking geological studies,
landslides hazard zonation, monitoring landslides/avalanches,
studying the factors responsible and suggesting precautionary and
preventive measure. The States/UTs have been requested to share the
list of habitation close to landslide prone areas in order to
supplement GSIs on going assessment of such areas based on the
Survey of Indias Toposheet and their existing data base on
landslide for the purpose of landslide hazard zonation being
carried out by them. A national strategy for mitigating landslide
hazard in the country is being drawn up in consultation with all
the agencies concerned. Disaster Risk Management ProgrammeA
Disaster Risk Management Programme has been taken up in 169
districts in 17 multi-hazard prone States with the assistance from
UNDP, USAID and European Union. Under this project, the States are
being assisted to draw up State, district and Block level disaster
management plans; village disaster management plans are being
developed in conjunction with the Panchayati Raj Institutions and
disaster management teams consisting of village volunteers are
being trained in various preparedness and response functions such
as search and rescue, first aid, relief coordination, shelter
management etc. Equipment needs for district and State Emergency
Operation Centres have been identified by the State nodal agencies
and equipment is being provided to equip these EOCs. Orientation
training of masons, engineers and architects in disaster resistant
technologies have been initiated in these districts and
construction of model demonstration buildings will be started soon.
Under this programme Disaster Management Plans have been prepared
for 8643 villages, 1046 Gram Panchayat, 188 blocks and 82
districts. More than 29000 elected representatives of Panchayati
Raj Institutions have already been trained, besides imparting
training to members of voluntary organizations. About 18000
Government functionaries have been trained in disaster mitigation
and preparedness at different levels. 865 engineers and 425
architects have been trained under this programme in vulnerability
assessment and retrofitting of lifeline buildings. 600 master
trainers and 1200 teachers have already been trained in different
districts in disaster preparedness and mitigation. Disaster
Management Committees consisting of elected representatives, civil
society members, Civil Defence volunteers and Government
functionaries have been constituted at all levels including
village/urban local body/ward levels. Disaster Management Teams
have been constituted in villages and are being imparted training
in basic functions of first aid, rescue, evacuation and related
issues. The thrust of the programme is to build up capabilities of
the community since the community is invariably the first
responder. During the recent past, it has been experienced that the
capacity building of the community has been very helpful even in
normal situations when isolated instances of drowning, burns etc.
take place. With the creation of awareness generation on disaster
mitigation, the community will be able to function as a well-knit
unit in case of any emergency. Mock drills are carried out from
time to time under the close supervision of Disaster Management
Committees. The Disaster Management Committees and Disaster
Management Teams have been established by notifications issued by
the State Governments which will ensure that the entire system is
institutionalized and does not disintegrate after the conclusion of
the programme. The key points being stressed under this programme
are the need to ensure sustainability of the programme, development
of training modules; manuals and codes, focused attention to
awareness generation campaigns; institutionalization of disaster
management committees and disaster management teams, disaster
management plans and mock-drills and establishment of techno-legal
regimes.
2.3 Awareness about DisastersAwareness generationRecognizing
that awareness about vulnerabilities is a sine qua non for inducing
a mindset of disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, the
Government has initiated a nation-wide awareness generation
campaign as part of its overall disaster risk management strategy.
In order to devise an effective and holistic campaign, a steering
committee for mass media campaign has been constituted at the
national level with due representation of experts from diverse
streams of communication. The Committee has formulated a campaign
strategy aimed at changing peoples perception of natural hazards
and has consulted the agencies and experts associated with
advertising and media to instill a culture of safety against
natural hazards. Apart from the use of print and electronic media,
it is proposed to utilize places with high public visibility viz.
hospitals, schools, railway stations and bus terminals, airports
and post offices, commercial complexes and municipality offices
etc. to make people aware of their vulnerabilities and promote
creation of a safe living environment. A novel method being tried
is the use of government stationery viz. postal letters, bank
stationery, railway tickets, airline boarding cards and tickets
etc. for disseminating the message of disaster risk reduction.
Slogans and messages for this purpose have already been developed
and have been communicated to concerned Ministries/agencies for
printing and dissemination. The mass media campaign will help build
the knowledge, attitude and skills of the people in vulnerability
reduction and sustainable disaster risk management measures.
Disaster Awareness in School CurriculumDisaster management as a
subject in Social Sciences has been introduced in the school
curriculum for Class VIII &IX. The Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) which has introduced the curriculum runs a very
large number of schools throughout the country and the course
curriculum is invariably followed by the State Boards of Secondary
Education. Teachers are being trained to teach disaster management
Syllabus for Class X is being finalized and will be introduced in
the course curriculum soon. The State Governments have been advised
to take similar steps vis--vis their school boards. Several
Provincial Governments have already introduced the same curriculum
in Class VII. Ministry is working with the Council of Board of
School Education (COBSE) to facilitate inclusion of disaster
management in public education in all 39 School Boards in the
country. Information, Education and CommunicationIn order to assist
the State Governments in capacity building and awareness generation
activities and to learn from past experiences including sharing of
best practices, the Ministry of Home Affairs has compiled/prepared
a set of resource materials developed by various
organisations/institutions to be replicated and disseminated by
State Governments based on their vulnerabilities after translating
it into the local languages. The voluminous material which runs in
about 10000 pages has been divided into 4 broad sections in 7
volumes. These sections cover planning to cope with disasters;
education and training; construction toolkit; and information,
education and communication toolkit including multi-media resources
on disaster mitigation and preparedness. The Planning section
contains material for analyzing a communitys risk, development of
Preparedness. Mitigation and disaster management plans,
coordinating available resources and implementing measures for risk
reduction. The model bye-laws, DM Policy, Act and model health
sector plan have also been included. Education and Training
includes material for capacity building and upgradation of skills
of policy makers, administrators, trainers, engineers etc. in
planning for and mitigating against natural disasters. Basic and
detailed training modules in disaster preparedness have been
incorporated along with training methodologies for trainers, for
community preparedness and manuals for training at district, block,
panchayat and village levels. For creating a disaster-resistant
building environment, the Construction Toolkit addresses the issue
of seismic resistant construction and retrofitting of existing
buildings. BIS Codes, manuals and guidelines for RCC, Masonry and
other construction methodologies as also for repair and
retrofitting of masonry and low-rise buildings have been included.
IEC material seeks to generate awareness to induce mitigation and
preparedness measures for risk reduction. Material and strategies
used by various States and international organizations, including
tips on different hazards, have been incorporated along with
multi-media CDs on disasters. The material has been disseminated to
all the State Governments/UT Administrations with the request to
have the relevant material, based on the vulnerability of each
district, culled out, translated into local languages and
disseminate it widely down to the village level. Special Focus to
Northeastern StatesA special focus is being given to
North-EasternStatesand the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The
North-Eastern Council has been made the nodal agency for the NE
States. The NEC has been provided with a resource person/advisor in
disaster management. A detailed presentation on the vulnerabilities
of the NE region and the need for comprehensive disaster management
plan has been made in the Governing Body of NE Council. An action
plan has been drawn up by NEC and a declaration namely Shillong
Declaration has been adopted by States in the NE region for
integrating disaster management with development planning. 140
officials and non-officials have been trained in disaster
management to act as resource persons for the NE region. State and
district level sensitization and training programmes are being
carried out. The various prevention and mitigation measures
outlined above are aimed at building up the capabilities of the
communities, voluntary organisations and Government functionaries
at all levels. Particular stress is being laid on ensuring that
these measures are institutionalized considering the vast
population and the geographical area of the country. This is a
major task being undertaken by the Government to put in place
mitigation measures for vulnerability reduction. This is just a
beginning. The ultimate goal is to make prevention and mitigation a
part of normal day-to-day life. The above mentioned initiatives
will be put in place and information disseminated over a period of
five to eight years. We have a firm conviction that with these
measures in place, we could say with confidence that disasters like
Orissa cyclone and Bhuj earthquake will not be allowed to recur in
this country; at least not at the cost, which the country has paid
in these two disasters in terms of human lives, livestock, loss of
property and means of livelihood.
Chapter-3 The Disaster ManagementDEFINITION OF DISASTER Disaster
is a crisis situation that far exceeds the capabilities. -
Quarentelly, 1985. Disaster is defined as a crisis situation
causing wide spread damage which far exceeds our ability to
recover. Thus, by definition, there cannot be a perfect ideal
system that prevents damage, because then it would not be a
disaster. It has to suffocate our ability to recover. Only then it
can be called as disaster. Disasters are not totally discrete
events. Their possibility of occurrence, time, place and severity
of the strike can be reasonably and in some cases accurately
predicted by technological and scientific advances. It has been
established there is a definite pattern in their occurrences and
hence we can to some extent reduce the impact of damage though we
cannot reduce the extent of damage itself. This demands the study
of disaster management in methodical and orderly approach.Disaster
managementA disaster can be caused by humans or nature. Disasters
are events that are sometimes unpredictable. It is important for
any government to manage disasters. Government provides
legislation, allocates resources and does rational planning and
sustainable development. Disaster management and planning is a key
part of government work. This guide includes the following: 1. The
importance of disaster management plans2. The role of
municipalities in disaster management3. What does it mean when a
place is declared a disaster area?4. Identifying potential disaster
hazards in your area5. Preventing disasters in your households and
communities: What to do 6. How can we prevent fire disasters?3.1
The importance of putting disaster management plans in
placeDisasters are events that have a huge impact on humans and/or
the environment. Disasters require government intervention. They
are not always unpredictable. Floods take place in valleys and
flood plains, droughts in areas with unstable and low rainfall, and
oil spills happen in shipping lanes. This predictability provides
opportunities to plan for, prevent and to lessen the impact of
disasters.Disasters arise from both natural and human causes, and
the responses needed could stretch community and government
capacity to the limit. For example, during 2000 we saw a series of
disasters in South Africa: huge floods devastated the Limpopo
Province, Mpumalanga and neighbouring countries; massive fires and
an oil spill threatened Cape Town; and separate floods hit rural
communities in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. In 2004 Cape
Town experienced a drought disaster attributed to global warming.
From April 2004 to January 2005, the province experiences 376
disasters, mostly fire and flood. Disasters are inevitable although
we do not always know when and where they will happen. But their
worst effects can be partially or completely prevented by
preparation, early warning, and swift, decisive responses. Disaster
management aims to reduce the occurrence of disasters and to reduce
the impact of those that cannot be prevented. The government White
paper and Act on Disaster Management define the roles of Local
Authorities as well as Provincial and National government in
disaster management.3.2 The role of municipalities in disaster
managementEvery municipality must have a disaster management plan
as part of its Integrated Development Plans according to the
Municipal Systems Act. Structure and Mechanism: This plan must set
up the structure and mechanisms for dealing with disasters and it
must anticipate future disasters. Plans must be developed to deal
with disasters that occur regularly - for example flooding of
informal settlements and roads. Protection Services Department: In
each municipality, the Protection Services department is
responsible for Disaster Management. The department usually deals
with traffic policing, fire brigades, law enforcement, and
sometimes ambulances on an agency basis for provincial government,
The role of Disaster Management is to coordinate the response to
disasters and emergencies, ensuring that resources are applied
effectively, whatever it may be. Fire services, ambulance services,
emergency medical services, engineers and traffic services can all
become involved in Disaster Management.Capacity: When a disaster
exceeds the capacity of a local authority, the district, province
or national can become involved, coordinating and facilitating the
response and efforts of various local authorities. Other parties
such as the SANDF as well as volunteer organizations such as the
Red Cross, St John's and the National Sea Rescue Institute can also
be drawn in if needed.Disaster Management Activities: Disaster
Management Activities include the co-ordination of disaster
response agencies, the compilation and exercising of contingency
plans, and Disaster Management education and training.Funding:
Following the finalisation of the Act, the national government will
announce on a funding mechanism for provinces and municipalities to
finance their comprehensive disaster management plans.3.3 What does
it mean when a place is declared a disaster area?The disaster
management policy and legislation makes provision for government to
declare disaster areas, and allow for resources to be allocated for
immediate relief, as well as reconstruction. This includes things
like food, blankets and medical supplies as relief and building
materials for reconstruction. The local and provincial government
have to prepare the submission to the national Department of
Provincial and Local Government for this to be done speedily.The
Disaster Management Act focuses on speeding up response and cutting
red tape to ensure that disasters are dealt with efficiently and
effectively - by giving clear guidelines for the classification of
disasters and the declaration of states of disaster.3.4Identifying
potential disaster hazards in your areaThese can include all or
some of the following: Mass-event situations (concerts, sport,
other social gatherings - for example the 2001 Ellis park disaster
during the Pirates-Chiefs game) Storms and storm damage; Flooding;
Fires: Domestic, mountain and veld; Oils spills, at sea, on land;
Transport accidents; Hazardous material spills (spilling of
chemicals, etc from factories, trucks);3.5 Preventing disasters in
your households and communities: What to do"In South Africa, it is
not necessarily the 'classic', comparatively rare events - which
receive massive media coverage - that we should be focusing on, but
rather on building alert, informed, self-reliant and resilient
communities who have the capacity to withstand, cope and recover
from these relatively less spectacular events which affect them on
a regular basis"Pat Reid, former president of Disaster Management
of Southern Africa. (SAPA. 3 January 2004)Role of organisations and
community workersHere are some of the things development workers
can advise communities to prepare and deal with disasters: Know the
emergency numbers. Remember that all municipalities have emergency
centers - get these details! Report incidents - don't take it for
granted that someone else has already reported it; Do not build
houses in unsafe areas - for example close to a river-bed (even if
it has been dry for years) or on dolomite invested areas; Keep a
bucket of sand next to your door so that any small fires can be put
out quickly - sand works on paraffin and electric fires, water does
not. Gain knowledge of basic first aid, fire training and CPR;
Remember that swimming pools, dams and rivers are a danger to
children; Always follow the rules when: swimming in rivers, dams,
pools and the ocean; camping and making fires;
3.6 How can we prevent fire disasters?A very important way of
preventing fire disasters is to have a good disaster plan in place.
The emphasis should be on public education, prevention and
containment. One of the common disasters in poor areas and informal
settlements are fires. These fires are often caused by accidents
with paraffin or candles. The Paraffin industry is involved in the
"Ufudo" campaign. Because of the building practices in informal
settlements, and the building materials used in these settlements,
everyday tools such as a primus stove, paraffin lamp or candle can
become extremely dangerous if used incorrectly. The "Ufudo" kits
provide tools to make primus stoves, paraffin lamps and candles
more stable and less prone to fall over.The Paraffin Safety
Association also promotes safe storage and use of paraffin through
safe bottles and dispensers - any registered dealer can get access
to this.People in informal settlements should be educated about
leaving enough space between houses to prevent the spread of fires
and to allow emergency vehicles into the area. Fire fighting
volunteers can also be trained.
Chapter-4Scheme of Natural Disaster 4.1 BRIEF NOTE ON OPERATION
OF SCHEME OF NATURAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM1. Name of the
Scheme: Natural Disaster Management Program.2. Type of Scheme:
Central Sector3. Year of inception: 1992-93Approved by Department
Sanctioning Committee in December. 19934. Pattern of assistance :
100 per cent by Government of India.5. Objective:- To focus on
disaster preparedness with emphasis on mitigation measures.- To
increase level of awareness of community about disasters, prepare
them adequately to face the crisis situation6. Activitiesi. Human
Resources Development,ii. Research and Consultancy Services.iii.
Documentation of major events,iv. Operation of Faculty on NDM in
State level training States.v. Operation of National Centre of
Disaster Management.vi. Public education and community awareness
program7. Eight Plan Outlay & Expenditure1. Plan Outlay: Rs.
900.00 lakh2. Progress of expenditure: (Rs. in
lakh)YearAllocationExpenditurePercentage
1992-9320.0017.0085%
1993-94110.0023.0020.91%
1994-95110.0048.0043.64%
1995-96200.00120.0060%
1996-97200.00123.0061.5%
8. Ninth Plan Outlay & Expenditure1. Plan Outlay: Rs 20.00
core (allocated by the DAC)2. Progress of Expenditure: (Rs. in
lakh)YearAllocationExpenditurePercentage
1997-98220.00191.0086.82%
1998-99210.00189.0090%
1999-00325.00316.0897%
2000-2001500.0069.9513.390%
9. Achievements Setting up of a National Centre for Disaster
Management in the Indian Institute of Public Administration in
1995. Setting up of separate Disaster Management Faculties in State
Administrative Training Institutes in 18 out of 25 States. These
Sates are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat,
Haryana, Jammu& Kashmir. Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Mizoram Orissa, Punjab. Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal. Documentation of major events like UP. and
Maharashtra earthquakes, research studies On land slides in Kerala,
Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh, Research study on Drought in Rajasthan.
Preparation of source book for use of trainees of the
LalBahadurShastri National Academy of Administration,
Organised/sponsored about 100 training Programs/workshops on
various aspects of Natural Disaster Management Public education and
community awareness campaign through newspapers, postal stationery,
audio-visual media and observation of World Disaster Reduction Day
annually.10. Increase in activitiesThe occurrences of major natural
disasters like Maharashtra earthquake of 1993 and cyclone of Andhra
Pradesh in 1996 and Orissa in 1999 have been instrumental in
generating a lot of concern among the various agencies of
Government. non-governmentalorganisations and the public at large
about the adverse impact of natural disasters. This has increased
the tempo of activities under the Plan Scheme as many institutions
/organisations States are showing interest in the field of disaster
reduction activities. Keeping in view the magnitude and frequencies
of natural disasters visiting various parts of the country
annually; there is need to provide substantial budget provision in
the Annual Plan to commensurate with the requirements of a vast
country like ours in order to embark upon such activities in a big
way in the context of fast developing scientific and technological
advancements in the world.11. Thrust Areas- Public education and
community participation campaign,- Information Technology,-
building up data base,- involvement of NGOs, strengthening of State
faculties on NDM,- regional cooperation on sharing of experience,-
expertise and technology in various fields of natural disaster-
preparedness and mitigation.
4.2 STATUS POSITION ON EFC MEMO ON NATURAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT
IN FORMATION SYSTEM SUBMITTED BY NRSA.Name of the Proposal :Natural
Disaster Management Information Support Services through Space
Technology (NDM) ISS.Proposal received from : NRSA,
HyderabadActivities covered : - Drought monitoring Drought early
warning Drought damage assessment Flood monitoring and inundation
Cyclone impact, mapping dam-age assessment R & D support to
operation a services Data base creation and data integration
services Amount proposed for 9th Five Year Plan :Rs 2.05
crorePresent status :Draft EFC Memo was sent to Planning Commission
for their comments/views. Based on these observations necessary
action is being taken to finalise the EEC Memo. Thereafter it will
be circulated to all concerned Ministries before convening the
meeting of EFC.Preventive medicine has played a very important role
in reducing the mortality and morbidity in any population with
regard to several important diseases such as plague, syphilis,
cholera during several different times in the history of man. But,
one grey area that has often taken us by surprise is the occurrence
of disasters. The most recent example is Tsunami. The literature
relating to disaster management is meager and there are several
hollows that need to be explored. We shall now review the
importance of Preventive medicine in terms of disaster
management.
Chapter-5Disaster management cycleDisaster management
cycleDisaster management cycle includes the following stages/
phases1. Disaster phase2. Response phase3. Recovery/ Rehabilitation
phase4. Risk Reduction/ Mitigation phase5. Preparedness
phaseDisaster phase The phase during which the event of the
disaster takes place. This phase is characterized by profound
damage to the human society. This damage / loss may be that of
human life, loss of property, loss of environment, loss of health
or anything else. In this phase, the population is taken by
profound shock. Response phase This is the period that immediately
follows the occurrence of the disaster. In a way, all individuals
respond to the disaster, but in their own ways. The ambulances and
medical personnel arrive, remove the injured for transportation to
medical camps or hospitals and provide first aid and life support.
The public also take part in relief work. One can even find injured
victims help other injured ones. Almost everyone is willing to
help. The needs of the population during this phase are immediate
medical help, food roti, clothing kapda and shelter clothing.
Recovery phase When the immediate needs of the population are met,
when all medical help has arrived and people have settled from the
hustle bustle of the event, they begin to enter the next phase, the
recovery phase which is the most significant, in terms of long term
outcome. It is during this time that the victims actually realize
the impact of disaster. It is now that they perceive the meaning of
the loss that they have suffered. They are often housed in a camp
or in some place which is often not their house, along with other
victims. During this time, they need intensive mental support so as
to facilitate recovery. When the victims have recovered from the
trauma both physically and mentally, they realize the need to
return back to normal routine. That is, to pre-disaster life.
During this phase, they need resources and facilities so as to
enable them to return back to their own homes, pursue their
occupation, so that they can sustain their life on their own, as
the help from the government and other non governmental
organizations is bound to taper in due course. Thus, they are
provided with a whole new environment, adequate enough to pursue a
normal or at least near normal life. This is called
Rehabilitation.Risk reduction phase During this phase, the
population has returned to predisaster standards of living. But,
they recognize the need for certain measures which may be needed to
reduce the extent or impact of damage during the next similar
disaster. For example, after an earthquake which caused a lot of
damages to improperly built houses, the population begins to
rebuild stronger houses and buildings that give away less easily to
earthquakes. Or, in the case of tsunami, to avoid housings very
close to the shore and the development of a green belt- a thick
stretch of trees adjacent to the coast line in order to reduce the
impact of the tsunami waves on the land. This process of making the
impact less severe is called Mitigation.Preparedness phase This
phase involves the development of awareness among the population on
the general aspects of disaster and on how to behave in the face of
a future disaster. This includes education on warning signs of
disasters, methods of safe and successful evacuation and first aid
measures. It is worth to note that the time period for each phase
may depend on the type and severity of the disaster. 5.1 TYPES OF
DISASTERDisasters are mainly of 2 types,1.) Natural disasters.
Example earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc.2.) Man made
disasters. Example war, bomb blasts, chemical leaks, etc.The phases
of all disasters, be it natural or man made, are the same. The
disasters often differ in quantity of damage caused or in quality
of the type of medical consequences. For example earthquakes cause
a lot of physical injury and fractures, floods cause drowning
deaths and infections, chemical leaks cause toxic manifestations,
etc.
5.2 Victims and survivors Almost everyone in the population is
affected by a disaster. No one is untouched by it. Those who suffer
damage are called victims. The victims may die or live. Those who
manage to live are called survivors. These survivors can be
classified as, Primary survivor One who is exposed to the disaster
first-hand and then survives. They are called survivor victims.
Secondary survivor One who grieves the loss of primary victims.
Example, a mother who lost her child, or a man who lost his friend.
Third level survivor The rescue and relief personnel. These people
are also affected due to the disaster as they are at the site of
disaster and undergo almost the same mental trauma as the other
victims. Fourth level survivor Reporters, Government personnel,
traders, etc. Fifth level survivor People who read about or see the
event in media reports.5.3 THE Second Disaster The actual disaster
results in a lot of damage to the population in terms of loss of
life and property. This direct result can be dubbed as the first
disaster. The impact of the first disaster sends another wave of
damage triggered by chain of events relating to the first disaster
by means of cause-and-effect, resulting in indirect damage to
people remote from the original disaster. This can be called the
second disaster. For example, tsunami had caused loss in terms of
life, damage to houses, etc. This is the first disaster. This leads
to disruption in the trade of fishing industries, which suffers
massive financial losses. The losses suffered by these
industriesresults in lower wages and salaries to those involved in
the fishing business. These people cannot repay their loans,
resulting in losses to money lenders, and so on. Such events can
also result in higher incidences of heart attacks, strokes,
suicides and homicides. This is called second disaster and can be
in greater magnitude than the first disaster. Proper rehabilitation
and care of the victims of first disaster can break the chain of
events leading to the second disaster.5.4 PECULIARITIES OF
TSUNAMIThere are few ways in which tsunami differs from other
disasters, Time duration of the attack was very small. The entire
attack took place in a matter of a few minutes. Extent of damage
was very large, grossly disproportionate to the duration of attack.
Extensive damage took place in a matter of few minutes, which took
the people by surprise and awe. Everything seemed to be normal..
all of a sudden water flows in.. Boom! Everything seems different.
There was no time for people to adapt to the disaster. The victims
are either alive and healthy or simply dead. There was very less
physical injury and hence there was nogreat need for medical
facilities, unlike other disasters. There have been no precedents
of this type. People have not even heard of this type of a
disaster. There were nooutbreaks of any infections, which are
common in floods. This point is of note because in floods, it is
freshwater a good culture medium for organisms. And, when water
stagnates, organisms flourish even more. But, in tsunami, it was
seawater which is hypertonic saline which is unfavorable for
microorganisms. Moreover, there was no stagnation as the water
receded back completely.5.5 Psycho social aspects of disaster
Often, minimal importance is given to the mental trauma suffered by
the victims of a disaster. They are overshadowed by the excessive
importance to physical and financial needs of the victims which are
considered by the relief personnel to be more than sufficient to
alleviate the suffering of the victims. Unlike physical and
material damage, the damage to the psyche (mind) cannot be
obviously seen, until and unless, it is looked for. And, to look
for, the relief personnel need to be aware of the possible effects
on the mind, which can be permanent and disabling. The psycho
social needs are generally seen as something too secondary to
attract the attentions of relief agencies, relief workers &
governmental organizations - Jaswan 2000 There is a phenomenal
increase in the incidence of psychiatric disorders in the affected
population. The common problems include1. Acute stress disorder2.
Post traumatic stress disorder3. Anxiety disorders4. Depression5.
Alcohol and drug abuse 6. Aggravation of previous disorders if
any.
5.6 POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER The most important of the
above is post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which if occurs is
a permanent damage. There is definitive damage to the hippocampus
of the brain, and hence is important to identify the people
vulnerable and provide adequate psychiatric intervention.There are
several abnormal behaviors and complaints that have been seen in
disaster victims such as1. excessive crying2. irritation 3.
restlessness4. fatigue5. sleeplessness6. flashbacks7. panic
attacks8. mood swings9. guilt10. anger The list is long and
indefinite. But one thing is to be borne in mind - all these are
not abnormal reactions. They are just normal reaction to an
abnormal event. But these reactions must resolve in due course,
failure of which is the diagnosis referred to as PTSD. This should
be prevented as it is disabling disorder with very less promising
outcomes.5.7 DISASTER SYNDROME This is an observed disorder that
can be identified in disaster victims. As a matter of fact, about
75% of the population of the population is affected, immediately
following the disaster (Duffy, 1998). By the 10th week, there is a
significant drop, and by the end of the first year, it drops to
about 30 40% of the disaster affected population. It is also
observed, that there is a 17% higher occurrence of long-term
sequelae in the disaster affected population, as compared to other
control populations (Roubonis, 1991). The observation by Duffy of
the widespread occurrence of symptoms following a disaster (75%)
implicates that they are a normal reaction to an abnormal event (by
the concept of Normality by majority). The ensuing drop in the
prevalence of symptoms in the following year shows that they are
resolving on the own. The rest who suffer continual symptoms may be
the victims of a failure of resolution of the normal reaction.
Though there is a view that these psycho social issues should not
be medicalised (WHO, 1992), the logical deduction from the
observations of Duffy and Roubonis implicates that facilitation of
the resolution can bring about lower psychiatric morbidity in the
disaster affected population.5.8 MEANING OF LOSS It has been oft
repeated mistake to assess severity of a disaster by means of
calculating the loss in terms of numbers, quantity figures or units
such as number of deaths, number wounded, number of houses damaged,
surface area of affected land, etc. But, this is not the actual
measure. The meaning of the loss rather the loss itself is a much
more significant measure. In other words, the impact of the
disaster rather the disaster itself is more important. For example,
the loss of a neighbor may mean a great loss to one person but a
minimal loss to another. Similarly, loss of animal life may mean
nothing for one victim but may mean a lot for an animal lover. The
loss of a house may mean less for someone who is thankful for
having survived, but more for someone who has a sentimental
attachment to his house. Thus, the actual damage being less, the
impact may be disproportionately severe. Though the entire
population experiences the same disaster, each one perceives it in
a different and unique way. The governmental relief agencies need
to see the damage alone, but we, health care personnel cannot
afford to do that. We much see what the loss means to the victim;
only then, can we assess the impact the disaster has had on that
person.
CHAPTER-6APPROACHES6.1 INTEGRATED APPROACH There is need for a
change in the approach towards disaster management. There is now no
orientation among health care providers. This is because the health
care providers are actually oblivious of the actual needs of the
victims. The need of the hour is integration. Integration of
what?Integration of medical help and resource provision. And
integration of mental health services with other medical services.
A lot of victims suffer from mental agony and pain that needs grief
counseling, so that the recovery happens. Else, it results in
permanent psychiatric sequelae. But, the victims themselves are not
ready to seek psychiatric help as they feel that they dont need it.
This is because food, clothing and shelter are the most essential
needs which need to be satisfied urgently. The next most
significant need is that of financial support. Without these,
psychiatric help will not sought by the victims. So it is essential
that medical personnel and mental health care providers dont go
empty handed. In other terms, financial and basic need support
should reach them as soon as possible so as to be able to make the
victims ready for counseling. Thus, mental health care will not be
accepted if financial needs are not met. Yet, the importance of
mental health services should not be underestimated. Without a
healthy mind and sound mental health, the relief measures will not
serve its end in improving the general quality of life of the
disaster affected individuals. Thus, financial help does not
serveits end without mental health care provision. Now it should be
clear what an integrated approach means. Integration of financial
support with mental health care, in the right temporal sequence the
right thing at the right time.
6.2 THE LATEST PERSPECTIVE When, there is major disaster such as
the tsunami, where the affected population is huge, to the tune of
several lakhs, it is very difficult to get enough health care
personnel to work there, especially for a long time. All non
governmental organizations and international aid will offer help
for a few weeks or few months to alleviate the immediate crisis,
but they cannot afford to stay for a long time. But long term
continuing health care is essential for improved long term
outcomes. Moreover, when mental health care is considered, it is
very important that the counselors and psychiatrists speak the
native language. This is true to some extent even when medical help
in general is considered. Thus it is easier, more cost effective
and yielding to train volunteers from the population who are
willing to work for the aggrieved to identify those in need for
specialist consultation by consultants who are often in lack. For
example, the affected population in Sri Lanka after tsunami runs in
lakhs but there are only 27 psychiatrists or so. Though the Tamil
speaking population was affected at large, only 3 out of the 27
were Tamil speaking, out of which only one was actively practicing
in the affected areas. These few consultants are overwhelmed by the
number of cases, the majority of which dont need specialist help
and can be handled by trained counselors and primary health care
workers. And, it is nearly impossible for consultants to visit the
affected site. So, a new plan has been proposed a way to handle
this POST TRAUMA COUNSELLING. It involves training of volunteers to
become counselors who meet every victim, collect the identity
details and talk to them. These counselors are taught to identify
normal grief reactions from abnormal reactions. The normally
aggrieved victims are counseledand the abnormally aggrieved are
referred to the consultants. The advantages of this method,1. The
case load for the consultants is reduced, making it more
comfortable to spend more time on each case and work up
completely.2. The method is cost effective. It is unfeasible to pay
consultants to see so many cases3. The method is time saving. We
always have fewer consultants than counselors. Few consultants take
more time to scan the population than many counselors doing the
same job.4. The victims feel easier to talk to counselors who are
often from affected lot rather than to a specialist.5. It is easier
for counselors to keep track of the victims who may drop off. The
counselors can visit the victims at their doorsteps and ensure
continued surveillance of the victims.There is an age old aphorism
God cannot be everywhere so, he created mothers. Similarly,
psychiatrists cannot be everywhere, so, we create counselors.
6.3WORKSHOP ON POST TRAUMA MANAGENMENT & COUNSELING Under
this plan, a non governmental organization called the Chartered
Management Institute(CMI), with their central office in UK and a
branch in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with The Management
Club(TMC), an association of leading corporate personnel in Sri
Lanka, requested the Indian Association of Private Psychiatry
(IAPP) which under the instance of Dr. M. Thirunavukarasu, its
national level advisor, sent a six member delegation of mental
health care personnel to the affected areas to train volunteers to
become counselors so as to identify those in need of psychiatric
intervention. The program was recognized and welcomed by the WHO
representative to Sri Lanka Mr. Kun Tan. It was two day program in
three places Colombo, Galle and Batticaloa. The total number of
participants was about 200. The first day included the following
seminars,1. Introduction to Mind and Mental Health2. Impact of
Tsunami3. What is Disaster?4. Psycho- social aspects of Disaster5.
What is counseling?6. Basics of Counseling7. Management of children
affected by the disaster.8. Summary
The second day consisted of,1. A recap of previous day topics2.
Interview techniques3. Difficult to handle victims4. Role play of
simulated counseling situations by participants5. Introduction of
questionnaires to record responses by victims6. Interactive
sessionIn addition to the interactive session participants were
encouraged to ask doubts and share their experiences after each
topic. Paper, pens, student files and feed back forms were given.
The response from the Sri Lankan public was superb and surpassed
expectations. The feedback showed the overwhelming response of the
Sri Lankan public for these measures. The mental health services
now are taking place actively with the aid of trained counselors,
in Sri Lanka. The questionnaires provided to them are expected to
give us ample material for further study.
6.4 QUALITY STATISTICSDisaster management articles by quality
and importance
QualityImportance
TopHighMidLowNA???Total
FA2111620
A1214
GA2614142157
B628432936142
C620462950151
Start32366131138361
Stub102410747188
List2496930
NA122591263
Assessed20912123252653031,216
Unassessed111,1621,164
Total20922123262651,4652,380
ConclusionNatural disasters happen almost all over the world all
of a sudden causing heavy loss of human life, destruction of
infrastructure and properties. Usually natural disasters can not be
stopped. However,the magnitude of disasters can be reduced if
preventive measures be taken in due time for which pragmatic
government policies and public awareness are of utmost importance.
This is especially true if the government, community and the people
work together to this end. The effects of natural disasters have
shown the necessity to intensify international cooperation for
natural disaster mitigation.Above and over, international and
regional cooperation in this field is very necessary. Establishment
of the institutions like : Asian Disaster Reduction Centre (ADRC)
at Kobe, Japan and Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) at
Bangkok, Thailand could help greatly to redress the situation by
means of collecting and disseminating information and conducting
trainings and organizing meetings. This kind of gatherings at
international, regional and sub-regional basis will promote
international cooperation, mutual understanding and help among the
countries by exchanging ideas and sharing experiences between the
fellow participants. Such meeting will also help to learn from each
others experiences. This Second ADRC International Meeting could
contribute significantly in reducing natural disasters as it aims
to share disaster- related information and to exchange views and
opinions among disaster reduction experts from Member countries so
as to promote further cooperation for disaster reduction in Asia
based on the First ADRC International Meeting held at Kobe in
February, 1999. Outcome of this kind of gathering will be very much
useful for the participant and his/her country and institution.
Measures to Solve the ProblemsDespite of the various problems,
appropriate policy measures could help to solve the problems. As
public awareness is one of the vital problem in managing the
disaster in Nepal, it is felt necessary to work at increasing the
literacy rate. Moreover, disaster management course should be
included in the school and university curriculum. It is also
necessary to train school teachers, selected students, women
leaders, health workers and social workers to educate others in
measures to prevent or mitigate the natural disasters. Such types
of programmes may convince people to believe that natural disasters
are not an act of God. To attain all this, there is the need of the
strong political determination, pragmatic policy formulation and
quick decision making. Moreover, active people's participation is
also very necessary. On the other hand it will be better to include
disaster management component in the development plans and programs
of concerned agencies for the effective implementation of disaster
mitigation programs.It is also needed very much to improve road
infrastructure, transportation and communication facilities to
carry out rescue and relief works effectively and efficiently. In
order to prevent inappropriate construction of buildings, the
building code should be strictly implemented.To prevent duplication
of relief works and the lack of cooperation, it is needed to
establish mutual understanding and frequent dialogue between the
focal persons. It is felt necessary to amend the Natural Disaster
Relief Act, 1982 and formulate the Natural Disaster Relief
Regulations whereby the role, functions, duties and
responsibilities of all the disaster management related agencies
could be specified so that no agency could ignore or shift their
responsibilities.
Bibliography Alexander, D., 2002,Natural Disasters, London:
Routledge,ISBN 1-85728-094-6 Alexander, D., 2002,Principles of
Emergency planning and Management, Harpended: Terra publishing,ISBN
1-903544-10-6 Wisner, B., P. Blaikie, T. Cannon, and I. Davis,
2004,At Risk - Natural hazards, people's vulnerability and
disasters, Wiltshire: Routledge,ISBN 0-415-25216-4
WEBSITEShttp://www.unep.org/ik/Pages.asp?id=Natural%20Disaster%20Management%20Overviewhttp://www.col.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Disaster_Management_version_1.0.pdf
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