d isas ter management
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Introduction..• Capacity building is an ongoing process that equips officials,
stakeholders and the community to perform their functions in a better manner during a crisis/disaster. In the process of capacity building, we must include elements of human resource development, i.e., individual training, organizational development such as improving the functioning of groups and organizations and institutional development. At the national level, The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) is the capacity building arm and the States have disaster management cells in the State Administrative Training Institutes performs the function of capacity building for effective and efficient disaster management. There are a number of other training institutes which are engaged in training and capacity building in the area of disaster management.
Incident Response Teams• Incident Response Teams are to be set up right from the State
to the District, Sub-division and Block levels. The co-ordination process between the National, State and District has also been clearly described. Presently the process for the institutionalization of the system is going on through various sensitization and training programs launched all over the country by the NDMA. Up till now 30 Districts in 15 States have already been covered where 3115 officers have been given initial training and teams have been formed at different levels. This program has also been started in the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration and the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, National Police Academy where up till now 1768 officers have been trained on the Incident Response System.
Civil Defence
• BackgroundThe Civil Defence policy of the Government of India, till the declaration of Emergency in 1962, remained confined to making States and UTs conscious of the need for civil protection measures and asking them to keep ready civil protection plans for major cities and towns under the Emergency Relief Organisation [ERO] scheme. However, following the Chinese aggression in 1962 and the Indo Pak conflict of 1965, the policy and scope of Civil Defence underwent considerable rethinking, which culminated in the enactment of the Civil Defence (CD) Act 1968. After this the organisation has functioned under the parameters delineated in the Act.
Civil Defense
• Importance of Civil Defense
While global geo-political factors have reduced chances of traditional wars, new challenges have emerged for the community in the shape of natural calamities or human-induced disasters, resulting in large scale destruction of property, loss of human life and destabilization of normal life in society. Since the community is invariably the first responder to any disaster situation, adequate awareness and preparedness of the community to respond to any such situation can be crucial in mitigating damage and suffering. Civil Defence, being a community based voluntary organisation, can in addition to rescue, relief and rehabilitation, play a stellar role in the field of public awareness as well as community capacity building to face any disaster.
Pre-disaster
Educating the Community• Taking a lead role in spreading public awareness about the various
kinds of disasters and possible community responses to them.• Educating/training the people at grass-roots level in vulnerable
areas as a part of community capacity building to respond to any disaster situation.
• Liaising with print and electronic media for regular publicity of civil Defence activities, including utilization of local TV channels to conduct discussion, debated, etc., on civil defence.
• Holding regular mock drills, exercises and rehearsal of civil defence activities, to generate public interest.
• Preparing publicity material, literature and brochures about Civil Defence and distributing these in events related to Civil Defence.
• Organizing public functions to honour persons who have contributed to the Civil Defence cause by participating in its activities.
Pre Disaster
Civil Defence Awareness in Schools•Taking guest lecturers in schools, holding
demonstrations, showing films, visits to Civil Defence establishments, etc.
•Holding camps for students to provide them basic training in skills for Civil Defence/Disaster Management.
Pre Disaster
Sensitizing Government Servants• Holding seminars and workshops in government departments to
sensitize government servants at various levels about Civil Defence functions and their role in a disaster scenario.
• Identifying suitable personnel in local government offices, in consultation with the Head of Office, and sponsoring them for various courses in Civil Defence.
• Maintaining a record of ‘trained government servants’ and keeping in regular communication with them to ensure their constant association with Civil Defence activities.
• Developing resource personnel particularly in those government departments which would not be directly involved in any Disaster Management effort, since officials of police, health, supplies, revenue, etc., may not be available to Civil Defence in the event of a disaster.
During Disasters• The Civil Defence organization should enhance its capacity to act as
first responder to any disaster situation with the help of its volunteers at different levels. It should have its own ‘Quick Reaction Teams’(QRT) of volunteers with pre-designated roles and responsibilities, based on vulnerability and quick mobility to respond to any disaster situation. The QRT should also have its communication network to keep in touch with the Civil Defence control room on real-time basis for reporting about its actions and getting instructions from the control room.
• After initially responding to the disaster with its own and locally available resources of police, etc., the Civil Defence may integrate itself with the Disaster Management efforts launched under the aegis of the state/DDMA. It may deploy its personnel, volunteers and other material resources such as communication equipment, Disaster Management vehicles, etc., in consultation and coordination with other agencies. In particular, the Civil Defence organization can supplement the government efforts during and after a disaster
Fire ServicesThe role of fire services is very crucial in any emergency. In fact, in the developed world, fire services are not only employed for firefighting but also for rescue operations as emergency services. As per the Standing Fire Advisory Committee, on the basis of laid down norms, existing deficiencies as regards fire stations, fire fighting vehicles and personnel in the country are as follows:
• Fire Stations--------------------------------------------------97.54%• Fire Fighting and Rescue Vehicles-------------------------80.04%• Fire Personnel------------------------------------------------96.28%
• Taking note of these deficiencies, NDMA made a forceful case with the 13th Finance Commission for allocation of funds to revitalize the fire services. Realising the importance and need to revamp fire services in the country, the Finance Commission has allotted Grants in Aid specifically to the states which have made specific proposals before it. It has also more than doubled the grant to local bodies in comparison to the allocation made by the 12th Finance Commission and simultaneously recommended that the local bodies should spend money on Fire Services.
Trauma CareMedical Preparedness and Mass Casualty Management
• India has suffered a number of natural and man-made disasters, which have led a large number of casualties. Medical Preparedness and Mass Casualty Management is one of the essential component of the disaster management.
• NDMA has taken concerted steps to enhance preparedness in this important domain in partnership with the Ministry of health and Family Welfare and State Governments. Some projects like improving Ambulance Services in the State, up-gradation of Bio Safety Laboratories and creation of Trauma Centers are in the offing. To create awareness amongst stakeholders, mock exercise have also been conducted in Hospitals Prepares and Mass Casualty Management. These aspects have been comprehensively covered in the guidelines issued by NDMA on the subject.
NDMAEvolution of NDMA• Emergence of an organization is always through an evolutionary
process. NDMA has also gone through the same stages. The Government of India (GOI), in recognition of the importance of Disaster Management as a national priority, set up a High-Powered Committee (HPC) in August 1999 and a National Committee after the Gujarat earthquake, for making recommendations on the preparation of Disaster Management plans and suggesting effective mitigation mechanisms. The Tenth Five-Year Plan document also had, for the first time, a detailed chapter on Disaster Management. The Twelfth Finance Commission was also mandated to review the financial arrangements for Disaster Management.
• On 23 December 2005, the Government of India enacted the Disaster Management Act, which envisaged the creation of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers, to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in India.
NDMA Vision
•"To build a safer and disaster resilient India by a holistic, pro-active, technology driven and sustainable development strategy that involves all stakeholders and fosters a culture of prevention, preparedness and mitigation."
Organisation Structure
Functions and ResponsibilitiesNDMA, as the apex body, is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster Management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters. Towards this, it has the following responsibilities:-
• Lay down policies on disaster management ;• Approve the National Plan;• Approve plans prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the
Government of India in accordance with the National Plan;• Lay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up
the State Plan;• Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or
Departments of the Government of India for the Purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its effects in their development plans and projects;
• Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plans for disaster management;
• Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation.