disaster management and india
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Disaster Management and India
Dr. Kailash Gupta
Understanding Natural and Man-made Disasters course of M. Tech. (Disaster Assessment & Mitigation), Malaviya National Institute of
Technology, Jaipur, November 12, 2013
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India
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Context of the country
1.2 billion population 72% live in rural areas 60% work in agriculture 28% are below the poverty line 35% are illiterate 600 languages 500 m. without electricity (United Nations
Development Program, 2007)
secular state largest democracy
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Context of the country (cont.)
Has one of the oldest cultures Historically, a rich country Over four centuries foreign rule
and other factors made India poor
Forecasted to become one of the economic super powers
(Gupta, 2009; Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, 2013)
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Vulnerability
The greatest challenges India faces in Disaster Management are poverty, illiteracy, apathy, and corruption.
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History of Disasters
Famine: 10m or 1/3 pop died in 1769-70, 5.5m died in 1876-78, and 20m died in 1943
Earthquake: 7,928 died in Latur in 1993; 20,000 died in Gujarat 2001; 15,000 died in the 2004 Tsunami
Floods: average 1,588 deaths per year Cyclone: 10,000 deaths in Orissa Super
Cyclone in 1999 Technological hazards: 3,828 instantaneous
deaths in Bhopal in 1984 Others: Terrorism, mid-air collision, accidents
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History of Disasters (cont.)
Had some of the worst disasters and of every kind
“India should hang her head in shame. With Bengal famine…and many other disasters, there is no foyer in the world with space large enough to exhibit the collective pain on the face of India” (Kapur et al 2005, p. 2).
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Laws World’s first Famine Relief Act (1880) Disaster Management was relief driven 10th 5-year plan (2002-07) included a DM
chapter for the first time Gujarat Disaster Management Act (2003)
mandates every citizen to help administration
Disaster Management Act (2005) created National Disaster Management Authority and DM plans, etc.
Paradigm shifting to mitigation, prevention, and preparedness 8Kailash Gupta
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Institutional Framework and Mechanism
National Institute of Disaster Management at national level
DM cell in the Administrative Training Institute in states
Large National Calamity Fund DM plans and EOCs DM program with UNDP DM education started from 8th grade in
2003 Poised to be a future leader in DM
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Why disasters occur?
Disasters occur because people live in unsafe conditions due to dynamic pressures, which have root causes (Wisner, Blaikie, Cannon, & Davis, 2004).
Famines occur not from a lack of food, but from inequalities built into mechanisms of distributing food (Sen 1983).
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How to make India disaster resilient?
Apathy (chalta ha) is the greatest vulnerability and challenge in making India disaster resilient.
If Indians perform their fundamental duties in letter and sprit enshrined in Article 51A(h) and (j) of the constitution India can become disaster resilient.
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How to make India disaster resilient? (Cont.) Article 51A of the constitution: It shall be the duty of every citizen of
India – (h) to develop the scientific temper,
humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
(j) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavor and achievement;
And, we have done it in response to October 2013 cyclone Phailin, after failing in June 2013 Uttarakhand catastrophe.
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India in Global Context Dr. Manmohan Singh had said that the
global community has a great stake in India’s experiment in seeking for its people social, political, and economical betterment within the framework of a liberal democracy at the International Conference on Development, Freedom and Welfare, New Delhi, Dec. 2008
Strengthening democracy will improve public administration, leading to improvements in DM.
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Responding internally and simultaneously in neighboring
countries
After tsunami India refused foreign government aid in response as it was self-sufficient.
India deployed its defense personnel, medical teams, disaster experts, ships, helicopters, and human and other resources to help Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Indonesia.
India was also responding internally to the aftermath of the tsunami.
India is lower income group country, while Indonesia is middle-income group country. 15Kailash Gupta
References Gupta, K. (2009). Disaster management and India: Responding
internally and simultaneously in neighboring countries. In D. A. McEntire (Ed.), Comparative emergency management: Understanding disaster policies, organizations, and initiatives from around the world. Emmitsburg, MD: Emergency Management Institute.
Kapur, A., Neeti, Meeta, Deeptima, Roshani, & Debanjali. (2005). Disasters In India : Studies of grim reality. Jaipur: Rawat Publications.
Ministry of Home Affairs - Government of India. (2013). Disaster management in India. New Delhi: Author.
Sen, A. (1981). Poverty and famines : An essay on entitlements and deprivation. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
United Nations Development Program. (2007). Human Development Report 2007/2008. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Wisner, B., Blaikie, P., Cannon, T., & Davis, I. (2004). At risk: Natural hazards, people's vulnerability and disasters (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. Kailash Gupta 16
