Sample Material of Public Administration Study Kit (Paper - II)
Significant issues in Indian Administration: Disaster management
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Disaster management occupies an important place in this country’s policy framework as it is the poor and the under-privileged who are worst affected on account of calamities/disasters. The approach has been translated into a National Disaster Framework [a roadmap] covering institutional mechanisms, disaster prevention strategy, early warning system, disaster mitigation, preparedness and response andhuman resource development. The expected inputs, areas of intervention andagencies to be involved at the National, State and district levels have been identified and listed in the roadmap. This roadmap has been shared with all the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Ministries and Departments of Government of India, and the State Governments/UT Administrations have been advised to develop their respective roadmaps taking the national roadmap as a broad guideline. There is, therefore, now a common strategy underpinning the action being taken by all the participating organisations/stakeholders. The institutional and policy mechanisms for carrying out esponse, relief and rehabilitation have been well-established since Independence. These mechanisms have proved to be robust and effective insofar as response, relief and rehabilitation are concerned.
The broad features of the draft national policy on disaster management are enunciated below:-
(i) A holistic and pro-active approach for prevention,
mitigation andpreparedness will be adopted for disaster management.
(ii) Each Ministry/Department of the Central/ State Government will set apart an
appropriate quantum of funds under the Plan for specific schemes/projects
addressing vulnerability reduction and preparedness.
(iii) Where there is a shelf of projects, projects addressing mitigation will be
given priority. Mitigation measures shall be built into the on-going schemes/programmes
(iv) Each project in a hazard prone area will have mitigation as an
essentialterm of reference. The project report will include a statement as to
how the project addresses vulnerability reduction.
(v) Community involvement and awareness generation, particularly that of the
vulnerable segments of population and women has been emphasized as necessary for
sustainable disaster risk reduction. This is a critical component of the policy
since communities are the first responders to disasters and, therefore, unless
they are empowered and made capable of managing disasters, any amount of
external support cannot lead to optimal results.
(vi) There will be close interaction with the corporate sector, nongovernmental
organisations and the media in the national efforts for disaster
prevention/vulnerability reduction.
(vii) Institutional structures/appropriate chain of command will be built up and
appropriate training imparted to disaster managers at various levels to ensure
coordinated and quick response at all levels; and development of inter-State
arrangements for sharing of resources during emergencies.
(viii) A culture of planning and preparedness is to be inculcated at all levels
for capacity building measures.
(ix) Standard operating procedures and disaster management plans at state and
district levels as well as by relevant central government departments for
handling specific disasters will be laid down.
(x) Construction designs must correspond to the requirements as laid down in
relevant Indian Standards.
(xi) All lifeline buildings in seismic zones III, IV & V – hospitals, railway
stations, airports/airport control towers, fire station buildings, bus stands
major administrative centres will need to be evaluated and, if necessary,
retro-fitted.
(xii) The existing relief codes in the States will be revised to develop them
into disaster management codes/manuals for institutionalizing the planning
process with particular attention to mitigation and preparedness.
