The selfless bounty of nature is a gift to mankind and an eternal source of sustenance. For centuries though, Mother Nature has been combining its gifts with its often-inexplicable moods of destruction and fury. Time and again, we see the terrible toll that natural disasters inflict on vulnerable communities around the world. Over the recent decades there has been an alarming increase in the occurrence of natural disasters and the magnitude of their social, economic and environmental impacts.
This extensive damage to lives, property and livelihood of the affected communities has turned back the development clock of the areas by decades. India with its vast population & unique geo-physical characteristics is one of the world’s most ‘disaster-prone’ countries. Natural hazards such as cyclones, earthquakes, drought, floods or landslides occur in different parts of India in varying intensity. Incalculable emotional, economical and ecological toll of Malpa landslide of 1998, Orissa Super Cyclone of October 1999, Gujrat Earthquake of 2001, monstrous Tsunami hitting India in December 2004, etc still haunt us.
While we cannot prevent hazards form happening, we can certainly reduce its intensity, impact and magnitude of destruction through individual and collective actions to spread knowledge/awareness about its causes-effects and adequate mitigation and preparedness measures. Knowing about the areas that are most likely to be hit by hazards is the first step towards preparedness. Disaster Management involves the range of activities designed to mitigate the effects of disasters and emergency situations and to provide a framework for helping people at-risk to avoid or recover from the impact of the disaster.
Managing disasters includes steps to be taken prior to, during, and after the disaster, and involve preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. Earthquakes are caused by sudden trembling or shaking movement of earth’s crust. 233 out of 597 districts particularly in Himalayan belt in India fall in seismic zones 3, 4 and 5. Most of the damage is caused not by the earthquake itself, but by the buildings. Earthquake vibrations last longer and are of greater impact in unconsolidated surface material, such as poorly compacted fill (loose soil) or river deposits; bedrock areas receive fewer effects.
Hence, flexible structures built on bedrock are generally more resistant to earthquake damage than rigid structures built on loose soil. Cyclone: Indian Ocean is one of the six major cyclone-prone regions of the world. A cyclone is marked by devastating winds. It can snap telephone or electricity poles like matchsticks, leaving the telecommunication network in shambles and plaguing the area with power breakdowns with little prospects of early restoration of supply. However, most casualties are caused by coastal inundation by tidal waves and storm surges.
The rise in water level caused by a storm surge can cause severe flooding in coastal areas, particularly when this surge coincides with the normal high-tide. Further deforestation and encroachment of coastal forests (which act as natural wind and water barriers, shielding the coastal communities from the destructive power of cyclones and storm surge) by paddy cultivators, prawn farmers, etc. has left no impediment between the sea and habitations. A flood occurs when water flows or rises above and beyond its normal place or course which is mostly a result of a river overflowing its channel capacity.
Sediment deposition or silting of riverbeds and the synchronization of river floods with sea tides compound the problem of floods in the coastal plains. The most flood-prone areas are the Brahmaputra, Ganga and Meghana basins in the Indo-Gangetic-Brahmaputra plains in north and Northeast India, which carry 60 percent of the nation’s total river flow. In India it is spread over 15 states and about 47 per cent of India’s population resides in the basin. Drought, an after-effect of prolonged scanty rainfall, is a perennial & one of the most widespread disasters that India faces, affecting more than 70% of cultivable land.
West Rajasthan and the Kutch areas of Gujarat are chronic drought affected areas. In India, 191 districts out of 543 are severely drought prone. Today drought problem has been magnified by the social conditions that govern the way communities live and environmental degradation which affects rainfall received in the region, hence increasing the possibility of water stress. Drought is a slow onset disaster, and hence gives us ample time for mitigation, preparedness and response, unlike sudden disasters.
Protecting, regenerating and restoring degraded land can reduce the pressure of population on cultivated land and keep forests and pastures safe to supply fodder for the animals. Any steps taken to mitigate or prepare for drought have to be sustained for a long period of time, and must involve a cross-section of people such as community, Panchayat representatives, volunteers, government functionaries, teachers and students. Long- term Drought Mitigation Strategies: * Construction of Community Based Rain Water Harvesting Structures * Promoting Watershed Programmes * Increasing Forest cover through plantations Adopting drought resistant varieties of paddy and other crops * Using alternative crops in drought conditions * Capacity building of communities in Drought Management and introducing livelihood options besides agriculture and animal husbandry which are water intensive * Encouraging crop and Seed insurance schemes Train ourselves in basic rescue and first-aid functions Retrofitting existing buildings Creating awareness and disseminating information Alternative communication systems Safe construction practices Incapable In a post disaster scenario Search and Rescue has always played a major role in disaster management.
Search and rescue should be organized in close cooperation with the community and in a team approach. Honest, emotionally sound, professionally decisive, volunteers male and female above the age of 18 years with a minimum education level (reading and writing the local language), having good physical condition, with demonstrated capacity and willingness to work in an emergency, could constitute a rescue team. Training should be provided to these volunteers in First Aid. They should have knowledge of checking ABC of basic life support (Airway, Breathing, and Circulation) of victims.
During any major disaster or emergency situation, the communication links are totally disrupted. Regular telecommunication infrastructure of public wired and wireless (mobile) telephones get severely damaged and become non-functional because of the damaged cables and cellular transmission towers or disrupted power supply to operate the telephone exchanges and cellular transmission towers. In such situations, the urgent needs of the disaster-affected population are not known or communicated to the responsible Government authorities, voluntary organizations and unaffected populations in the vicinity.
This calls for reliable alternate communication links, which ensures the rapid movement of the right resources to the right place at the right time and that the critical needs of search and rescue operations, relief and response measures are communicated among Government authorities at various levels, local administration, voluntary organizations and the affected population. Radio-waves bases hand held wireless sets (walky talky) are considered to be most suitable for local communication in case of such emergencies. Also Amateurs (Hams) can be deployed to provide communication support.
Yet another way can be satellite communication (SATCOM), having radio relay stations in space, based portable SAT-PHONEs. Habitat management and Safe Construction Practices …reckless building in vulnerable areas… Most successful way to mitigate loss of life and property, is to construct buildings that are disaster resistant. Earthquake resistant buildings building have a simple rectangular plan with long walls supported by Reinforced Concrete columns. Large buildings having plans with shapes like T, L, U and X should preferably be separated into rectangular blocks by providing gaps in between.
Door and window openings in walls should preferably be small and more centrally located. For integrating the walls of an enclosure to perform together like a rigid box reinforced concrete bands are provided which run continuously on all external and internal walls including fixed partition walls. Houses built at the toe of steep slopes are often vulnerable to slides and debri flows. Potential for landslides and destructive erosion can be greatly reduced or prevented with proper development, sound construction techniques, seasonal inspections and regular maintenance of drainage facilities.
Barriers may be deployed consisting of reinforced walls on the side of a building facing the slope. Also efforts can be dedicated to Collect Runoff, Intercept Surface Water and Stabilize Slopes. Most vulnerable to heavy rains and/or floods are buildings, which are constructed with earth-based materials or using stone and brick in mud mortar and huts made from biomass materials like bamboo, leaves, thatch or light construction in flood plains. As preventive measures against flood-inundation, residing on river banks and slopes on river sides and the sides of gorges should be avoided.
A proper drainage system should be built in all flood prone areas, so that the water can be drained off quickly to prevent accumulation. Also building should be constructed with a plinth level higher than the known high flood level, on stilts or columns with wall-free space at ground level permitting free flow of water (inundation or flowing), provided that columns are circular and strong. Most vulnerable to cyclones are lightweight structures with wooden frames, especially older buildings where wood has deteriorated and weakened the walls.
In cyclonic regions, close to the coast, a site above the likely inundation level should be given preference. In case of non availability of high elevation natural ground, construction should be done on stilts with no masonry or bracings upto maximum surge level, or raised earthen mounds as shown to avoid flooding/inundation. For individual buildings, a circular or polygonal plan shape is preferred over rectangular or square plans. A symmetrical building with a compact plan-form is more stable than an asymmetrical building with a zig-zag plan, having empty pockets as the latter is more prone to wind/cyclone related damage.
Where building is constructed on stilts, it is necessary that stilts are properly braced on both the directions. Openings just below roof level are avoided except that two small vents without shutters are provided in opposite walls to prevent suffocation in case room gets filled with water if people try to climb up on lofts. Doors and windows should have strong closing/ locking arrangements and glass/wooden panels be securely fixed. Roof projections should be kept minimum or else, are tied down adequately. For the purpose of reducing wind forces on the roof, a hipped or pyramidal roof is preferable to the gable type roof.
It is advisable to have shelterbelts plantation across the wind direction, in coastal areas and in all large establishments to check the wind speed and reduce damage. (Last Para) Community however is the first responder. Hence it is imperative that we prepare ourselves adequately to prevent, face and respond to disasters. Community Contingency Plan is a series of assessments and evaluations followed by the development of proposed plans of action in anticipation of a natural or human-made disaster. This involves: 1) Identification of the potential threat, e. g. proximity to an active volcano, settlements on seismic faults or flood plains, history of drought, food shortages, or epidemics, etc. ; 2) Identification of likely impact of disaster, e. g. , number of people potentially affected, disruption of food or water supply, transportation system, or communication channels, damage to property, roads, health facilities, duration of disaster and its effects; 3) Identifying methods to mitigate the disasters such as shelter-belt plantations to break the intensity of cyclones along the coast 4) Anticipating and developing optimum response to such a threat, e. . , educate/alert population to potential risk, develop notification and evacuation plans, provide means of transporting people, food and medical supplies; 5) Identification of existing resources, e. g. , areas where shelters could be established, sources of food, water and medical supplies, communication and transportation systems, location of reconstruction equipment. 6) Conducting periodic ‘mock drills’, which are a simulation of a disaster to assess and improve the effectiveness of the disaster preparedness plan of a community or system OR
Managing any disaster requires at the outset, a clear definition of the role to be played by every individual in a community. A Community Contingency Plan is a list of activities a village decides to follow, to prevent loss of life, livelihood and property in case of an emergency. It also identifies in advance, actions to be taken by individuals in the community so that each one is aware of specific responsibility when an emergency warning is received. The community makes the plan, with the help of civil society, government functionaries and elected representatives of the people. (Conclusion) reason
Taking care of our environment plays an important role in the mitigation of disasters. While economic development is necessary to match the demands of increasing population, we have to ensure that it does not result in environmental degradation. Development should therefore be planned in a judicious manner and in tune with sustaining and protecting our environment. Man-made disasters cost the most in terms of human suffering, loss of life and long-term damage to a country’s economy and productive capacity. Further, by adhering conscientiously to safety measures in industries, accidents that cause suffering could be prevented.
