Disaster Management

First India Disaster Management Congress: The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) had organized the First India Disaster Management Congress in Vigyan Bhavan New Delhi on 29-30 November 2006. Dr. Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Congress. More than 1200 hundred delegates from all over the country attended and 350 technical papers were presented in 18 Thematic Sessions organized around Thematic Clusters. This was the largest knowledge conference on disaster management ever held in this part of the world.

Encouraged by the resounding success of the First India Disaster Management Congress, NIDM has decided to organize the Second India Disaster Management Congress in New Delhi on 4-6 November, 2009 on an even larger scale. The Congress shall be held in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi and a total of 26 Technical Sessions are proposed to be organized in around 13 Thematic Clusters. The Second India Disaster Management Congress is expected to bring together 1500 scientists, scholars and practitioners working on different aspects of disaster risk reduction and management across the world. Second India Disaster Management Congress: The second India Disaster Management Congress will be held in New Delhi on 4 November 2009. The three day Congress is expected to bring together 1500 scientists, scholars and practitioners working on different aspects of disaster risk reduction and management across the world. Each Thematic Session shall have a minimum of six paper presentations. A number of issues pertaining to disaster risk reduction, management, emergency response and various cross cutting issues during disaster events will be the focus of discussion in this congress. A total of 28 Technical/ Thematic Sessions are proposed to be organized in around 13 Thematic Clusters namely: Geological disasters (Earthquake, Landslide and Avalanche), Hydro Meteorological Disasters ( Flood, Cyclone, Drought), Man Made Disasters ( Industrial and Chemical, Nuclear Emergencies & Road Accidents), Science & Technology ( Early Warning and Disaster Communication, Geo-Information System), Social and Economic Issues (Gender, children and Financing Disaster Management), Disaster, Development and Governance (Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in Development and Involvement of Communities, Civil Society and NGOs in Disaster Management), Education, Training and Capacity Building for Disaster Management, Disaster Response ( Role of Armed Forces, NDRF, Police and Civil Defense and Incident

Command System), Emergency Health Management ( Public Health Emergencies and Mass Causality Management, Psycho-social Care and Pandemics), Emerging Issues and Concerns ( Climate Change and Urban Risk Management), Corporate Sector in Disaster Management, Role of Media in Disaster Management and Post Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction: International Experiences and Best Practices. The congress will have participants from various Government and Non-governmental, international organizations, research and academic institutions which are concerned with various issues related to disaster management. International experts have been invited as guest’s speaker from across the globe namely Ms. Kit Miyamoto, President & CEO, Miyamoto International Inc., California, Prof. Hiroyuki Maeda, Deptt. Of Civil & Envt. Engg., National University Corporation, Kitami Institute of Technology, Japan, Dr. Vernon Singhroy from Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Natural recources, Canada, Dr. Suzanne Lacasse, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Prof. Dr. Roslan Zainal Abidin, Director International Research Centre on Disaster Prevention, Malaysia, Seyed Amir Shamsnia, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Iran, Mr. Debanjan Upadhyay, International Institute of Geo-information Science & Earth Observation, The Netherlands, Prof. Madhav Badami, Associate Director, McGill School of Environment, McGill University, Canada, Dr. Nibeditta RayBennet, UK, Ms. Susanna Hoffman, USA, Ms. Sarah Bradshaw, London, Ms. Yoko Saito, Japan, Ms. Simin Saedi, Iran, Ms. Ancila Bere , Indonesia, Ms. Tanty S. Thamin, Indonesia, Mr. David J. Schonfeld, Sh. Bijan Yavar & Sh. Maisam Mirtaheri, Iran, Ms. Zenaida Delica Wilson South-south Disaster Risk reduction Advisor, Regional centre in Bangkok, UNDP Thailand, Dr. Marla Petal, Switzerland, D. Amaratanga, Salford, UK, Dr. Akhilesh Surjan, Japan, Shri Arjun Katoch, UNOCHA, Geneva, Supt. Brian J. Graham NSW Rural Fire Service Australia, Satchit Balsari, MD, MPH Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Allen R Dyer Prof. Of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences USA, Colin Fernandes, Programme Officer, Austcare, BandaAceh, Indonesia, Prof J Shukla, President, Institute of Global Environment, & University Professor, George Mason University, USA, Dr. Goh Moh Heng, President BCMI, Singapore, W. Craig Fugate, Office of Administrator, FEMA, Dr. S.K.Singh, Director Training Division Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) Chameli House, 17, Topkhana Road, Dhaka, Ronju Ahammad Bangladesh. The valedictory session will be chaired by the former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The valedictory session will be an opportunity to highlight and bring to notice issues, challenges, shortcomings and opportunities and road map ahead in the field of disaster management. The Congress is being organized by NIDM in collaboration with the Ministry of Home affairs, National Disaster Management Authority, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations Development Programme, United States Agency for International Development, World Health Organization and Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. The idea of holding the India Disaster Management Congress was conceived in order to provide a platform for interaction and integration of knowledge on various aspects of disaster risk reduction and management. The first India Disaster Management Congress was held at New Delhi in November 2006 which was the largest knowledge

conference on disaster management ever held in this part of the world. More than 1200 delegates from all over the country attended it and 350 technical papers were presented. The First India Disaster Management Congress had 7 Thematic Clusters and 18 Thematic Sessions. You might also like: • Disaster Management Authorities & Institutions in India • National Disaster Management Authority • CHEMICAL DISASTER • DISASTER MANAGEMENT LinkWithin Posted by Raghu at 4:25 PM 1 comments Links to this post Labels: DISASTER MANAGEMENT Monday, April 16, 2012 Disaster Management Authorities & Institutions in India Central Disaster Management Authority: (Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Natural Disaster Management http://ndmindia.nic.in) It is the apex body for natural disaster management and mitigation. For effective implementation of relief measures in the wake of natural calamities, the Government of India (GOI) has set up a Standing National Crisis Management Committee under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary GOI. A Natural Disaster Management Control Room has been set up at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi. An organizational chart depicting disaster management organization in India. Chart National Center for Disaster Management, New Delhi A new center "National Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM)" has been established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. NCDM is setup in Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) with the objectives of : 1. providing training programs for senior and middle level administrative government officials and to sensitize them for disaster mitigation, 2. coordinate the research activities in different aspects of disaster management at national level. http://www.ncdm-india.org National Information Center of Earthquake Engineering- IIT Kanpur, U.P. A National Information Center of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE) has been set up at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. The Center is sponsored by HUDCO, Telecom Commission, Railway Board, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Atomic Energy and AICTE. NICEE-India will meet the needs of the country in terms of “information” on Earthquake Engineering. The NICEE-India at IIT Kanpur will eventually aim at beingresponsible for acquiring and disseminating information and capacity building of the neighbouring nations. Institutes mandate is to create and maintain a good storehouse of information/publications/ other audio-visual materials on earthquake engineering. http://www.nicee.org Disaster Management Institute, Bhopal, M.P.

The Disaster Management Institute established by the MP government in the backdrop of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, offers training, research and consultancy services on subjects related to prevention, mitigation and management of disasters. It organizes training for working managers and government officials relating to the areas of management of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, drought, famine and cyclones; on-site and off-site emergency planning; risk analysis; identification of major hazards; etc. Disaster Mitigation Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Disaster Management Institutes mission is to equip the disaster victims — individuals or groups or agencies — with the resource to develop progressive solutions to physical, social and economical challenges of relief and reconstruction of facing them. DMI strives to become a premier centre for disaster mitigation and prevention by assisting and strengthening the decision making process and making the critical and objective analysis available to the policy makers. In the wake of Gujarat Earthquake of January 2001 this Institutes provides real life example of the need and necessity of such an institute. http://www.southasiadisasters.net/ Environment Protection Training and Research Institute, Hyderabad EPTRI was set up by Government of Andhra Pradesh with the assistance and support of Government of India. Government of India had also taken the initiative for EPTRI’s technical collaboration with Swedish International Development Agency under bilateral assistance. Risk Analysis and Disaster Management Plan is a safety and contingency management plan to safeguard people and property from disasters. EPTRI provides training and consultancy in Risk Assessment and Safety Control. EPTRI has an MoU with Process Safety Centre of Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad. http://www.eptri.com/risk_analysis_disaster.html Joint Assistance Centre, Gurgaon, Haryana The Joint Assistance Centre (JAC) was established in New Delhi as an All India Voluntary Agency for assistance in disaster situations in 1970 in the aftermath of the terrible cyclone of November 1977 that devastated the Chirala-Divi region of Andhra Pradesh, killing over 10,000 people. http://www.jacindia.org/

Centre for Disaster Management (CDM), Pune, Maharastra The Centre for Disaster Management was set up at Yashada (Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration), Pune with the support of the National Disaster Management Division, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Government of India. The CDM is collaborating with the IGNOU to launch a PG Diploma in Disaster Management in English, Hindi and Marathi. Training

programmes on Management of Earthquakes, Workshop on Community participation in Disaster Management, and allied topics are conducted at CDM periodically. http://www.yashada.org/courses National Civil Defence College, Nagpur, Maharastra National Civil Defence College, Nagpur, conducts various courses in Civil Defence and Disaster Relief Management. Since natural calamities tend to be unavoidable and earthquakes unpredictable, efforts have to be made to withstand the aftermath of catastrophes. Disaster Management training is useful for NGOs or social work students or volunteers providing support and rehabilitation measures during disasters (natural and man-made), personnel of home guards, paramilitary organizations, civil defence personnel, scientists, meteorologists, and environmentalists as well as functionaries of rural development and primary health centres, administrative services, relief workers, etc. http://ncdcnagpur.nic.in/prog-offered.htm Some International & National organization providing support:

Indian Red Cross Society Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology UNDP India Tata Energy Research Institute Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd. Ministry of Urban Development You might also like: • India Disaster Management Congress • Disaster Prevention & Mitigation • National Disaster Management Authority • DISASTER MANAGEMENT LinkWithin Posted by Raghu at 1:32 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: DISASTER MANAGEMENT Sunday, February 19, 2012 CHEMICAL DISASTER India is developing as a key global player in the industrial and technology sector. Rapid industrialization has increased the hazard, risk and vulnerability to the industry and the environment. Major Chemical (Industrial) disasters are low in frequency but are very significant in the terms of loss of lives, injuries, environmental impact and property damage. Frequency and severity of chemical disasters has increased in last few years due to rapid development of chemical and petrochemical industries and increase in size of plants, storage and carriers, specifically in densely populated areas. There are more than 1500 MAH units and other small and medium–sized industries all across the nation and new industries are also establishing at a rapid rate. Chemical accidents can occur due to lack of safety measure, technical break down, or due to a human error. It, thereby, initiates a series of uncontrolled physiochemical

phenomenon such as runaway chemical reactions, large spills, fires and explosions. These phenomenon eventually targets both human and non-human in the form of immediate and residual or long term consequences. Thus, it is imperative to develop preventive measures like adoption of safer engineering practices, improved performance of safety device and reduction of human errors by regular checks. With the renewed emphasis of the Government on disaster management and the paradigm shift in focus from rescue, relief & rehabilitation to prevention/mitigation, and preparedness a need to revisit the management of Chemical Disaster has been felt to establish an institutionalized mechanism so that the chemical disaster can be prevented and if occurred can be effectively managed. The main stakeholders in the management of Chemical (Industrial) Disasters are the Chemical Industries, Ministry of Environment and Forests (the nodal Ministry), Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Surface Transport and Highways, Ministry of Defence, Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ministry of Petroleum and Gas, Central and State Pollution Control Board and State Governments. After the enactment of National Disaster Management Act, 2005, National Disaster Management Authority is required to prepare Guidelines, based on which, the Nodal Ministry will prepare a detailed Action Plan for the better and effective management of Chemical disasters. In view of achieving this objective, a meeting on Chemical (Industrial) Disaster Management was convened by NDMA on 17th Feb 2006 with various Ministries of Government of India and all other stakeholders. In this workshop the present status of the Chemical (Industrial) Disaster Management in the country was discussed and the critical gaps were identified. It was decided to articulate the CDM guidelines through a document called the National Disaster Management Guidelines – Chemical Disaster (NDMG-CD). A Core Group of the experts from the various fields related to chemical disaster management was constituted under the chairmanship of Lt. Gen (Dr.) J.R. Bhardwaj, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, PHS (Retd) to assist NDMA in the preparation of NDMG-CD. Several meetings were held to review the draft versions of the document and wider consultations with industries, regulatory bodies, along with concerned ministries was also held to evolve a consensus on the various issues of the Guidelines. A meeting to critically analyze and update by more than 150 industrial and other experts from all across the nation was also held on 7-8 September, 2006 at Bhopal in collaboration with Disaster Management Institute, Bhopal. The concepts of On-Site and Off-Site Disaster Management Plans were also evaluated by a mock drill at Hindustan Petroleum Company Limited, Greater Noida on 6th Oct, 2006. The guidelines has the major objective to evolve an attainable, achievable and a practical approach with due diligence of community, industry and all other governmental agencies for chemical disaster management in India. At present, the guideline document is under finalization and would be issued soon. You might also like: India Disaster Management Congress National Disaster Management Authority Disaster Management Authorities & Institutions in India

India at a glance LinkWithin Posted by Raghu at 9:49 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: DISASTER MANAGEMENT Friday, February 17, 2012 Disaster Prevention & Mitigation The Yokohama message emanating from the international decade for natural disaster reduction in May 1994 underlined the need for an emphatic shift in the strategy for disaster mitigation. It was inter-alia stressed that disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and relief are four elements which contribute to and gain, from the implementation of the sustainable development policies. These elements along with environmental protection and sustainable development, are closely inter related. Therefore, nations should incorporate them in their development plans and ensure efficient follow up measures at the community, sub-regional, regional, national and international levels. The Yokohama Strategy also emphasized that disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness are better than disaster response in achieving the goals and objectives of vulnerability reduction. Disaster response alone is not sufficient as it yields only temporary results at a very high cost. Prevention and mitigation contribute to lasting improvement in safety and are essential to integrated disaster management. The Government of India have adopted mitigation and prevention as essential components of their development strategy. The Tenth Five Year Plan document has a detailed chapter on Disaster Management. The plan emphasizes the fact that development cannot be sustainable without mitigation being built into developmental process. Each State is supposed to prepare a plan scheme for disaster mitigation in accordance with the approach outlined in the plan. In brief, mitigation is being institutionalized into developmental planning. The Finance Commission makes recommendations with regard to devolution of funds between the Central Government and State Governments as also outlays for relief and rehabilitation. The earlier Finance Commissions were mandated to look at relief and rehabilitation. The Terms of Reference of the Twelfth Finance Commission have been changed and the Finance Commission has been mandated to look at the requirements for mitigation and prevention apart from its existing mandate of looking at relief and rehabilitation. A Memorandum has been submitted to the Twelfth Finance Commission after consultation with States. The Memorandum proposes a Mitigation Fund. The Government of India have issued guidelines that where there is a shelf of projects, projects addressing mitigation will be given a priority. It has also been mandated that each project in a hazard prone area will have disaster prevention/mitigation as a term of reference and the project document has to reflect as to how the project addresses that term of reference. Measures for flood mitigation were taken from 1950 onwards. As against the total of 40 million hectares prone to floods, area of about 15 million hectares have been protected by construction of embankments. A number of dams and barrages have been constructed. The State Governments have been assisted to take up mitigation programmes like construction of raised platforms etc. Floods continue to be a menace however mainly because of the huge quantum of silt being carried by the rivers emanating from the Himalayas . This silt has raised the bed level in many rivers to

above the level of the countryside. Embankments have also given rise to problems of drainage with heavy rainfall leading to water logging in areas outside the embankment. To evolve both short-term and long-term strategy for flood management/erosion control, Government of India have recently constituted a Central Task Force under the Chairmenship of Chairman, Central Water Commission. The Task Force will examine causes of the problem of recurring floods and erosion in States and region prone to flood and erosion; and suggest short-term and long-term measures. The Task Force will submit its report by December 2004. Due to erratic behaviour of monsoons, both low and medium rain fall regions, which constitute about 68% of the total area, are vulnerable to periodical droughts. Our experience has been that almost every third year is a drought year. However, in some of the States, there may be successive drought years enhancing the vulnerability of the population in these areas. Local communities have devised indigenous safety mechanisms and drought oriented farming methods in many parts of the country. From the experience of managing the past droughts particularly the severe drought of 1987, a number of programmes have been launched by the Government to mitigate the impact of drought in the long run. These programmes include Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP), National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA), Watershed Development Programme for Shifting Cultivation (WDPSC), Integrated Water Development Project (IWDP), Integrated Afforestation and Eco-development Project Scheme (IAEPS). Flood preparedness and response In order to respond effectively to floods, Ministry of Home Affairs have initiated National Disaster Risk Management Programme in all the flood-prone States. Assistance is being provided to the States to draw up disaster management plans at the State, District, Block/Taluka and Village levels. Awareness generation campaigns to sensitize all the stakeholders on the need for flood preparedness and mitigation measures. Elected representatives and officials are being trained in flood disaster management under the programme. Bihar Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and Uttar Pradesh are among the 17 multi-hazard prone States where this programme is being implemented with UNDP. USAID and European Commission. Earthquake Risk Mitigation A comprehensive programme has been taken up for earthquake risk mitigation. Although, the BIS has laid down the standards for construction in the seismic zones, these were not being followed. The building construction in urban and suburban areas is regulated by the Town and Country Planning Acts and Building Regulations. In many cases, the Building regulations do not incorporate the BIS codes. Even where they do, the lack of knowledge regarding seismically safe construction among the architects and engineers as well as lack of awareness regarding their vulnerability among the population led to most of the construction in the urban/sub-urban areas being without reference to BIS standards. In the rural areas, the bulk of the housing is non-engineered construction. The mode of construction in the rural areas has also changed from mud and thatch to brick and concrete construction thereby increasing the vulnerability. The increasing population has led to settlements in vulnerable areas close to the river bed areas which are prone to liquefaction. The Government have moved to address these issues. National Core Group for Earthquake Risk Mitigation A National Core Group for Earthquake Risk Mitigation has been constituted consisting of experts in earthquake engineering and

administrators. The Core Group has been assigned with the responsibility of drawing up a strategy and plan of action for mitigating the impact of earthquakes; providing advice and guidance to the States on various aspects of earthquake mitigation; developing/organizing the preparation of handbooks/pamphlets/type designs for earthquake resistant construction; working out systems for assisting the States in the seismically vulnerable zones to adopt/integrate appropriate Bureau of Indian Standards codes in their building byelaws; evolving systems for training of municipal engineers as also practicing architects and engineers in the private sector in the salient features of Bureau of Indian Standards codes and the amended byelaws; evolving a system of certification of architects/engineers for testing their knowledge of earthquake resistant construction; evolving systems for training of masons and carry out intensive awareness generation campaigns. Review of building bye-laws and their adoption Most casualties during earthquakes are caused by the collapse of structures. Therefore structural mitigation measures are the key to make a significant impact towards earthquake safety in our country. In view of this the States in earthquake prone zones have been requested to review, and if necessary, amend their building bye-laws to incorporate the BIS seismic codes for construction in the concerned zones. Many States have initiated necessary action in this regard. An Expert Committee appointed by the Core Group on Earthquake Risk Mitigation has already submitted its report covering appropriateamendments to the existing Town & Country Planning Acts, Land Use Zoning Regulation, Development Control Regulations & Building Bylaws, which could be used by the State Governments & the local bodies there-under to upgrade the existing legal instruments. The Model Building Bylaws also cover the aspect of ensuring technical implementation of the safety aspects in all new constructions & upgrading the strength of existing structurally vulnerable constructions. To facilitate the review of existing building byelaws and adoption of the proposed amendments by the State Governments & UT administrations, discussion workshops at regional level in the country are being organized. It is expected that all planning authorities and local bodies will soon have development control regulations and building byelaws which would include multihazard safety provisions. Development and Revision of Codes There are Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) codes which are relevant for multi-hazard resistant design and construction. These codes have to be regularly updated. An action plan has been drawn up for revision of existing codes, development of new codes and documents/commentaries, and making these codes and documents available all over the country including on-line access to these codes. An Apex committee consisting of representatives of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, BIS and MHA has been constituted to review the mechanism and process of development of codes relevant to earthquake risk mitigation and establish a protocol for revision by BIS. Hazard Safety Cells in States The States have been advised to constitute Hazard Safety Cells (HSC) headed by the Chief Engineer (Designs), State Public Works Department with necessary engineering staff so as to establish mechanism for proper implementation of the building codes in all future Govt. constructions, and to ensures the safety of buildings and structures from various hazards. The HSC will also be responsible for carrying out appropriate design review of all Government buildings to be constructed in the State, act as an advisory cell to the State Government on the different aspects of building safety

against hazards and act as a consultant to the State Government for retrofitting of the lifeline buildings. Rajasthan, West Bengal and Chhatisgarh have already constituted these cells and other States are in the process. National Programme for Capacity Building of Engineers and Architects in Earthquake Risk Mitigation Two National Programmes for Capacity Building in Earthquake Risk Mitigation for Engineers and Architects respectively, have been approved to assist the State Govts in building capacities for earthquake mitigation. These two programmes are being implemented for training of 10,000 engineers and 10,000 architects in the States in seismically safe building designs and related techno-legal requirements. Assistance is being provided to the State/UTs to build the capacities of more than 125 State Engineering Colleges and 110 Architecture Colleges to be able to provide advisory services to the State Govts to put in place appropriate techno-legal regime, assessment of building and infrastructures and their retrofitting. These institutions will function as State Resource Institutions. Twenty-one National level Engineering and Architecture Institutions have been designated as National Resource Institutes to train the faculty members of selected State Engineering and Architecture colleges. 450 engineering faculty members and 250 architecture faculty members of these State Resource Institutions will be trained during the current year. Training of rural masons A programme to assist the States/UTs in training and certification of 50000 masons has been formulated in conultation with Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and the Ministry of Rural Development. The training module for masons to include multi-hazard resistant construction has also been prepared by an expert committee, and revised curriculum will be introduced in the vocational training programme of Ministry of Human Resource Development. Earthquake Engineering in Undergraduate Engineering/Architecture Curricula The role of engineers and architects is crucial in reducing earthquake risks by ensuring that the construction adhere to the norms of seismically safety. In view of this, the elements of earthquake engineering is being integrated into the undergraduate engineering and architecture courses. The model course curricula for adoption by various technical institutions and universities have been developed and circulated to the Universities and Technical Institutions for adoption in the under graduate curricula. Ministry of Home Affairs is working with All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and Council of Architecture (COA) for introduction of revised curricula for engineering and architecture course from 2005-2006. Hospital Preparedness and Emergency Health Management in Medical Education Hospital preparedness is crucial to any disaster response system. Each hospital should have an emergency preparedness plan to deal with mass casualty incidents and the hospital administration/ doctor trained for this emergency. The curriculum for medical doctors does not include Hospital Preparedness for emergencies. Therefore capacity building through in-service training of the current heath managers and medical personnel in Hospital Preparedness for emergencies or mass causality incident management is essential. At the same time, the future health managers must acquire these skills systematically through the inclusion of health emergency management in the undergraduate and post graduate medical curricula. In consultation with Medical Council of India(MCI), two committees have been constituted for preparation of curriculum for introduction of emergency health management in MBBS curriculum, and preparation of in-service training of Hospital Managers and Professionals. Rajiv

Gandhi University of Health Sciences Karnataka have been identified as the lead national resource institution for the purpose. Retrofitting of Lifeline buildings While these mitigation measures will take care of the new constructions, the problem of unsafe existing buildings stock would still remain. It will not be possible to address the entire existing building stock, therefore the life line buildings like hospitals, schools or buildings where people congregate like cinema halls, multistoried apartments are being focussed on. The States have been advised to have these buildings assessed and where necessary retrofitted. The Ministries of Civil Aviation, Railways, Telecommunication, Power and Health and Family Welfare have been advised to take up necessary action for detailed evaluation and retrofitting of lifeline buildings located in seismically vulnerable zones so as to ensure that they comply with BIS norms, Action plan have been drawn up by these Ministries for detailed vulnerability analysis and retrofitting/ strengthening of buildings and structures. The Ministry of Finance have been requested to advise the financial institutions to give loans for retrofitting on easy terms. Accordingly the Ministry of Finance had advised Reserve Bank of India to issue suitable instructions to all the Banks and Financial Institutions to see that BIS codes/bye laws are scrupulously followed while financing/refinancing construction activities in seismically vulnerable zones. National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project An Earthquake Mitigation Project has been drawn up, with an estimated cost of Rs.1132 crore. The project has been given in-principle clearance by the Planning Commission. The programme includes detailed evaluation and retrofitting of lifeline buildings such as hospitals, schools, water and power supply units, telecommunication buildings, airports/airport control towers, railway stations, bus stands and important administrative buildings in the States in seismic zones IV and V. The programme also includes training of masons in earthquake resistant constructions. Besides, assistance will be provided under this project to the State Governments to put in place appropriate techno legal regime. Startup activities for implementation of this project have already been initiated. Acceleration Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Programme An accelerated urban earthquake vulnerability reduction programme has been taken up in 38 cities in seismic zones III, IV & V with population of half a million and above. 474 Orientation programmes have been organized for senior officers and representatives of the local planning and development bodies to sensitize them on earthquake preparedness and mitigation measures. The training programme for engineers and architects are being organized to impart knowledge about seismically safe construction and implementation of BIS norms. So far 1088 engineers and 825 architects have been trained. For enhanced school safety, education programmes have been organized in schools, colleges and other educational institutions. This programme will be further extended to 166 earthquake prone districts in seismic zones IV & V. Awareness generation programmes, community and neighbourhood organizations have been started in these cities. These cities are also being assisted to review and amend their building bye-laws to incorporate multi hazard safety provisions. City Disaster Management Plans are being developed under the project. Nine Cities have prepared city Disaster Management Plans. Mainstreaming Mitigation in Rural Development Schemes Rural housing and community assets for vulnerable sections of the population are created at a fairly large scale by the Ministry of Rural Development under the Indira Awas Yojna(IAY) and Sampooran Grameen Rojgar Yojna(SGRY). About

250 thousand small but compact housing units are constructed every year, besides community assets such as community centres, recreation centres, anganwadi centres etc. Technology support is provided by about two hundred rural housing centres spread over the entire country. The Ministry of Home Affairs is working with the Ministry of Rural Development for changing the guidelines so that the houses constructed under IAY or school buildings/community buildings constructed under SGRY are earthquake/cyclone/flood resistant; as also that the schemes addressing mitigation are given priority under SGRY. Ministry of Rural Development are carrying out an exercise for this purpose. This initiative is expected to go a long way in popularization of seismically safe construction at village/block level . National Cyclone Mitigation Project A project for Cyclone Mitigation (estimated cost Rs. 1050 crore) has been drawn up in consultation with the cyclone prone States. This project envisages construction of cyclone shelters, coastal shelter belt plantation in areas which are prone to storm surges, strengthening of warning systems, training and education etc. This project has also been given in-principle clearance by the Planning Commission and is being taken up with World Bank assistance. Landslide Hazard Mitigation A National Core Group has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Border Management and comprising of Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Secretary, Road Transport & Highways, and the Heads of Geological Survey of India and National Remote Sensing Agency for drawing up a strategy and plan of action for mitigating the impact of landslides, provide advise and guidance to the State Governments on various aspects of landslide mitigation, monitor the activities relating to landslide mitigation including landslide hazard zonation and to evolve early warning systems and protocols for landslides/landslide risk reduction. The Government have designated Geological Survey of India (GSI) as the nodal agency responsible for coordinating/ undertaking geological studies, landslides hazard zonation, monitoring landslides/avalanches, studying the factors responsible and suggesting precautionary and preventive measure. The States/UTs have been requested to share the list of habitation close to landslide prone areas in order to supplement GSI’s on going assessment of such areas based on the Survey of India’s Toposheet and their existing data base on landslide for the purpose of landslide hazard zonation being carried out by them. A national strategy for mitigating landslide hazard in the country is being drawn up in consultation with all the agencies concerned. Disaster Risk Management Programme A Disaster Risk Management Programme has been taken up in 169 districts in 17 multi-hazard prone States with the assistance from UNDP, USAID and European Union. Under this project, the States are being assisted to draw up State, district and Block level disaster management plans; village disaster management plans are being developed in conjunction with the Panchayati Raj Institutions and disaster management teams consisting of village volunteers are being trained in various preparedness and response functions such as search and rescue, first aid, relief coordination, shelter management etc. Equipment needs for district and State Emergency Operation Centres have been identified by the State nodal agencies and equipment is being provided to equip these EOCs. Orientation training of masons, engineers and architects in disaster resistant technologies have been initiated in these districts and construction of model demonstration buildings will be started soon.

Under this programme Disaster Management Plans have been prepared for 8643 villages, 1046 Gram Panchayat, 188 blocks and 82 districts. More than 29000 elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions have already been trained, besides imparting training to members of voluntary organizations. About 18000 Government functionaries have been trained in disaster mitigation and preparedness at different levels. 865 engineers and 425 architects have been trained under this programme in vulnerability assessment and retrofitting of lifeline buildings. 600 master trainers and 1200 teachers have already been trained in different districts in disaster preparedness and mitigation. Disaster Management Committees consisting of elected representatives, civil society members, Civil Defence volunteers and Government functionaries have been constituted at all levels including village/urban local body/ward levels. Disaster Management Teams have been constituted in villages and are being imparted training in basic functions of first aid, rescue, evacuation and related issues. The thrust of the programme is to build up capabilities of the community since the community is invariably the first responder. During the recent past, it has been experienced that the capacity building of the community has been very helpful even in normal situations when isolated instances of drowning, burns etc. take place. With the creation of awareness generation on disaster mitigation, the community will be able to function as a well-knit unit in case of any emergency. Mock drills are carried out from time to time under the close supervision of Disaster Management Committees. The Disaster Management Committees and Disaster Management Teams have been established by notifications issued by the State Governments which will ensure that the entire system is institutionalized and does not disintegrate after the conclusion of the programme. The key points being stressed under this programme are the need to ensure sustainability of the programme, development of training modules; manuals and codes, focused attention to awareness generation campaigns; institutionalization of disaster management committees and disaster management teams, disaster management plans and mock-drills and establishment of techno-legal regimes. Awareness generation Recognizing that awareness about vulnerabilities is a sine qua non for inducing a mindset of disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, the Government has initiated a nation-wide awareness generation campaign as part of its overall disaster risk management strategy. In order to devise an effective and holistic campaign, a steering committee for mass media campaign has been constituted at the national level with due representation of experts from diverse streams of communication. The Committee has formulated a campaign strategy aimed at changing peoples’ perception of natural hazards and has consulted the agencies and experts associated with advertising and media to instill a culture of safety against natural hazards. Apart from the use of print and electronic media, it is proposed to utilize places with high public visibility viz. hospitals, schools, railway stations and bus terminals, airports and post offices, commercial complexes and municipality offices etc. to make people aware of their vulnerabilities and promote creation of a safe living environment. A novel method being tried is the use of government stationery viz. postal letters, bank stationery, railway tickets, airline boarding cards and tickets etc. for disseminating the message of disaster risk reduction. Slogans and messages for this purpose have already been developed and have been communicated to concerned Ministries/agencies for printing and dissemination. The mass media campaign will

help build the knowledge, attitude and skills of the people in vulnerability reduction and sustainable disaster risk management measures. Disaster Awareness in School Curriculum Disaster management as a subject in Social Sciences has been introduced in the school curriculum for Class VIII & IX. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) which has introduced the curriculum runs a very large number of schools throughout the country and the course curriculum is invariably followed by the State Boards of Secondary Education. Teachers are being trained to teach disaster management Syllabus for Class X is being finalized and will be introduced in the course curriculum soon. The State Governments have been advised to take similar steps vis-à-vis their school boards. Several Provincial Governments have already introduced the same curriculum in Class VII. Ministry is working with the Council of Board of School Education (COBSE) to facilitate inclusion of disaster management in public education in all 39 School Boards in the country. Information, Education and Communication In order to assist the State Governments in capacity building and awareness generation activities and to learn from past experiences including sharing of best practices, the Ministry of Home Affairs has compiled/prepared a set of resource materials developed by various organisations/institutions to be replicated and disseminated by State Governments based on their vulnerabilities after translating it into the local languages. The voluminous material which runs in about 10000 pages has been divided into 4 broad sections in 7 volumes. These sections cover planning to cope with disasters; education and training; construction toolkit; and information, education and communication toolkit including multi-media resources on disaster mitigation and preparedness. The Planning section contains material for analyzing a community’s risk, development of Preparedness. Mitigation and disaster management plans, coordinating available resources and implementing measures for risk reduction. The model bye-laws, DM Policy, Act and model health sector plan have also been included. Education and Training includes material for capacity building and upgradation of skills of policy makers, administrators, trainers, engineers etc. in planning for and mitigating against natural disasters. Basic and detailed training modules in disaster preparedness have been incorporated along with training methodologies for trainers, for community preparedness and manuals for training at district, block, panchayat and village levels. For creating a disaster-resistant building environment, the Construction Toolkit addresses the issue of seismic resistant construction and retrofitting of existing buildings. BIS Codes, manuals and guidelines for RCC, Masonry and other construction methodologies as also for repair and retrofitting of masonry and low-rise buildings have been included. IEC material seeks to generate awareness to induce mitigation and preparedness measures for risk reduction. Material and strategies used by various States and international organizations, including tips on different hazards, have been incorporated along with multi-media CDs on disasters. The material has been disseminated to all the State Governments/UT Administrations with the request to have the relevant material, based on the vulnerability of each district, culled out, translated into local languages and disseminate it widely down to the village level. Special Focus to Northeastern States A special focus is being given to North-Eastern States and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The North-Eastern Council has been made the nodal agency for the NE States. The NEC has been provided with a resource person/advisor in disaster management. A detailed presentation on the vulnerabilities of the NE region and the

need for comprehensive disaster management plan has been made in the Governing Body of NE Council. An action plan has been drawn up by NEC and a declaration namely “Shillong Declaration” has been adopted by States in the NE region for integrating disaster management with development planning. 140 officials and nonofficials have been trained in disaster management to act as resource persons for the NE region. State and district level sensitization and training programmes are being carried out. The various prevention and mitigation measures outlined above are aimed at building up the capabilities of the communities, voluntary organisations and Government functionaries at all levels. Particular stress is being laid on ensuring that these measures are institutionalized considering the vast population and the geographical area of the country. This is a major task being undertaken by the Government to put in place mitigation measures for vulnerability reduction. This is just a beginning. The ultimate goal is to make prevention and mitigation a part of normal day-to-day life. The above mentioned initiatives will be put in place and information disseminated over a period of five to eight years. We have a firm conviction that with these measures in place, we could say with confidence that disasters like Orissa cyclone and Bhuj earthquake will not be allowed to recur in this country; at least not at the cost, which the country has paid in these two disasters in terms of human lives, livestock, loss of property and means of livelihood. Tips on Earthquake Resistant Building Essential Earthquake resistant Provisions in Masonry Buildings Short Guide for home Owners for Building Houses using Reinforced Concrete framed Construction Short Guide for home Owners for Building Houses using Load Bearing Masonry Construction You might also like: • UPSC CIVIL SERVICES PRELIMS GENERAL STUDIES PAPER-I • UPSC Civils Preliminary General Studies Paper - II • CURRENT EVENTS - National News • Union Budget 2012-13 Summary LinkWithin Posted by Raghu at 8:15 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: DISASTER MANAGEMENT Sunday, February 19, 2012 National Disaster Management Authority

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, is the Apex Body for Disaster Management in India. The setting up

of the NDMA and the creation of an enabling environment for institutional mechanisms at the State and District levels is mandated by the Disaster Management Act, 2005. India envisions the development of an ethos of Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness and will strive to promote a National resolve to mitigate the damage and destruction caused by natural and man-made disasters, through sustained and collective efforts of all Government agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations and People’s participation, by adopting a Technology-Driven, Pro-Active, Multi-Hazard and Multi-Sectoral Strategy for building a Safer, Disaster Resilient and Dynamic India. The Logo reflects the aspirations of this National Vision, of empowering all stakeholders for improving the effectiveness of Disaster Management in India. The Map of India, embossed in Gold, in the middle of the logo, circumscribed by the National Tricolour of Saffron, White and Green represents the aspirations to contain the potential threat of natural and man-made disasters through Capacity Development of all Stakeholders. The Outer Circle is a Golden Ring of Partnership of all Stakeholders, whose holding of hands is an expression of their solidarity to supplement the efforts of the Government. NDMA in the Inner Circle in tranquil blue integrates the entire process by Empowering all Stakeholders at the local, district, state and national levels. NDMA will catalyse this Community Empowerment through institutional capacity development, strengthened public awareness and community resilience by mainstreaming disaster management in India. ORGANISATION: National Disaster Management Authority has been constituted with the Prime Minister of India as its Chairman, a Vice Chairman with the status of Cabinet Minister, and eight members with the status of Ministers of State. Each of the members has a well defined functional domain covering various states as also disaster specific areas of focus and concern To carry out the mandated functions, NDMA has evolved a lean and professional organization which is IT-enabled and knowledge based. Skills and expertise of the specialists are extensively used to address all the disaster related issues. . A functional and operational infrastructure has been built which is appropriate for disaster management involving uncertainties coupled with desired plans of action. The concept of the organization is based on a disaster divisions-cum-secretariat system. Each member of the Authority heads disaster-specific divisions for specific disaster and functional domains. Each member has also been given the responsibility of specified states and UTs for close interaction and coordination. The NDMA Secretariat, headed by a Secretary is responsible to provide secretarial support and continuity. It is proposed to have two Disaster Management Wings under the Secretariat. They are :DM I wing dealing with mitigation, preparedness, plans, reconstruction, community awareness and dealing with financial/administrative aspects. DM II wing is proposed to be composed of the National Disaster Management Operations Centre with the state-of-the-art multi-redundant communication systems, to carry out the tasks of capacity development, training and knowledge management. You might also like: • India Disaster Management Congress • Disaster Management Authorities & Institutions in India

Disaster Prevention & Mitigation India at a glance LinkWithin Posted by Raghu at 10:58 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: DISASTER MANAGEMENT Thursday, April 19, 2012 SAARC DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) was set up in October 2006 at the premises of National Institute of Disaster Management in New Delhi. The Centre has the mandate to serve eight Member Countries of South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - by providing policy advice and facilitating capacity building services including strategic learning, research, training, system development and exchange of information for effective disaster risk reduction and management in South Asia. The Centre is a sleek body of professionals working on various dimensions of disaster risk reduction and management in South Asia. The Centre is networking through the National Focal Points of the Member Countries with the various Ministries, Departments and Scientific, Technical, Research and Academic institutions within and outside the Government working on various aspects of disaster risk reduction and management. The Centre conducts studies and research, organizes workshops and training programmes, publishes its reports and documents provides various policy advisory services to the Member Countries. The Centre has the Vision to be recognized as a vibrant Centre of Excellence for knowledge, research and capacity building on disaster management in South Asia and in the rest of the world. INDIA Basic Facts
• •

Geographic Coordinates Total Area Sq. Km Coastline Km Lowest Elevation in Meters Highest Elevation in Meters Percentage of Arable Land Total Population Annual Population Growth % Total Literacy Rate % GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) US$ GDP Per Capita US$ GDP Growth rate % BPL Population %

20 00 N, 77 00 E 3,287,590 7000 0 8598 48.83 1,129,866,154 1.6 61 4.164 Trillion 3800 9.4 2.5

Percentage of People Living in Urban Areas 28.1

Main Natural Hazards Earthquake, drought, flood, flash flood, cyclone, landslides, tsunami, avalanche, heat and cold wave, forest fire Major Disasters in Recent Past Event Quake Quake Year Dead Affected 1993 9475 1 million

Cyclone 1999 10086 15 million 2001 13805 1.8 million Tsunami 2004 12405 3.5 million You might also like: • India Disaster Management Congress • Disaster Management Authorities & Institutions in India • National Disaster Management Authority • SAARC DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE LinkWithin Posted by Raghu at 12:40 AM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: DISASTER MANAGEMENT Friday, February 17, 2012 SAARC DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) was set up in October 2006 at the premises of National Institute of Disaster Management in New Delhi. The Centre has the mandate to serve eight Member Countries of South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - by providing policy advice and facilitating capacity building services including strategic learning, research, training, system development and exchange of information for effective disaster risk reduction and management in South Asia. The Centre is a sleek body of professionals working on various dimensions of disaster risk reduction and management in South Asia. The Centre is networking through the National Focal Points of the Member Countries with the various Ministries, Departments and Scientific, Technical, Research and Academic institutions within and outside the Government working on various aspects of disaster risk reduction and management. The Centre conducts studies and research, organizes workshops and training programmes, publishes its reports and documents provides various policy advisory services to the Member Countries. The Centre has the Vision to be recognized as a vibrant Centre of Excellence for knowledge, research and capacity building on disaster management in South Asia and in the rest of the world. You might also like: • India Disaster Management Congress • National Disaster Management Authority • Disaster Management Authorities & Institutions in India • SAARC DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE LinkWithin

Posted by Raghu at 8:19 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: DISASTER MANAGEMENT Monday, July 19, 2010 DISASTER MANAGEMENT

The Disaster Management Support (DMS) Programme of ISRO, provides timely support and services from aero-space systems, both imaging and communications, towards efficient management of disasters in the country. The DMS programme addresses disasters such as flood, cyclone, drought, forest fire, landslide and Earthquake. These include creation of digital data base for facilitating hazard zonation, damage assessment, etc., monitoring of major natural disasters using satellite and aerial data; development of appropriate techniques and tools for decision support, establishing satellite based reliable communication network, deployment of emergency communication equipments and R&D towards early warning of disasters. To support the total cycle of disaster/ emergency management for the country, in near real time, the database creation is addressed through National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM), a GIS based repository of data. NDEM is envisaged to have core data, hazard-specific data, and dynamic data in spatial as well as aspatial form. Airborne ALTM-DC data acquisition is being carried out for the flood prone basins in the country. The development of flight model of C band DMSAR is nearing completion. SAR data was acquired over selected basins using Development model of DMSAR. Towards providing emergency communication for disaster management activities, and at the behest of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), ISRO has set up a satellite based Virtual Private Network (VPN) linking the National Control Room at MHA with DMS-DSC at NRSC, important national agencies, key Government Offices in Delhi and the Control Rooms of 22 multi-hazard-prone States. Further ISRO has developed and deployed INSAT Type-D terminals (portable satellite phones), INSAT based Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT) for fishermen, Cyclone Warning Dissemination System (CWCS) and DTH based Digital Disaster Warning System (DDWS) in disaster prone areas. As part of R&D support to DMS for remote sensing applications, work on Tropical Cyclone Track intensity and landfall prediction, Earthquake Precursor studies, Coastal

Vulnerability mapping and Early Warning of Landslides are being carried out. The DMS programme is also supporting the many international initiatives by sharing data and information. Through International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” and Sentinel Asia (SA) initiative for supporting disaster management activities in the AsiaPacific region, ISRO is providing IRS datasets and other information for use during major calamities. You might also like: • India's International cooperation in Environment & Biodiversity Conservation • Forest Resources & Bio-diversity in India • SOME GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES • Facts About India LinkWithin Posted by Raghu at 12:07 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: APPSC GROUP-1 MAINS PAPER-4 Friday, May 25, 2012 Annual Conference on Disaster Management Annual Conference of Relief Commissioners/ Secretaries, Department of Disaster Management of States/ UTs will be held on 28th May, 2012 in New Delhi to review the status of preparedness for dealing with crisis situations resulting from the Southwest Monsoon, 2012 and to discuss other disaster management related issues. Representatives of concerned Central Ministries/ Organizations rendering Emergency Support Functions will also participate besides representatives of Central Armed Police Forces. The Conference will be inaugurated by R.K. Singh, Union Home Secretary and will be presided over by A.E. Ahmad, Secretary (Border Management), Ministry of Home Affairs. India Meteorological Department, Central Water Commission, Ministry of Defence, National Disaster Management Authority, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, National Disaster Response Force, Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment and Indian Space Research Organization will also participate in the conference. The role of these organizations in preparedness and further enhancement of their capabilities to deal with the disasters will be discussed. The various issues related to disaster preparedness and other disaster management relating to the States/UTs will be reviewed/discussed. You might also like: • India Disaster Management Congress • Disaster Management Authorities & Institutions in India • National Disaster Management Authority • CHEMICAL DISASTER LinkWithin Posted by Raghu at 5:12 PM 1 comments Links to this post Labels: DISASTER MANAGEMENT Sunday, January 22, 2012 DISASTER MANAGEMENT EARTHQUAKES Definition and Measurement

"An earthquake is a sudden motion or trembling of the ground produced by the abrupt displacement of rock masses". Most earthquakes result from the movement of one rock mass past another in response to tectonic forces. The focus is the point where the earthquake's motion starts, The epicenter is the point on the earth's surface that is directly above the focus. Earthquake Magnitude is a measure of the strength of an earthquake as calculated from records of the event made on a calibrated seismograph. In 1935, Charles Richter first defined local magnitude, and the Richter scale is commonly used today to describe an earthquake's magnitude. Earthquake Intensity. In contrast, earthquake intensity is a measure of the effects of an earthquake at a particular place. It is determined from observations of the earthquake's effects on people, structures and the earth's surface. Among the many existing scales, the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale of 12 degrees, symbolized as MM, is frequently used Earthquake Hazards Earthquake hazards can be categorized as either direct hazards or indirect hazards. Direct Hazards ¨ · Ground shaking; ¨ · Differential ground settlement; ¨ · Soil liquefaction; ¨ · Immediate landslides or mud slides, ground lurching and avalanches; ¨ · Permanent ground displacement along faults; ¨ · Floods from tidal waves, Sea Surges & Tsunamis Indirect Hazards ¨ · Dam failures; ¨ · Pollution from damage to industrial plants; ¨ · Delayed landslides. Most of the damage due to earthquakes is the result of strong ground shaking. For large magnitude events, trembling has been felt over more than 5 million sq. km. Site Risks Some common site risks are: (I) Slope Risks - Slope instability, triggered by strong shaking may cause landslides. Rocks or boulders can roll considerable distances. (ii) Natural Dams - Landslides in irregular topographic areas may create natural dams which may collapse when they are filled. This can lead to potentially catastrophic avalanches after strong seismic shaking.

(iii) Volcanic Activity - Earthquakes may be associated with potential volcanic activity and may occasionally be considered as precursory phenomena. Explosive eruptions are normally followed by ash falls and/or pyroclastic flows, volcanic lava or mud flows, and volcanic gases. CYCLONE. The term "cyclone" refers to all classes of storms with low atmospheric pressure at the centre, are formed when an organized system of revolving winds, clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, anti-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, develops over tropical waters. Cyclones are classified on the basis of the average speed of the wind near the centre of the system as follows: Wind Speed Classification ¨ Up to 61 km/hr Tropical Depression ¨ 61 km/hr - 115 km/hr Tropical Storm ¨ Greater than 115 km/hr Hurricane Hurricane. A hurricane is a low pressure, large scale weather system which derives its energy from the latent heat of condensation of water vapor over warm tropical seas. A mature hurricane may have a diameter ranging from 150 to 1000 km with sustained wind speeds often exceeding 180 km/hr near the centre with still higher gusts. A unique feature of a hurricane is the Eye. The eye provides a convenient frame of reference for the system, and can be tracked with radar, aircraft or satellite. Classification The Saffir/Simpson scale is often used to categorize hurricanes based on their wind speed and damage potential. Five categories of hurricanes are recognized: ¨ Minimal, Moderate, Extensive, Extreme & Catastrophic The destructive potential of a hurricane is significant due to the high wind speeds, accompanying torrential rains which produce flooding, and storm surges along the coastline TSUNAMIS Tsunamis are Ocean Waves produced by Earth Quakes or Underwater land slides. The word is Japanese and means “Harbor Waves” Tsunami is actually a series of waves that can travel at speeds from 400-600 mph in the open ocean. As the waves approach the coast, their speed decreases, but their amplitude increases. Unusual wave heights of 10-20 ft high can be very destructive and cause many deaths and injuries. Most deaths caused by Tsunamis are because of Drowning.

Associated risks include · Flooding · Contamination of Drinking Water · Fires from ruptured gas lines and tanks · Loss of vital Community Infrastructure [police, fire, medical] · Areas of greatest risks are -Less than 25 feet above sea level -Within 1 mile of the shore line. Environmental Conditions left by the Tsunamis may contribute to the transmission of the following diseases From Food or Water · Diarrhea illnesses; Cholera, Acute Diarrhea, Dysentery · Hepatitis-A, Hepatitis-E · Typhoid Fever · Food borne illnesses;Bacterial;Viral;Parasitic;Non-infections; From Animals or Mosquitoes Leptospirosis, Plague, Malaria, J.E, Dengue, Rabies Respiratory Diseases; Avian flu, Influenza, Measles EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST The effects of nuclear holocaust will result into blasts, heat storms, secondary fires, fire, ionizing radiation and fall outs. These effects fall into 3 categories; 1). Immediate, 2). Short term and 3). Long term effects. ¨ The immediate effects include blast effects, heat effects, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects and radiation effects. ¨ The short term effects include problems connected with water supply, sanitation, food, dispersal of excreta, wastes and dead bodies, break down of vector control measures and outbreak of infections. Radioactive contamination of water and food are major concerns. The affected area creates a lot of other problems for the survivors and the rescue teams. Major problem among survivors is of bone marrow depression resulting in leucopenia, which increases their susceptibility to infections. ¨ Long term effects; the knowledge about the long-term effects is still incomplete. Some well known effects include radiation injuries due to radiation fallout, suppression of body immunity, chronic infection and other associated illnesses. Persistent radiation hazards will lead to prolonged contamination of water supply, increased ultraviolet radiation, climatic and ecological disturbances, psychological disturbances and genetic abnormalities. Current World Concern

In the light of the above facts the current world concern about the use of nuclear weapons is justified. The world already possess an estimated total of 30,000 megatons of nuclear weapons with a total explosive power 50-100 times greater than that of all the explosives used during the Second World War. Even if 1% of the nuclear weapons now possessed are used on urban populations, they can cause more deaths in a few hours than during the entire period of the Second World War. The fundamental aspects of Disaster Management Program ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ Disaster Prevention Disaster preparedness Disaster response Disaster mitigation Rehabilitation Reconstruction

3 Fundamental Aspects of Disaster Management 1. 2. 3. Disaster response Disaster Preparedness Disaster Mitigation

These 3 aspects of Disaster Management corresponds to the 2 phases in the Disaster Cycle, ie, 1, Risk Reduction Phase, before a Disaster 2. Recovery Phase, after a Disaster DISASTER RESPONSE OBJECTIVES ¨ Appropriate application of current technology can prevent much of the death, injury, and economic disruption resulting from disasters ¨ Morbidity and mortality resulting from disasters differ according to the type and location of the event. ¨ In any disaster, prevention should be directed towards reducing (1) Losses due to the disaster event itself (2) Losses resulting from the Mismanagement of disaster relief.

Therefore, the public health objectives of disaster management can be stated as follows: 1. Prevent unnecessary morbidity, mortality, and economic loss resulting directly from the disaster. 2. Eliminate morbidity, mortality, and economic loss directly attributable to Mismanagement of disaster relief efforts. Nature and Extent of the Problem Morbidity and mortality, which result from a disaster situation, can be classified into four types: 1. Injuries, 2. Emotional stress, 3. Epidemics of diseases, 4. Increase in indigenous diseases. The relative numbers of deaths and injuries differ on the type of disaster. Injuries usually exceed deaths in explosions, typhoons, hurricanes, fires, famines, tornadoes, and epidemics. Deaths frequently exceed injuries in landslides, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves, floods, and earthquakes. Disaster victims often exhibit emotional stress or the "disaster shock" syndrome. The syndrome consists of successive stages of shock, suggestibility, euphoria and frustration. Each of these stages may vary in extent and duration depending on other factors. Epidemics are included in the definition of disaster; however, they can also be the result of other disaster situations. Diseases, which may be associated with disasters, include ¨ specific food and/or water bone illnesses (e.g., typhoid, gastroenteritis and cholera), ¨ vector bone illnesses (e.g., plague and malaria), ¨ diseases spread by person-to-person contact (e.g., hepatitis A and shigellosis) ¨ Diseases spread by the respiratory route (e.g., measles and influenza). · The current status of environmental sanitation, disease surveillance, and preventive medicine has led to a significant reduction in the threat of epidemics following disaster.

·

Immunization programs are rarely indicated as a specific post disaster measure.

· A disaster is often followed by an increase in the prevalence of diseases indigenous to the area due to the disruption of medical and other health facilities and programs. Morbidity and Mortality from Mismanagement of Relief Ideally, attempts to mitigate the results of a disaster would not add to the negative consequences; However, there have been many instances in which inappropriate and/or incomplete management actions taken after a disaster contributed to unnecessary morbidity, mortality, and a waste of resources. Many of the Causalities and much more of the Destruction occurring to natural disaster are due to ignorance and neglect on the part of the individuals and public authorities. There is a plethora of literature describing the inappropriate actions taken to manage past disasters. Many of the same mismanagement problems tend to recur. ¨ Physicians and nurses have been sent into disaster areas in numbers far in excess of actual need. ¨ Medical and paramedical personnel have often been hampered by the lack of the specific supplies they need to apply their skills to the disaster situation. ¨ In some disasters, available supplies have not been inventoried until well after the disaster, resulting in the importation of material which is used or needed. In a study of past disaster mismanagement problems and their causes, these problems were categorized as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Inadequate appraisal of damages Inadequate problem ranking Inadequate identification of resources Inadequate location of resources Inadequate transportation of resources Inadequate utilization of resources