Chapter 2

Disaster Management in India

2.1 Introduction

Historical statistics suggests that India is one of the most disaster prone countries in the
world exposed to recurring devastations due to cyclones, floods, drought, and earthquake
for centuries. Early literature on the disaster management is mostly devoted to issues
relating to relief management under the policies of prevalent government system. People
will take disasters as the “act of God” and absorb pain and suffering, with or without
social/material/other aid or support from the Government. India has experienced some of
the worst kind of disasters in recent past including the Gujarat Killer Earthquake in 2001
and Tsunami in December 2004 in the Andaman and Nikobar Islands. Country faces a
substantial number of disasters occurring in the Asia Pacific region, which itself accounts
for nearly 60 % of the natural disasters that occur the world over. By and large, almost all
the states in India are prone to some natural calamity or the other. However, there are
some States, especially those located along the sea coast and in the Himalayan region
which are more susceptible to natural calamities like cyclones, floods, earthquakes, land
slides and avalanches. 24 out of our 34 states and Union Territories are disaster prone.
India has however taken stock of the situation in this new century and the High Powered

Committee (HPC) put together a report m October 2001 on disaster management.

Government (state / central) has taken several initiatives for establishing and managing
an effective emergency and disaster management system. Evolution & status of Disaster
Management System in India is discussed in this chapter.

16
2.2 Indian Vulnerabilities to Disasters

Indian history cites many instances of coping with natural and human-made disasters,
from invasions and wars to droughts, floods, famines, earthquakes, and cyclones. The
location of the sub-continent with its unique geoclimatic features, together with a dense
population, makes for an interesting mix of vulnerability and resilience. Through the
centuries, people have had to cope with frequent hazards through distinctive settlement
patterns, livelihood preferences, sociocultural practices, and traditions.

In addition to religious literature promoting the need for harmony between humans and
their environment, scholastic and scientific literature in ancient India dealt with aspects of
disaster preparedness and mitigation. One example is the philosopher astronomer-
mathematician Varahamihira (505-587 AD) who wrote about earthquakes, their causes,
and predictability in the Bnhad Samhita. In it he discusses signs of earthquakes and
correlates them with cosmic and planetary influence, underground water and undersea
activities, unusual cloud formations, and abnormal behavior of ammals. These became
part of folklore and form the basis of coping mechanisms extant at community level
today. The Atharva Veda discusses drought mitigation strategies (Biswas 2000) and the
Arthashastra, a treatise on public administration by Chanakya (4th century BC), has a
section on famine relief and mitigation measures.

The Himalayas are the world’s youngest fold mountains, are tectonically active, and
sustain the largest global, non-polar glacial deposits. The Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra basm,
stretching parallel to the Himalayan arc, cames water and silt from wide catchments
through the longest alluvial plain in the world. About 58% of the Indian landmass is
prone to earthquakes and landslides of different magnitudes and about 12% of its
geographical area (about 40 million hectares) is subject to riverine and flash floods of
which about eight million hectares are susceptible to annual flooding. Thirty-five major

17
urban centers with populations of more than half a million each are located in high risk,
seismic zones where earthquakes of magnitude of six or above on the Richter scale are
distinct possibilities. Parts of the northeast receive the highest rainfall in the world
whereas parts of the northwest have the scantiest, just as some areas of the trans-
Himalayas are among the coldest inhabited areas and part of the Thar Desert is among the
warmest. This wide variation in rainfall and climate make many regions of India
susceptible to hazards such as droughts, floods, hailstorms, cloudbursts, avalanches, and
heat and cold waves that claim lives, livelihood, and property (Dhar Chakrabarti 2006).
States along the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are affected by about 80 per cent of
all cyclones (and accompanying floods and storm surges) generated in the region. Despite
many irrigation projects, 68 per cent of the arable land is drought-prone, half of it
critically so with annual precipitations of less than 750 mm and consequently immense
social (primarily health) and financial implications because of its impacts on agriculture
and food production, diminishing access to safe water supplies, and negation of
development achievements.

Repeated disasters lead to substantial losses of hard-earned development gains as well as

diverting development funds towards disaster relief. According to World Bank estimates,
direct losses of public and private infrastructure in India have amounted to approximately
$30 billion over the past 35 years (World Bank 2003). Since less than 25% of the events
registered actually provide loss estimates, the official figures probably understate their
hue economic impact. Accordmg to the same study, 2.25% of the GDP and 12.15% of
the national revenue were lost because of natural disasters from 1996-2001. This has
serious implications for overall macroeconomic management and development planning.
Table 1 gives an idea of the cost of disasters from 1996 to 2001.

Disasters are posing an ever-greater threat to the lives and livelihoods of millions of
people in India. Droughts and floods, earthquakes and cyclones hit the country with gnm
regularity year after year. Between 1994 and 2003, disasters — both ‘natural’ and
technological — claimed 68,671 Indian lives and affected an average of 68 million
people every year of the decade, according to the Belgium-based Centre for Research on

18
the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). This toll is worse than for the previous ten years,
from 1984 to 1993, when disasters claimed 42,171 lives and, every year, affected an
average of 55 million people. Meanwhile, catastrophes in India during the 1990s claimed
US$ 1.9 billion annually in direct economic costs alone (IFRC,2006).

In the face of such devastating impacts, the task of supporting the resilience of Indian
communities to disasters has never been more urgent. Many parts of the Indian sub­
continent are susceptible to different types of disasters owing to the unique topographic
and climatic characteristics. About 54 per cent of the sub-continent's landmass is
vulnerable to earthquakes while about 4 crore hectares is vulnerable to periodic floods.

2-pcr Q°pC 2°pQ’

MAP SHOWING MULTI HAZARD ZONES IN INDIA

500 0 500 1000 Kilometers

LEGENDS
EQ(M)
W&C(H)EQ(H)FL
WSC(H)EQ(H)NFZ

. W&C(H)EQ(L)FL

1 W&C(H)EQ(L)MFZ
WSC(H)EQ(M)FL

1 W&C(H)EQ(M)NFZ
W&C(H)EQ(VH)FL

N
WSC(H)EQ(VH)NFZ
WSC(L)EQ(L)FL
A$C(L)EQ(L)NFZ
W&C(L)EQ(M)FL
A&C(L)EQ(M)NFZ
W&C(M-A)EQ(H)NFZ
W&C|M-A)EQ(L)FL
W&C(M-A)EG(L)NFZ

i W&C(M-A)EQ(M)FL

i W&C(M-A)EQ(M)NFZ W&C_VH(A)= Wind &cydone very high damage risk rone - A (55 mis)
W&C_VH(B)= Wind Acydone very high damage risk zone -B (50 m/s)
L_ ASC(M-A)EQ(VH)FL
W&C_H= Wind ic y done hicfi danage nskzone- (47 m/s)
W&C(M-A)EQ(VH)NFZ W&C_M(A)= Wind &cyclone moderate damage risk zone -A (44 m/s)
. ASC(M-B)EQ(H)FL w&C_M(B)= Wind ^cyclone moderate damage nsk zone -B (39 m/s)
A&C(M-B)EQ(H)NFZ W&C_L= Wind &cydone lav damage risk zone (33 nVs)
EQ_VH= Earthquake very high damage nsk zone ( MSK IX or more)
W&C(MB)EQ(L)FL EQ_H= Earthquake high damage risk zone ( MSK VIII)
A&C(M-B)EQ(L)NFZ EQ_M= Earthquake medium damage nsk zone ( MSK VII)
■
EQ_L= Earthquake low damage nskzone ( MSK VI)
W&C(M-B)EQ(M)FL
R_Z= Rood zone
■ W&C(M-B)EQ(M)NFZ NFZ= No flood zone
W6C(M-0)EQ(VH)NFZ

1_ W&C(VH-A)EQ(H)NFZ
W&C(VF4B)EQ(H)NFZ
W&C(VH-B)EQ(l)FL
W&C(VKB)EQ(L)NFZ
W&C(VH-B)EQ(M)FL
W&C(VH-B)EQ(M)NFZ Andaman & Nicobar island
WfiC(VH-B)EQ(VH)FL
(Dm
■ W4C(VH-B)EQ(VH)NFZ
BQ
India

6°00' 4*00' 2°00' CTOO' 2°00' 4e00' 6°00' COO- 10*OC 12°00‘ 14°00' 16°00' 18*00' 20*00' 22°00' 24*00' 26*00' 28*00' 30-00' 32“0C 34°00' 36°0C 38°00' 40*00'

Disclaimer This map was collated based on the data/mformaicn compded by the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation. UNCP has not verified the accuracy of information at the Map Source BMTFC, inda

Figure 2.1: Indian Vulnerabilities to Different Hazards

19
The decade 1990-2000, has been one of very high disaster losses within the country,
losses in the Orissa Cyclone in 1999, and later, the Gujarat Earthquake in 2001 alone
amount to several thousand crore of Rupees, while the total expenditure on relief and
reconstruction in Gujarat alone has been to the tune of Rs 11,500 crore (Chapter 7, 10th
Five year plan (2002-2007) Planning commission of India). India's vulnerability to
droughts, floods, cyclones and earthquakes and the unique geo-climatic conditions make
this region among the most vulnerable to natural disasters in the world. Thirty-one out of
thirty-five states and union territories are disaster prone (High Power Committee Report,
2001). One million houses are damaged annually with losses of human lives and
properties. Brief descriptions of some disasters are given below.

2.3 Disasters in India

Draught:

Drought is a perennial feature in some states of India. Sixteen percent of the country's
total area is drought prone and approximately 50 million people are annually affected by
droughts. In fact, drought is a significant environmental problem too. It is caused by low
rainfall over a long period of time. In India, about 68% of the total sown area of the
country is drought prone.

Table 2.1: Losses due to Drought -1999-2001

S.No Year Districts Villages Population Dam age to Estimated Cattle

affected affected affected crops area value of population
(No) (Lakh) (Lakh Ha) dam aged crops affected
(Rs crore) (in lakh)

1 1999 125 - 369.88 134.22 6.44 345.60

2 2000 110 54,883 378.14 367.00 371.87 541.67

3 2001 103 22,255 88.19 67.44 NA 34.28

TOTAL 338 77,138 836.21 563.66 378.31 921.55

S ource: Annual Reports. Natural Disaster Management Division, Ministry o*'Agriculture

20
Most of the drought prone areas which are identified by the Government of India lie in
the arid, semiarid and sub-humid areas of the country.

Table 2.2: Regional Distribution of Drought years in India

Region 1951-60 1961-70 1971-80 1981-90 TOTAL

Bihar Plateau 0 1 1 5 7
Bihar Plains 2 1 1 4 8
Western Rajasthan 1 3 3 7 14
Gujarat Region 3 1 2 5 11
Saurashtra & Kutch 1 2 2 5 10
Marathwada 0 0 2 3 5
Orissa 2 2 5 6 15
Total 9 10 - 16 35 70

Cyclones

India has a very long coastline of 5700 km., which is exposed to tropical cyclones
originating in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. The Indian Ocean is one of the six
major cyclone-prone regions of the world. In India cyclones occur usually between April
and May and between October and December. The eastern coastline is more prone to
cyclones. About 80% of total cyclones generated in the region originate there.

21
 Figure 2.2: Wind and Cyclone Zones in India

Major cyclones in India

• 1737 October 7 in the Bay of Bengal: A cyclone destroyed 20.000 ships in the
densely populated area with a huge amount of shipping and trade. It was
estimated that more than 300,000 people died in that cyclone.
• 1789 December at City of Coringa: Three tidal waves caused by a cyclone
destroyed the harbour city at the mouth of the Ganges river. Most ships were sunk
and an estimated 20,000 people drowned.
• 1839 November at City of Coringa: A gigantic 40-foot tidal wave caused by an
enormous cyclone wiped out the harbour city that was never entirely rebuilt.
Twenty Thousand vessels in the bay were destroyed and 3,00,000 people died.
• 1864 October 5: Most of Calcutta denuded by cyclone and 70,000 people killed.

22
• 1876 October 31 in the Meghna River Delta near City of Backergunge: A tidal
wave caused by a cyclone flooded the river delta; some areas were submerged
under 40 feet of water; 1,00,000 people were drowned and another 1,00,000 are
reported to have perished from subsequent diseases caused by the polluted water.
• 1942 October 16: A cyclone devastated Bengal and about 40,000 lives were lost.
• 1967 October 12 in Orissa: A massive cyclone struck the rural state consisting of
small villages. All lives (human and ammal) and structures were wiped out. The
precise number of fatalities and destruction is unknown.
• 1971 September 29 in Onssa: Cyclone and tidal wave in the Bay of Bengal killed
as many as 10,000 people.
• 1977 November 19 in Andhra Pradesh: Cyclone and tidal wave claimed
approximately 20000 lives.
• 1996 November 6 m Andhra Pradesh: A cyclone that was headed to the
neighbouring Krishna district took an unexpected turn toward the Godavari river
delta with winds of up to 1OOmph (miles per hour). About 1,600 people died and
tens of thousands were rendered homeless.
• 1999 October 29 in the eastern Orissa: A super cyclone with wind gusts up to
190mph and waves of up to 15 feet in height crashed into 85 miles of the coastal
stretch and caused devastation in the distncts of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri,
Cuttack, and Jaipur. Transportation routes, infrastructure, public buildings
including schools and hospitals, communication lines, utilities, and thousands of
acres of farmland were destroyed. More than 9,500 people died and 2.5 million
became homeless. Four hundred thousand heads of livestock were drowned and
damage estimation reached 3.5 US $ billion (cyclone).

23
 Table 2.3: Damages due to Orissa super-cyclone

D a te o f T o ta l n o D is tric ts V illa g e s P o p u la t io n C ro p A re a H ouses Hum an C a ttle

o c c u rre n c e o f d is tr ic ts a ffe c te d a ffe c te d a ffe c te d a ffe c te d D am aged life lo s s lo s s
(N o ) (L a k h ) (L a k h H a) (n o .) (n o .) (n o .)

1 7 -1 8 .1 0 .9 9 30 4 5 ,1 8 1 3 7 .4 7 1 .5 8 3 3 1 ,5 8 0 199 1 0 ,5 7 8

2 9 -3 0 .1 0 .9 9 30 12 1 4 ,6 4 3 1 2 9 .2 2 1 8 .4 3 1 ,8 2 8 ,5 3 2 9 .8 8 7 4 4 4 ,5 3 1

S o u r c e : Annual Reports. Natural Disaster Management Division. Ministry of Agriculture

Table 2.4: Classification of cyclones with occurrence in India

Tropical Storm Hurricane/Typhoon/Severe Intense Hurricane

(greater than 17 m/s Tropical Cyclone (greater than (greater than 50 m/s
Basin
sustained winds) 33 m/s sustained winds) sustained winds)
Most Least Average Most Least Average Most Least Average
North 11 2 5 3 0
5.4 0 (several) 2.2 0.4
Indian (1992) (1993) (1998) (1999) (several)
11 6
South-
18 7 (1971, 2(1974, (1980, 0
West 13.3 6.7 2.7
(1997) (1983) 1994, 1998) 1994, (several)
Indian
1997) 2002)

A statistical estimation on frequency of cyclones is as given below -

• 1891-1990: 262 cyclones (92 severe) in a 50 km. wide strip on the east coast.

• Less severe cyclonic activity on the West Coast (33 cyclones in the same period)

• In 19 severe cyclonic storms, death toll > 10,000 lives

• In 21 cyclones in the Bay o f Bengal (India+Bangladesh) 1.25 million lives have
been lost.

Floods

Flood disasters affect the largest number of people globally, accounting for 63% of the
total num ber affected by disasters from 1992-2001. In the decade from 1992-2001,
hydrometeorological disasters accounted for 64% o f the decade’s estimated damage from

24
 30^30

reported disasters (IFRC 2002). In India, between 1996-2001, floods accounted for 38.7%
of all disaster events and 53.4% of the people were affected by floods.

Figure 2.3: Flood Zones in India

The Indian weather is greatly influenced by the monsoon system. The country receives
three quarters of its annual precipitation during the summer monsoon months between
June to September. In terms of spatial variations, the areas carrying heavy riverine
discharge are those that receive heavy precipitation during monsoons, thereby
compounding the problem. The entire Indo-Gangetic plain and the northeastern states
receive an annual precipitation of over 1,000 mm; in the lower Gangetic Plains, it is
between 1,500-2,500 mm, while in upper Assam the annual average precipitation is over
2,500 mm. The Lower Gangetic Plain and Assam Valley are therefore heavy rainfall
areas and most flood-prone.

25
The southwest monsoon during the months from June to October brings the maximum
rainfall. Consequently the rivers are in spate and carry heavy discharge during this
period, often resulting in Hoods, especially in the lower reaches. Flooding is aggravated
by sediment deposition in the river channels, drainage congestion, and synchronization of
river floods with ocean tides along the coastal plains.

Table 2.5: Damages Due o Heavy Rains, Landslides and Floods

s. Year Districts Villages Population Crop Area Houses Human Cattle Estimated Estimated of
No affected affected affected affected Damaged life loss loss value of value of Public
(No) (Lakh) (Lakh Ha.) (no.) (no.) (no.) loss to houses properties
(Rs. in crore) (Rs. in crore)

1 1999 202 33.158 328.12 8.45 884,823 1,375 3,861 0.72 -

2 2000 200 29,964 416.24 34.79 2.736.355 3,048 102,121 631.25 389.72

3 2001 122 32,363 210.71 18.72 346.878 834 21,269 195.57 676.05

Source Annual Reports. Natural Disaster M anagem ent Division, Ministry of Agriculture

On average, the nation loses about Rs 100 million due to floods annually: the amount
spent on relief and reconstruction results in a phenomenal loss of resources every year.
Table lists the principal flood-prone states, the damage figures from 1953 to 2004 are
given in Table gives a summary of flood facts for India.

Table 2.6: Principal Flood Prone States in India

Ffcod-pfcne a ea as>% OTIcta 1 Ftood-pere area of the stete as % of r e

state
area orai estate total Tood-p sore area of r e country

JtterPBdesh 32 61 194

5 fa r 55 22 130

Assam S3 H 93

West Bengal ' 37 42 •3 1

Orissa 10 31 40

osier sates 692 457

Total 12.17 1000

26
 Table 2.7: Flood Damages in India

Sector Annual average Maximum (year)

Area affected (million ha) 7.62 17.50(1978)

Crop area affected (million ha) 3.56 10.15(1988)

Population affected (million) 32.92 70.45(1978)

Human lives lost (No.) 1,590 11,316(1977)

Cattle lost (No.) 94,485 618,248(1979)

Houses damaged (No.) 1,234,616 3,507,542(1978)

Total damage (Rs million) 18,052 (400 million US$i 88,645 (2000)

Source: Central Water Commission

(4 crore hectares land is vulnerable to periodic floods)

Landslides

Landslides are a major hydro-geological hazard with regular occurrence in almost all hill
regions such as the Himalayas, north-eastern hill ranges, Western Ghats, Nilgiris in the
south, Eastern Ghats, and the Vindhyas in central parts. Heavy and prolonged rainfall due
to tropical disturbances or convective storms is a common trigger for landslides. Little or
no advance warning often hinders timely action. Table gives information about the major
landslide occurrences, their locations, dates, and impacts.

Earthquake:

Earthquakes strike without warning and cause widespread damage to various structures
and systems. These can neither be predicted nor prevemed in terms of their magnitude,
place, and time of occurrence. Globally, between 1950- 1999, earthquakes constituted

27
29% of great natural catastrophes, with 47% of the fatalities, 35% of economic losses and
18% of insured losses (Munich Re Group 2002). About 50-60% of the total area of the
country is vulnerable to seismic activity of varying intensities. The Himalayas are the
most active seismic zone in the Indian subcontinent and have suffered over 650 recorded
earthquakes of a magnitude of 5 and above in two centuries. An area wise estimation of
earthquakes according to damaging capability is given below.

• 12% land is liable to severe earthquakes (intensity MSK IX or more)-

• 18% land is liable to MSK VIII (similar to Latur/ Uttarkashi).
• 25% land is liable to MSK VII (similar to Jabalpur Earthquake).

68° 72° 76° 80“ 84® 88® 92° 96°

Zone Magnitude

Zone V V ery H igh Risk

Q u a ke s o f
M agnitude S and
greater
Zone IV H igh Risk
Q u a ke s upto
M agnitude 7.9
Zone III M oderate Risk
Q u a ke s upto
M agnitude 6.9
Zone II S eism ic
D isturbances upto
M agnitude 4.9

Figure 2.4 Seismic Classification of India

28
 Table 2.8: Seismic Classification of the States in India

in te n s ity
S e is m ic z o n e R is k z o n e S ta te s
MSK R ic h te r

E n tire N o rth E a s t a n d p a rts o f J & K ,

V e r y H ig h D a m a g e
V IX 8+ H im a c h a l, U t ta r a n c h a l, G u ja r a t , B ih a r
R is k Z o n e
a n d A n d a m a n & N ic o b a r

P a r ts o f J & K , H P . P u n ja b , H a r y a n a .
H ig h D a m a g e R is k U tta r a k h a n d , U tta r P ra d e s h , B ih a r,
IV V III 7 -7 .9
Zone J h a r k h a n d , W e s t B e n g a l, G u ja r a t a n d
M a h a ra s tra

P a r ts o f P u n ja b , H a r y a n a . U tta r
P r a d e s h , B ih a r, J h a r k h a n d , W e s t
M o d e r a te D a m a g e R isk B e n g a l, O r is s a , M a d h y a P r a d e s h ,
in V II 5 - 6 .9
Zone C h a a a t is g a r h , R a ja s t h a n , G u ja r a t
a n d M a h a r a s t r a , A n d h r a , T a m il N a d u ,
K a r n a t a k a , K e r a la a n d L a k s h d w e e p

P a rts o f R a ja s t h a n , M P , C h a a a t is g a r h ,
L o w D a m a g e R is k
II VI - 4 .9 J h a r k h a n d , O r is s a , M a h a r a s t r a . A P ,
Zone
T N , K a r n a t a k a a n d K e r a la

Table 2.9: Major Earthquakes in India

Magnitude on
Year Region Deaths
Richter scale
1803 K um aon Region 7.7 NA
1819 Kuteh 8.0 NA
1869 Cachar, Assam 7.5 NA
1885 Sapoor, Jammu & Kashmir 7.0 NA
1897 Shillong, A ssam 8.7 1600

1905 K angra (H im achal Pradesh) 8.0 2000

1906 H im achal Pradesh 7.0 NA

1918 Assam 7.6 NA

1930 Dhubri, M eghalaya 7.1 N.A.

1934 N orth B ihar - Nepal 8.3 11000

1935 Q uetta (N ow in Pakistan) 7.5 25000

1941 A ndam an Island 8.1 N.A.

1945 D ibrugarh, Assam 7.8 NA

1950 Assam 8.6 1500

29
 1952 Pondgo and Tangu 7.5 N.A.
1956 Anjar, Gujarat 7.0 N.A.
1956 Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh) 6.7 N.A.
1958 Kapkote (Uttar Pradesh) 6.3 N.A.
1963 Badagam (Jammu and Kashmir) 5.3 N.A.
1967 Koyna (Maharashtra) 6.5 200
1986 Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) 5.7 N.A.
1988 Assam 7.2 N.A.
1988 North. Bihar 6.7 1300
1991 Uttarkashi (Uttar Pradesh) 6.6 768
1993 Latur, Maharastra 6.4 10000
1997 Jabalpur 6.0 37
2001 Kutch, Gujarat 6.9 13805
2005 Jammu & Kashmir 7.6 NA
(Source NCDM 2001, Smgh el al 2000)

2.4 Disaster Management in India

The earliest initiatives in developing an institutional mechanism for disaster management

began in 1883 m India, with the First Famine Code formulated by a Famine Commission.
After 1947 (independence from British Raj) , the initial focus was on food scarcity and
famine so a Scarcity Relief Division within the Ministry of Agriculture was put in charge
of drought and scarcity management and gradually given the responsibility for managing
all natural disasters when it was upgraded to a Natural Disaster Management Division
(NDMD) within the Ministry of Agriculture. But India began a process of rapid
industrialization without understanding and appropriate policy framework related hazards
and associated risks. Implementation of safety procedures, including regulatory
approaches, soon followed and institutions such as the National Safety Council (NSCI)
were created. The Bhopal disaster (1984) did much to focus more attention on the need
for a holistic approach to technology disaster management, and the role of ordinary

30
people in emergencies. The government took several important measures, with major
legislative changes and stronger institutional mechanisms. It set up Crisis Groups at
central, state, district and local levels.

One of the earliest institutional initiatives in terms of a changing approach was the
Central Sector Scheme on Disaster Management, implemented from 1993-94, and
focused on disaster preparedness with an emphasis on mitigation and preparedness
measures and improving the national capacity to reduce the adverse impacts of natural
disasters. The principal activities undertaken involved hazard mapping and vulnerability
assessment (e.g., preparation of the Vulnerability Atlas of India); human resource
development (establishment of a National Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM) in
New Delhi and disaster management cells with dedicated faculties in all the
administrative training institutes in the states); upgrading the early warning system and
strengthening the seismological instrumentation network; awareness generation; and
other related activities.

Bhopal disaster (1984), Orissa super-cyclone (1999) and the Bhuj earthquake (2001) gave
some of the unforgettable lessions not only to community in the affected areas but also to
the Governments, both at the national as well as the state level, on the urgent need for
developing a comprehensive approach to mitigation and prevention, for natural and man­
made disasters.

31
IM D — IN D IA N
M E T E O R O L O G IC A L
D E PA R TM E NT
C W C —C E N T R A L
W ATER C O M M IS S IO N

Figure 2.5: National Setup for Disaster Management in India

A High Powered Committee (HPC) on disaster management was established in August

1999 to recommend an institutional system for managing disasters. The committee
studied the disaster management system globally and had a senes of consultations with
all stakeholders. Recommendations were made in Oct 2001 which focused on the need
for a holistic effort considering all disasters within a coordinated system of governance. It
is this recommendation from the HPC that possibly provided the impetus for the Act of
2005 and gradual establishment of national-level authorities and committees. HPC also
provided a model district plan. The HPC also focused on instilling a culture of prevention
into the national psyche.

32
The Planning Commission of India incorporated a separate chapter on ‘Disaster
Management - The Development Perspective’ m the 10th Five Year Plan (2002-2007),
with the objective of informing, guiding, and providing specific strategies for all state
governments on disaster management. The Tenth Five Year Plan emphasized that
development cannot be sustainable without mitigation being built into the development
process. It provided for preparation of a plan for disaster mitigation for all states and
mandated that each development initiative in a hazard-prone area should have disaster
prevention or mitigation as a term of reference. This helped bring about a shift in
approach from national development to ‘safe national development’ and laid down broad
parameters and strategies for information dissemination and research initiatives, capacity
building, training and education, community-level initiatives, and institutional
arrangements. The Eleventh Five Year Plan reiterated the aim of safe development with
integration of mitigation measures into development initiatives.

The cultural ethos of the most vulnerable people, facing frequent disasters with little
resilience and a poor quality of life, was one of fatalism and acceptance of loss as the
wrath of nature (act of God!). A similar attitude prevailed within the administrative
machinery too, with a focus only on post-disaster relief and rehabilitation (re-active
attitude). The prevalent nomenclature of the nodal officials and departments dealing with
disaster management; viz., relief commissioners and departments of relief, indicate the
significance of relief in the administrative system. Ironically, Even now, the fond
earmarked for disaster management is called the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF). Majority
of state Governments still follows the ancient “Relief codes”, a byproduct of famous
“Famine code (1883)”. Very recently, Government of India has advised the State
Governments to convert their “Relief Codes” into “Disaster Management Codes”
by building into it the process necessary for drawing up disaster management and
mitigation plans as well as elements o f preparedness apart from response and
relief.

33
 Table 2.10: Damages Due to Natural Disasters in India

Year P e o p le a ffe c te d H o u s e s & b u ild in g s , p a r tia lly o r A m o u n t o f p r o p e r ty

(L a k h ) to t a lly , d a m a g e d d a m a g e /lo s s
(R s C ro re )

1S85 5 9 5 .6 2 ,4 4 9 ,8 7 8 4 0 .0 6

1986 5 5 0 .0 2 ,0 4 9 ,2 7 7 3 0 .7 4

1987 4 8 3 .4 2 ,9 1 9 ,3 8 0 2 0 .5 7

1988 1 0 1 .5 2 4 2 ,5 2 3 4 0 .6 3

1989 30.1 7 8 2 ,3 4 0 20.41

1990 3 1 .7 1 ,0 1 9 ,9 3 0 10.71

1991 3 4 2 .7 1 .1 90 .1 C 9 1 0 .90

1992 1 9 0 .9 5 7 0 ,9 6 9 2 0 .0 5

1993 2 6 2 .4 1 ,5 2 9 ,9 1 6 5 0 .8 0

1994 2 3 5 .3 1 ,0 5 1 ,2 2 3 1 0 .8 3

1995 5 4 3 .5 2 ,0 8 3 ,3 5 5 4 0 .7 3

1996 5 4 9 .9 2 ,3 7 6 ,6 9 3 5 0 .4 3

1997 4 4 3 .8 1 ,1 0 3 ,5 4 9 n.a.

1998 5 2 1 .7 1 ,5 6 3 ,4 0 5 0 .7 2

1999 5 0 1 .7 3 .1 0 4 .0 6 4 1 0 2 0 .9 7

2000 5 9 4 .3 4 2 ,7 3 6 ,3 5 5 8 0 0 .0 0

2001 7 8 8 .1 9 8 4 6 ,8 7 8 12000

S o u rc e : Annual Reports. NDM Division, Ministry of Agriculture

A chain of disasters brought a shift from a relief-based to a proactive preparedness and

mitigation-based approach. It was realized that the apparent loss of human life and assets
masked insurmountable losses in livelihood, social capital, and economic development. It
is estimated that disasters result in annual average losses amounting to about 2.25% of
the GDP (WB,2003) . Disasters lead to enormous economic losses that are both
immediate as well as long term in nature and demand additional revenues. Also, as an
immediate fall-out, disasters reduce revenues from the affected region due to lower levels
of economic activity leading to loss of direct and indirect taxes. In addition, unplanned
budgetary allocation to disaster recovery can hamper development interventions and lead
to unmet developmental targets. Disasters may also reduce availability of new
investment, further constricting the growth of the region. Besides, additional pressures
may be imposed on finances of the government through investments in relief and

34
rehabilitation work. In the recent earthquake in Gujarat, more than 14,000 lives were lost,
ten lakh houses were damaged and the asset loss has been indicated to be worth 15,000
crore (WB,2003) .

The cost of rehabilitation and reconstruction of a shattered infrastructure and economy

can be enormous and carry over for years. 26 January 2001 Gujarat earthquake gave a big
lesson and it was perceived & realized that a holistic approach was needed for effective
management of complex emergencies created by disaster situation. As a result, the
responsibility for disaster management, excluding drought, was shifted to the Ministry of
Home Affairs, Government of India, in June 2002.

Planning Commission of India has pointed out natural disasters as a major cause of
setbacks to development and it is the poorest and the weakest that are the most vulnerable
to disasters. Given the high frequency with which one or the other part of the country
suffers due to disasters, mitigating the impact of disasters must be an integral component
of our development planning and be part of our poverty reduction strategy.

The Paradigm shift in public policy from a disaster-specific to a comprehensive and

holistic approach in a multisectoral and multidisciplinary format gained momentum. This
approach proceeded from the conviction that development cannot be sustainable unless
disaster mitigation is built into the development process and investments in mitigation are
more cost-effective than expenditure on relief and rehabilitation. The National Disaster
Management Act, 2005, which came into the statutes on 26th December, 2005, provided
a legal and institutional framework for “the effective management of disasters and for
matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.” The Act provided for an institutional
mechanism at the national, state, and local levels for comprehensive disaster
management. It also provided for establishment of the following institutions and
mechanisms to deal with disaster management.

35
 Figure 2.6: National Emergency Response Plan - Flow of Information

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

The Act empowers the Central Government to appoint the National Disaster Management
Authority with the Prime Ministerjof India as the Chairperson and such number of other
members, not exceeding nine. The Central Government is to provide the National
Authority with such officers, consultants and employees, as it considers necessary for
carrying out the functions of the National Authority. The National Authority has the
responsibility to lay down, approve the policies, plans and guidelines for disaster

36
management prepared by various departments of Government of India to ensure timely
and effective response to disaster.

National Executive Committee (NEC)

To assist the National Authority an advisory committee called the National Executive
Committee consisting of experts in the field of disaster management having practical
experience of disaster management at the National, State and District level. The National
Executive Committee is further empowered to constitute one or more sub-committees, for
the efficient discharge of its functions. The Committee is entrusted to prepare a national
plan for disaster management which is to be reviewed and updated annually.
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35
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DEVELOPMENT
URBAN
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SPACE SCIENCE &

AGRICULTURE

INTEGRATED
RESOURCES
TELECOMMUNICATIONS

DEFENSE
TECHNOLOGY

WATER

STAFF

CHIEF

NEC CONSTITUTED UNDER THE ACT 2005, IS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARIES OF DEPARTMENTS INDICATED IN
THE FIGURE THE COMMITTEE ASSISTS NDMA AND ENSURES COMPLIANCE WITH AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
DIRECTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND NDMA

Figure 2.7: National Executive Committee on Disaster Management

37
National Disaster Management Plan

The National Disaster Management Plan shall include the prevention of disasters, the
integration of mitigation measures in the development plans, the preparedness and
capacity building to effectively respond to any threatening disaster situations or disaster,
the roles and responsibilities of different Ministries or Departments of the Government of
India. The National Authority is to recommend guidelines for the minimum standards of
relief to be provided to persons affected by disaster like the minimum requirements to be
provided in the relief camps in relation to shelter, food, drinking water, medical cover
and sanitation, the special provisions to be made for widows and orphans, ex grati
assistance on account of loss of life as also assistance on account of damage to houses
and for restoration of means of livelihood and such other relief as may be necessary. In
cases of disasters of severe magnitude, the National Authority may recommend relief in
repayment of loans or for grant of fresh loans to the persons affected by disaster on such
concessional terms as may be appropriate.

State Disaster Management Authority

Similar to National Authority at the Centre, the State Government is to establish a State
Disaster Management Authority for the State. The State Authority is to be headed by the
Chief Minister of the State as the Chairperson and such number of other members, not
exceeding nine. The State Authority is empowered as and when it considers necessary to
constitute an advisory committee, consisting of experts in the field of disaster
management. The State Authority is supposed to lay down the State disaster management
policy, approve the State Plan in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the
National Authority.

State Executive Committee

The State Executive Committee is empowered to control and restrict, vehicular traffic to,
from or within, the vulnerable or affected area, control and restrict the entry of any
person, his movement within and departure from, a vulnerable or affected area, remove

38
debris, conduct search and carry out rescue operations, provide shelter, food, drinking
water, essential provisions, healthcare and services in accordance with the standards laid
down by the National Authority and State Authority.

District Disaster Management Committee

Every State Government, in turn, is to establish a District Disaster Management

Authority for every district in the State with the District Collector as the Chairperson and
such number of other members, not exceeding seven. The District Authority is to act as
the district planning, coordinating and implementing body for disaster management and
takes all measures for the purposes of disaster management in the district in accordance
with the guidelines laid down by the National Authority and the State Authority.

National Government & International Agencies

The Central Government is empowered to further measures as it deems necessary or

expedient for the purpose of disaster management like deployment of naval, military and
air forces, other armed forces of the Union or any other civilian personnel as may be
required for the purposes of this Act, coordination with the United Nations agencies,
international organizations and governments of foreign countries for the purposes of this
Act, and establish institutions for research, training, and developmental programmes in
the field of disaster management.

National Institution of Disaster Management (NIDM)

The Central Government is empowered to constitute an institute to be called the National

Institute of Disaster Management. The institute functions within the broad policies and

39
guidelines lay down by the National Authority and are responsible for planning and
promoting training and research in the area of disaster management, documentation and
development of national level information base relating to disaster management policies,
prevention mechamsms and mitigation measures.

National Disaster Response Force

A National Disaster Response Force for the purpose of specialist response to a

threatening disaster situation or disaster is to be constituted. The general superintendence,
direction and control of the Force shall be vested and exercised by the National Authority
and the command and supervision of the Force shall vest in an officer to be appointed by
the Central Government as the Director General of the National Disaster Response Force.

National Disaster Response Fund

The National Disaster Response Fund to meet any threatening disaster situation or
disaster is to be constituted. The Fund is made available to the National Executive
Committee to be applied to meet the expenses for emergency response, relief and
rehabilitation in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Central Government in
consultation with the National Authority.

Civil and Criminal Liabilities

The Act imposes punishments to persons for contravening the provisions of this Act,
2005 such as obstructing or abandoning, refusing to comply with any of the provisions of
this Act, making false claims, misappropriation of money or materials or false warning,
etc. The punishment in such cases could be imprisonment, fine, or both.

40
Disaster Management Act & Role of Media

The National Authority, the State Authority, or a District Authority is empowered to

recommend the Government to give direction to any authority or person in control of any
audio or audiovisual media or such other means of communication as may be available to
carry any warning or advisories regarding any threatening disaster situation or disaster,
and the said means of communication and media as designated shall comply with such
direction.

National Framework for Disaster Management

At a higher government level, there is a National Crisis Management Committee

(NCMC) headed by the Cabinet Secretary. Membership is composed of secretaries from
all relevant ministries and departments. The NCMC gives directions to the CMG as and
when necessary. The NCMC can give directions to any ministry, department, or
organization to carry out specific actions in a crisis situation. At the apex level, there are
two cabinet committees; viz., the Cabinet Committee on Natural Calamities (originally
the Cabinet Committee on Drought Management) and the Cabinet Committee on
Security. The principal issues relating to natural disasters, primarily those pertaining to
institutional and legislative measures needed to promote an effective strategy for natural
disaster management are placed before the Cabinet Committee on Natural Calamities.

The national and State level disaster acts incorporate the best learning's available
from the similar existing acts, mostly from western world. But adoption of the
existing best practices helps a "quick start", but such polices need to under go
a constant review and revision process to accommodate "local context" into it.
This is the beginning of new phase of disaster management in the country

41
u n d er a techno-legal fram e w o rk an d w ill tak e som e tim e before state
governm ents are "d isaster rea d y " w ith policies a n d in fra stru ctu re s in place.

Figure 2.8: National Framework for Disaster Management in India

42
National Disaster Management set-up

The country with its federal system of Government has specific roles for the Central and
State Governments. However, the subject of disaster management does not specifically
find mention in any of the three lists in the 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, where
subjects under the Central and State Governments as also subjects that come under both
are specified. The country has integrated administrative machinery for management of
disasters at the National, State, District and Sub-District levels. The basic responsibility
of undertaking rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures m the event of natural disasters,
as at present, is that of the State Governments concerned. The Central Government
supplements the efforts of the States by providing financial and logistic support. The
national Crisis Management Committee (NCME) oversees all disaster related efforts at
national level. When a situation is to be handled by the NCMC, it will give directions to
the Crisis Management Group (CMG), of the Ministry as deemed necessary. The CMG
deals with matters relating to relief in the wake of major natural calamities. Various
ministries in Government of India have been assigned nodal responsibility for
management of specific types of hazards. The Ministry of Home Affairs is now the nodal
ministry for management of natural disasters. The nodal ministries for various disasters
are as follows -

Disaster Nodal Ministry

(a) Air Accidents Ministry of Civil Aviation
(b) Civil Strife Ministry of Home Affairs
(c) Rail Accidents Ministry of Railways
(d) Chemical Disasters Ministry of Environment and Forests
(e) Biological Disasters Ministry of Health
(f) Nuclear Accidents Ministry of Atomic Energy
(g) Natural Disaster (droughts only) Ministry of Agriculture

Disaster Management Organisation Flow

National level: Dimension of involvement of National response system during any

disaster is generally based on - The gravity of a natural calamity, scale of the relief

43
operation necessary, & requirements of Central assistance for augmenting the financial
resources at the disposal of the State Government.

(Source: Dhar Chakrborti ,2006)

Figure 2.9 : Institutional Framework for Disaster Management in India

State Level. At the state level the, relief was being handled by the Departments of Relief
and Rehabilitation. This system is now being restructured to have a Department of
Disaster Management, which will also look into preparedness and mitigation besides the
present role in relief and rehabilitation. This system has already been introduced in 11
state and Union Territories of India.

44
Distt Level. The same system is being followed at the district level with the district
Coordination and Relief Committee being reconstituted as the disaster management
committee, with officers from relevant department being added into the committee. The
district magistrate would be the nodal officer to coordinate these activities. Moreover, the
district heads of department engaged in development are being made a part of this
committee to streamline disaster management plans into developmental plans.

Subdivision Level. At the sub-divisional and taluka levels, disaster management

committees are being constituted. At the village level there would be disaster
management teams and committees.

2.5 National Disaster Response Plan

National Disaster Response Plan (recommended by HPC) describes the modus-operandi

of central support to the state Government in managing disaster under the national policy
on disaster management. Most of the disaster situations are to be managed at the State
and District levels. The Centre will play a supporting role and provide assistance when
the consequences of a disaster exceed District and State capacities. The Centre will
mobilize support in terms of various emergency teams, support personnel, specialized
equipment and operating facilities depending on the scale of the disaster and the need of
the State or District. Although active assistance to an affected State/Distnct will be
provided only after the declaration of a national level disaster (L3), the National response
mechanism has to be prepared and any impending State or District disaster has to be
monitored in order to provide immediate assistance whenever required. For this purpose
the National response mechanism has to be pre defined in terms of process, related
handbooks, and checklists that will have to be used during a disaster.

National Disaster management agency continuously monitor disaster dynamics step into
action when a disaster situation exceeds the capacity of the State authorities. In order to

45
formalize and give meaning to these procedures, new concepts of “Trigger Mechanism or
L concept" have been developed as an integral part of the National Disaster Response
Plan. Although active assistance to an affected State/District will be provided only after
the declaration of a national level disaster (L3), the National response mechanism has to
be prepared and any impending State or District disaster has to be monitored in order to
provide immediate assistance whenever required.

(Source: NDRP, UPC report. Government o f India)

Figure 2.10: National Emergency Operation Center

46
 ESF No Function Primary national agency

ESF 1 Communication Ministry of Communication

ESF 2 Public Health & Sanitation Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

ESF 3 Power Ministry of Power

Ministry of Surface Transport/ Ministry
ESF 4 Transport
of Railways
ESF 5 Search & Rescue Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Disaster Management/
ESF 6 Donation Management
Ministry of Home Affairs
Ministry of Urban Affairs & Poverty
ESF 7 Public Works 8 Engineering
Aleviation
ESF 8 Information & Planning Ministry of Information Technology
Ministry of Planning & Programme
ESF 9 Relief Supply Management
Implementation
ESF 10 Food Ministry of Food & Civil Supplies

ESF 11 Drinking Water & Water Supply Ministry of Water Resources

IVSnistry of Urban Affairs & Poverty
ESF 12 Shelter
Alleviation
ESF 13 Media IVSnistry of Information & Broadcasting
Ministry of Disaster Management/
ESF 14 Help lines
IVSnistry of Home Affairs

(Source: NDRP, UPC report, Government o f India)

Figure 2.11: Emergency Support Functions (ESF) at National Level

Levels of Handling the Disasters - LI, L2, L3 levels of each disaster have to be
predetermined, to layout the ‘Standard Operating Procedure. This involves a ‘Trigger
Mechanism7, which would set off the basic initial response without formal orders from
anywhere. 'L l denotes a disaster that can be handled effectively at the district level.
Normally L2 level of the district will be the LI level at state headquarters: L3 level of
state headquarters would normally be the LI at the centre. LO has been designated as the
preparatory level prior to L I.

47
(Source: NDRP, UPC report. Government o f India)

Figure 2.12: Incident Command System

National Emergency Operation Center

National Emergency Response Plan describes aims and objectives of National

Emergency Operation center (N-EOC). Concept of NEOC, as stated in NERP is as
follows-

• The Central Relief Commissioner or his/her designee will initiate the activation of
emergency services of the EOC as established.

48
 / <3oSo

Emergency Operation Centre

Designated EOC Incharge

Support Desks
ESF Commander Operations Desks
ESF No. 1 - Communication
ESF No. 2 - Public Health arid Sanitation
ESF No. 3 - Power LOGISTICS
ESF No. 4 - Transport
ESF No. 5 - Search and Rescue
ESF No. 6 - Donation
ESF No. 7 - Public Works & Engineering
FINANCE AND
ESF No. 8 - Information and Planning
HUMAN
ESF No. 9 - Relief Supplies
ESF No. 10 - Food RESOURCES
ESF No. 11 - Drinking Water
ESF No. 12- Shelter
ESF No. 13- Media
KNOWLEDGE
ESF No. 14- Helplines
NETWORK

(Source: NDRP. UPC report, Government o f India)

Figure 2.13: National Emergency Operation Center

• Activation of the EOC should immediately follow the declaration of a National

Level Emergency.
• The individual who declares the L3 Emergency shall announce the location of the
EOC in case of any eventuality to the National EOC.
• Individuals staffing the EOC are responsible for establishing communications
such as radio and telephone with their respective departments.
• The CRC - or designee — will determine what staff he/she deems necessary to
effectively operate the EOC apart from the prescrioed staff.
• The designated officers of the Home Guards at the EOC will provide security to
the EOC entrance points. Only individuals allowed by the Home Guards will be
authorized to enter the EOC.

49
 The aim of the EOC at national level shall be to provide centralized direction and
control of any or the all of the following actions -

• Emergency operations
• Communications and warning
• Requesting additional resources during the disaster phase from neighbouring
States of the affected area
• Coordinating overseas support and aid
• Issuing emergency information and instructions specific to Central ministries
consolidation, analysis, and dissemination of Damage Assessment data
• Forwarding of consolidated reports to NCCM, Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of
Agriculture.

Some of other resources described in the response plan recommendation include -

Hot-line, V S AT and wireless communications should be established at the EOC with

the following:

• State Relief Commissioner

• Cabinet Secretary
• IM D
• Related Ministries (Primary agencies)

Manpower requirements o f the EOC

Regular Staff
Deputy Relief Commissioner
- EDP Manager

Staff on call
2 Deputy Secretaries

Staff on disaster duty

Incident Commander
Sector/ESF Expert
ESF Commanders

Equipment Requirements

Data bank of maps and plans at District,

State, and National level within a GIS set-up.
Hardware
GIS software
State-of-the-art communication equipment
Inventories related to all ESFs and relief materials

50
 s'{ Composition of EOC - Centre
Centre Chief Incharge
Liajson Officer (Volunteer/Inter-
) agency)
ESF Heads - Centre (14)
EOC - Centre \ Public Information Officer
Logistics Officer
Centre Chief ln< barge
\ Finance Officer
.’1 Security Officer

Composition of EOC - State

State Chief Incharge
ESF Heads - State (14)
Logistics Officer
Finance Officer
EOC - State
z Security Officer
o State Chief Incharge Liaison Officer (Volunteer/Inter-
agency)
Doctor
CL. Pub be Information Officer
o
Composition of EOC - Distnct
I Distnct Chief Incharge - Assigned
IS . by Centre
CO
Z l Extension ESF Heads (14)
O l Logistics Officer
O
* Finance Officer
l EOC - District t Secunty Officer
.District Chief Incliarge s Doctor
‘ Public Infoimation Officer

Composition
- Incident Commander -
Appointed by Centre
- Information Officer
- Safety Officer
- Intra-agency Coord
Intensity and Need $

Off
Incident Commands headed by experienced personnel - Operat ions Officer
Variable according to

(Central level) are placed at local site operation levels to - Planning Officer
facilitate quick and spot decisions Thenumbei of Incident.
Commands depends on seventy of disaster - Logistics Officer
- Finance Officer
- Operation Teams
! • Damage Assessment
Search and Rescue
Medical Assistance
Incident ' Incident Incident ,
Donation Mgt
Command Command i Command \ Restoration-each ESF
Relief Camps Team

(Source NDRP, HPC report, Government o f India)

Figure 2.14: Flow Chart of EOC & ICS as per National Emergency Response Plan

51
2.6 ICT in Disaster Management - Indian scenario

India has age old forecasting forecasting system in place where different department
under the central ministries are responsible for monitoring, measuring, analyzing and
issuing forecast in their related fields. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD),
Seismological Observatories, Department of Agriculture, Central Water Commission
(CWC), and Indian National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) participate in the
forecasting activities in their respective areas.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)

IMD provides cyclone warnings from the Area Cyclone Warning Centers (ACWCs) it
has developed the necessary infrastructure to originate and disseminate the cyclone
warnings at appropriate levels. It has made operational a satellite based communication
system called cyclone Warning Dissemination System for direct dissemination of cyclone
warnings to the cyclone prone coastal areas. IMD runs operationally a Limited-area
Analysis and Forecast System (LAFS), based on an Optimal Interpretation (OI) analysis
and a limited area Primitive Equation (PE) model, to provide numerical guidance.

Cyclone Tracking

Information on cyclone warnings is furnished on a real-time basis to the control room set
up in the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. High-power Cyclone Detection
Radars (CDRs) that are installed along the coastal belt of India have proved to be a very
useful tool to the cyclone warning work. These radars can locate and track approaching
Tropical Cyclones withm a range of 400 km. Satellite imagery received from weather
satellite is extensively used in detecting the development and movement of Tropical
Cyclones over oceanic regions, particularly when they are beyond the range of the coastal
radars. The existmg mode of dissemination of cyclone warnings to various government

52
officials is through high priority telegrams, telephones, telex and fax.

National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA)

Long term drought proofing programmes on the natural resources of the district have
been greatly helped by the use of satellite data obtained by NRSA. Satellite data can be
used very effectively for mapping and monitoring the flood inundated areas, flood
damage assessment, flood hazard zoning and past flood survey of river configuration and
protection works.

Seismological Observations

Seismological observations in the country are made through national network of 36

seismic stations operated by the IMD, which is the nodal agency. These stations have
collected data over long periods of time.

Warning System for Drought

The National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Management System (NADAMS)

has been developed by the Department of Space for the Department of Agriculture and
Cooperation, and is primarily based on monitoring of vegetation status through National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution
(AVHR) data. The drought assessment is based on a comparative evaluation of satellite
observed green vegetation cover (both area and greenness) of a district in any specific
time period, with that of any similar period in previous years.

Flood Forecasting

Flood forecasts and warnings are issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC),
Ministry of Water Resources. These are used for alerting the public and for taking
appropriate measures by concerned administrative and state engineering agencies in the

53
flood hazard mitigation. Information is gathered from the CWC's vast network of
Forecasting Stations on various rivers in the country.

The Indian National Disaster Management Policy states the importance of reliable,

efficient information exchange between all the stake holders. It focuses on - Increase of

networking, Resource and knowledge sharing, Blendmg science and technology with the

ongoing development, Efficient linkages with other Disaster Management, Adoption of

multi hazard approach within the paradigm of prevention, mitigation and reduction.

Policy clearly states the importance of early warning as follows, “...Up gradation o f

advance warning systems must take place in tandem with building up the community’s

own capacities...” Going on to further elaborate, “...Development o f an Early Warning

System that will be disseminated to all related organizations, administrative mechanism

at all levels and the community is imperative. ”

The best of available global policy precedence’s in the area of disaster management are
incorporated while drafting majority of policies and programs, with more commonalities
with policies and programs of FEMA. A remarkable paper work has been done during
last couple of years but realization of policy and plan looks too far. Augmentation of -
Effective, unified, National Alert & Warning Systems, designed to cater to the population
in the vulnerability areas, are strategically critical to the third world countries, including
India, with scarcity of resources, infrastructure and access. Ministry of Earth Sciences in
the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Government of
India, has recently commissioned “Tsunami Warning Center” on 15 October 2007 at
Hyderabad. The warning system comprises a real-time network of seismic stations, BPRs
and 30 tide gauges to detect tsunamigenic earthquakes and monitor tsunamis. The
tsumanigenic zones that threaten the Indian Ocean were identified by considering past

54
tsunamis, earthquakes, their magnitudes, and the location of the area relative to a fault
and also by tsunami modeling. The center has the capability to detect earthquakes of
more than 6 magnitudes. It would now take 30 minutes to analyze the seismic data
following an earthquake. But linkages between Tsunami vulnerable areas through
country are yet to be defined and put into place.

The India Disaster Resource Network (IDRN) has been initiated by Ministry of Home
Affairs; Government of India in collaboration with United Nations Development Program
(UNDP).The primary focus is to systematically build the India Disaster Resource
inventory as an organized Information system for collection and transmission of specific
equipments and skilled human resources through out the country. This database will
enable the key decision makers and the disaster managers in Government to make quick
decisions on mobilizing equipments and skilled human resources during emergencies.
The inventory database also aims at providing information on the preparedness level of a
district or a state for different vulnerabilities. The programme covers all 600 districts of
35 State and Union Territories in India.

55
 Work Process , C o rp o ra te
C*- rim * ffu n \S e < lo f
SO00 m em bers

n 3300pf

S tm tr l e v r l o w t r i t i n a H n n fo r
l i ' i l h l i i i g iM v e n io iy i b b i l i u r

o J^pistrict pistnetf
n1 —
D - j ia e n t r y t h i u i i t l i
O n li n e & o f f f u c .*i*i> l*ca l» n «

Cuic^DejxT tjaw D e^J'

QU D a t a c o lle c tio n
in |» u |ie r f o r m a t

Figure 2.15: Work Process and Information Flow in Disaster Management Network

1DRN is a web based portal and a network of 600 Districts of the country. The IDRN
portal lists Out the equipment and the resources by type and by the functions it performs
and it gives the contact address and telephone numbers of the controlling officers in­
charge of the said resources so that the equipment can be promptly mobilized.
Decentralized collection and collation of inventory data from district, state and National
level makes it easy to maintain and update the database. Security provisions in the portal
only allow authorized access to the country inventory database. Currently 400 Districts
of 22 State and UTs are actively contributing and managing the database. Government of
India and UNDP is putting effort to build capacity of the District authorities on various
aspects like collection of inventory, using the web portal and updating the database etc
(http ://www.idm.gov.in/). IDRN is an excellent initiative but success will largely depend

56
upon the collective efforts of the member states for keeping the data base updated.
“Wrong Information is worst then no information” as disaster response based on wrong
IDRN inventory information may lead to another disaster. NDMA will have to devise a
way for ensuring updating and validation of resource entries made into IDRN by various
states.

Geographical Information System (GIS):

The Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated the development of a GIS-based National
database for Emergency Management (NDEM) in collaboration with various Govt.
Ministries/agencies such as Dept, of Space, Dept, of Science & Technology and Ministry
of Communications & IT. The Ministry with technical support from UNDP is also in
process of developing GIS based tools for emergency management on pilot basis. The
resources available, the critical infrastructures etc are being mapped (ICT).

National Emergency Communication Plan

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is planning to execute the National

Emergency communication plan in two phases.

Phase-I

In the first phase, the VSAT network in the first phase will use resources only from
POLNET and will provide required communication links between National Emergency
Operations Centre (NEOC), remote Disaster sites and respective State Emergency
Operations Centre (SEOC).

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 tD be implementEd in 6 mcfiths
To o ta M s h ccrrvnunKJtkn b e t^ w ii NCCC. M D X
Concerned SWte EOC m d H Q IT s to be depleted irt
Lfcjslcr.'tnttrcpncy sltts

O M w n u tm tu n < n u w v n l
atw dtE O C and WORT:
-V5AT ttrmlial (Alicd-
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r.i.'iL^fu uriUT'IU f r t MEC»C>
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- G W S hflndbfW phone
-V tl (vaidjrts
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t

Figure 2.16: VSAT based Disaster M anagement Network

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Phase - II

The second phase envisages integrated network of all EOCs at national, State and District
levels as well as transportable terminals deployed at emergency/disaster sites, using
satellite and terrestrial communication networks.

P H A S E - II NATIONAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION PLAN

Figure 2.17: National Emergency Communication Plan on VSAT Backbone

Application of ICT for alert and warning is one of the multiple areas where the modem
technologies have proven potential of inducing improvement and efficiency in disaster
management.

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 Dh«x-II State Level! To be implemented in next 9 mantle
To establish commijnlcntton links between HEDC nrxl <tl
SEOCs through VSAT I ISDN Connecthrity

S .'E
i
'i
Utjfci Liiai Canmunicifti: * IIihx:
L i<k i
irac < * >rra ttir. iwt ijpgmr^
bj«*■»#Mik»
Fi« to: Up
jrt j HBOC• i&X Oin sv*.TIMDIrTl
Swy»J Md ip
tca-.-saxiiw eon

Figure 2.18: National Emergency Communication Coverage

The efficient real-time management of high-risk events in the large territorial scale
requires from emergency operators, capabilities exceeded individual human possibilities,
and needs well structured cooperation in frame of the hierarchical emergency

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management organizations. Current explosive information & communication
technologies development offers the wide spectrum of qualitatively new tools which may
support the Disaster Management Decision Support System (DMDSS) in significant
manner. It is possible to build a “resilient communities” by integrating disaster of the
disaster management cycle (Mitigation, Response, Recovery and Preparedness).

2.7 Key Observation

• National Disaster Management Policy (NDMP) looks comprehensive and address

multi-hazard response in a multi-agency participation environment on paper.

• The organizational and infrastructure support needs a re-look keeping emergent

disasters and their management into consideration. National policy has a very
crucial role to play in pre and post disaster phases.

• NDMP should address “Disaster Preparedness bench Marks” for all stakeholders
including state Governments and the industrial sectors.

• National Government should design and establish “Disaster Preparedness

Assessment and Audit system” and undertake such exercises on periodic basis to
assess disaster readiness of stakeholders.

• Industrial growth has multiplied (directly or indirectly) Hazards in the country.

Environment (Protection) Act needs to be reviewed with respect to the dynamics
of disasters and their management, in present context. Integration / inclusion of
definition on the “role and responsibilities” of industries, dealing with toxic and
hazardous chemicals, in disaster mitigational and management efforts. This
should be mandatory for such industries to design and deploy “public alert &
warning system” other resources in the risk zone.

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• National Government should create an inventory of critical resources under
private-public-partnership agreements with manufacturers and service providers
in various regions. The management of such inventory should be entrusted to
private partner with Ts and Cs for deployment dining any incident in the area.

• National Government should have Integrated “Monitoring, Alert and Warning

Network System” supported with state of the art technology tools for monitoring,
measuring, anglicizing, forecasting and disseminating mformation.

• Media and its role need to be reviewed and appropriate provisions be inserted to
enable activation of such resources from the local level instead of confining the
powers to central level.

• Emergency response is time sensitive and need speedy resource deployment.

Strengthening of Regional Emergency Resource Centers would prove very
effective. Emergency resource regions should have representation from all
member states falling under the jurisdiction of that region.

• Design and establish Centralized” Disaster Management Research and

Development organization” to cater to research needs of all States and other
stakeholder. This will not only bring economies of scale and homogeneity in
knowledge management which is essential for any “shared environment”. As a
capacity building exercise, State representative should be posted in the central R
& D organization on rotation basis.

• “School & Employees Preparedness” need to focus more on “drills and exercises”
under national policy. This is important that each school / college has some
minimum alert and warning system.

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 • All resources (SW/HW/HR) for emergency and disaster response must be
interoperable or compatible to enable “effective sharing” when needed.
Standardization of policies, procedures, technologies and other elements would be
a mandatory requirement achieving this.

2.8 Concluding Remarks

At the time of Gujarat Earthquake in 2001, the HPC report had not been submitted nor
was the NDMA and disaster management act existed and the disaster management was
quite dismal at all levels. Traditional re-active approach navigated the emergency and
disaster management response during the massive earthquake. There was no connecting
link between development and disaster. A case in point is the tragedy wherein over 400
school children who were parading out in the open m Village Anjar (Gujarat) were taken
inside the school building on occurrence of the earthquake. Nearly all the children died
when the school building collapsed. Unregulated land use and building construction in
the identified seismic zone become number one reason behind the holocaust followed
after the earthquake. Lack of role clarity among stake holders (Central and State Govts,
Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces, Police Forces, NGOs, PSUs, Pnvate Sector,
Community) & lack of established resource coordination mechanism added to the
fatalities of disaster. In absence of any Decision Support System (DSS) valuable time was
lost in reaching to the conclusive end of every question. National / State disaster
management response plan at the time 2001 earthquake lacked every thing an effective
disaster response system should have. HPC has been able to view the disaster
management scene in India holistically using systemic thinking approach, resulting in
creation of NDMA, NIDM, Disaster Management Act, 2005 and culture of Prevention &
Reduction much needed to deal with disasters in India. The Disaster Management Act is
in place and that will help institutionalize the best practices and provides for states to
draft their own disaster management policies and rules. With the constitution of NDMA,
the country has an apex body to take charge of disaster related issues. The NDMA will be
able to coordinate the efforts of all the role players and ensure synergy in all our
endeavors to deal with disasters. A National Communication Plan has been drawn up

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harnessing the modem systems of communication for information flow, dissemination of
warnings etc. A web- based inventory of specialist resources required for disaster
management support has been operationalised, but the tool is still be tested for its utility
and effectiveness. Government of India did not prescribe standards on Spatial Data
Infrastructure (SDI), which is cmcial for data / information exchange between various
state disaster management agencies. The national policy also lacks in defining the
importance of regional / inter-state resource coordination and sharing (some thing like
mutual aid system in USA), which is cmcial for bringing synergy into the disaster
management system. While the best disaster management plans, policies and programs
are conceived and worked out to last detail, the success will largely dependent on its
effective execution. The National / State Disaster Management Policies / Plans have still
to pass the litmus test through a real execution. National Government need to give more
attention to public alert and warning dissemination networks backed by a very strong &
reliable National Alert and Warning center.

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