In the past year, we have witnessed multiple natural calamities and disorders across different parts of the country and it is evident that these are becoming more frequent as time flies. Kerala had faced floods just about a year ago in July 2018 and then once again in August 2018 floods hit that pierced inside out through the livelihood of people and the economy of the state. More than 400 people died and property worth thousands of crores of rupees were lost. Moreover, Kerala is facing threat from landslides and floods once again this year, with 2 fishermen dead and more missing in the past few days.
On the other end of the country, Assam and other northeastern states of India face heavy rainfall every year and floods are annual routines in the area, which have killed more than 50 people this year along with 129 animals of the protected Kaziranga National Park, one of the prime tourist destinations of the northeast. More than 50 lakh people and 16 lakh animals including rhinos and elephants in the Kaziranga National Park have been affected. In Bihar, already more than 150 people have died from flood-related incidents this year.
Floods often escalate matters with landslides which succeed the floods, as already witnessed during the 2013 floods of Uttarakhand. Landslides are more common for earthquake-prone areas like Uttarakhand and most of the northeastern states. All kinds of floods affect crops and farmlands, which directly and indirectly affect thousands of people and recovery from such damage, may not be possible if floods hit the states every year. Flood prevention and control is an unavoidable need for the flood-prone states.
Another disaster that recently hit and completed wrecked a state was the cyclone Fani. Although, relocation minimized the loss of lives, recovering from the damage may take years. Apart from the damage in the form of property loss, Odisha tourism has lost huge figures after the cyclone. But basic facilities like water and electricity were not quickly provided later and led to protests breaking out across the state.
Adding to the woes, multiple cities are facing water crisis, especially Chennai. Proper water conservation and rainwater harvesting methods may reduce the problem but to address the situation and to prevent the same in the future for other cities, we need a larger effective plan before it becomes an uncontrollable problem. The government has planned on making drinking water available for everyone by 2024, but there is no clearly defined procedure known for making this plan effective.
A proper disaster management plan is an immediate need for India, with continually increasing threats. Also, it should be kept in mind that every state should be prepared for all kinds of disaster management, not only the ones that frequently hit that specific state.
Firstly, the warnings for incoming calamities from the meteorological department should reach every person who is potentially threatened, and this communication is to be ensured via proper channels which are available even at the remote locations. Proper communication minimized loss of lives when cyclone Fani hit the state of Odisha.
Secondly, preparedness for a disaster is required and this needs to be continuously in practice. People should be given basic training on managing themselves with the primary survival needs in case a natural calamity hits, or stocking up resources for such a situation.
Thirdly, providing basic services immediately after the disaster hits is a requirement. The state specifically needs to plan the relocation to safer places with adequate help and basic amenities. Also, those people who are stranded or could not be possibly relocated should be reached out to and provided the basic needs or rescued for relocation.
The fourth step is to restore livelihood and living standards to the previous conditions. The state should appoint committees who can chalk out plans, prioritize tasks, calculate financial needs and then determine ETA before the execution happens and also make sure the restoration happens at its best pace. As per the Disaster Management Act, 2005, disaster management plans and mitigation plans should be chalked out at the national, state and district levels. Despite the fact that NDRF i.e. National Disaster Relief Fund and SDRF i.e. State Disaster Relief Funds have been set up, there are no mitigation plans and thereby no funds are available for tackling disasters.
We should learn from our mistakes and experiences in the past and apply them for better disaster management.