CHAPTER-I

MULTI-HAZARD DISASTER MANAGEMENT & RESPONSE PLAN

1.1 Introduction:

At the very outset, disaster refers to a serious disruption of the functioning of a society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental loss, which exceeds the ability of the affected society to cope using its own resources. To put it in other words, it is the occurrence of a sudden mishap/calamity/grave occurrence that disrupts the basic fabric and normal functioning of a society (or community).

Types of Disasters: Natural Man Made

Earthquake Road Accident

Flood Bandh calls

Heavy Rain Communal Violence

Cyclone Hartals

Drought Riots

Landslides Pollution

Forest Fire Chemical

Avalanches Railway Accidents

Pest Infection

Heat Wave

Hailstorms

DEFINITIONS OF DIFFERENT CALAMITIES

Heavy Rain Fall:

Heavy rain would mean three days or more of uninterrupted rainfall, the total amounting to at least 3 times that month’s average rainfall in the block area. In absence of supporting materials, rain amount from 64.5mm. to 124.4mm per day continuously for three days or more and or 124.5mm and above for more than one day, may be treated as heavy rainfall.

Flood:

The rivers along with their branches and tributaries can hardly hold the large volume of water, which passes through them during the rainy season (15^th June to 15^th October), which causes heavy and widespread inundation named as Flood.

Cyclone:

The tern “Cyclone” is derived from a Greek word meaning ‘the coil of a snake’. A tropical cyclone, when fully developed, is a vast violent whirl of 150 to 800 Kms of radius, across10 to 17 Kms. high, spiraling around a center and progressing along the surface of the sea at a rate of 300 Kms a day. The speed of wind in a mature storm is generally 50 to 100 Kms per hour. At its center it can be 160 Kms per hour or more. The wind associated with such storms is among the most violent and the rainfall is very heavy. Also very heavy sea and swell are experienced in association with such storms.

Depression : 32-50 km/hr wind speed
Deep Depression : 51- 61 km/hr wind speed
Cyclonic Storm : 62-68 km/hr wind speed
Severe Cyclonic Storm : 89-117 km/hr wind speed
Hurricane : 117+ km/hr wind speed

Typhoon : Where the wind speed as above 200kms per hour.

Drought:

Most of the paddy growing areas depends upon the rainfall. The monsoon commences around the middle of June. For timely agricultural operation, a few showers of pre-monsoon rain is absolutely necessary. Regular rainfall till the middle of October can ensure a good harvest. But, if the rainfall at any circumstances will not happen then this will lead to improper agricultural operation and growth of crop and finally the drought will occur. So drought is caused due to failure of rains in season.

Tidal Disasters:

Sometime, the saline water came up to the land and store over the land for days together. After the evaporation of the water, the lands covered by saline. As a result these land became non-cultivable until the salt washed away by the plain water. This mostly happened after the commencement of the cyclone and sometime due to severe flood. Stagnation of the cultivation till the land become normal always lead to disaster called Tidal Disaster.

Earthquakes:

Earthquakes are caused by natural tectonic interactions. Earthquakes strike suddenly without warning, and thus unpredictable. Therefore preventive measures for ensuring safety of buildings, structures, communication facilities, water supply lines, electricity and life are of utmost priority.

Tornado:

It means thunderstorm. Tornados are local storms of short duration formed of winds rotating at very high speed. These storms are visible as a revolving whirlpool with a tail coming down to earth. As the storm moves along the ground this outer ring of rotating winds becomes dark with dust and debris. The average speed of Tornado is about 150k.ms per hour and maximum 400k.ms per hour. It causes large-scale damage and casualties leaving practically nothing in its path. Gale wind and Whirlwind are like tornado by nature, but very small in impact and kind.

Hailstorm:

Although hailstorms rarely involve loss of lives, their economic impact can be severe. The damage appears to be a function of the intensity and duration of storms and the size of the hailstones, which these produce. The damage itself is often produced not only by the impact of falling hailstones, but also by the high winds and torrential rains that is part of the hailstorm.

Heat Wave Attack:

A period of unusually hot and often humid summer that lasts for several days is commonly referred to as a “heat – wave”. The temperatures that, constitutes a heat wave vary among regions with different normal summer conditions. When the maximum temperature at a station remains 45° C or more for two days or more, the condition is described as a “heat wave”. It affects the Human and Cattle population and lead to Sunstroke and casualties. This some time also lead to fire accident. The maximum temperature ever recorded 44˚ C on 8.6.98.

Fire Accident:

Fire accident happen due to several causes like: Housing Pattern, Lose circuit of electricity, Chemical reaction, Road Accident, Thunder, Lightening etc. In Orissa due to peculiar housing patterns maximum fire accident cases takes place. These houses have build generally mud-built walls with thatched roofs made out timber, bamboo and straw. They spring up in clusters. In summer fire accident becomes frequent; it destroys houses and properties and causes serious distress to the afflicted people. In Orissa, the Harijans, Adibasis and other economically backward group who live in congested localities are the targeted victims of the Fire Accident.

1.2 Vision

The District of Balasore, situated on the eastern coast of Orissa has always been at the centre stage of natural calamities like floods, cyclones, etc. Keeping in mind these frequent disastrous happenings in the district that cause major setbacks to lives, livelihoods and property (both movable and immovable), the District Administration felt the urgency of the need of staying prepared to face these adverse situations well in advance. The devastation caused by floods and cyclones has posed a challenge before the administration to rethink and redefine the preparedness and the mitigation strategies to analyze each and every decision making process to gear up the rescue and restoration during such situations as well as building up the capacity to face further calamities in future. The District Administration has realized the necessity to compile a plan to prevent/minimize the loss and also to facilitate faster recovery during an emergency of this kind. This booklet is more of a guidebook, which can help the administration, remains better prepared for floods and cyclones to safeguard lives, livelihoods and property.

In broadest terms, the vision of the plan will be - fail proof communication, authentic and accurate database, documented and rehearsed to be activated in the shortest possible time with minimum simple orders and procedures ensuring active participation by the administration, communities and volunteers at all levels, making optimal utilization of human and material resources with no gaps or no overlaps to prevent/minimize loss to lives and property and to ensure fastest restoration of the situation.

Chart Representation of the DDMP:

1.3 Evolution

The present District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) is a prepared keeping in view of its need to monitor the frequent natural disasters occurred in the district of Lower Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. It was decided to formulate the plan in a DDMC meeting held on 3^rd August’2007 participated by Deputy Commissioner and Head of Departments of the Lower Dibang Valley. And also to strengthening the hands of the District Administration by setting up a Control Room in the Office Chamber of District Relief & Rehabilitation Officer, Roing.

The Control has been provided with Computers with round-the-clock, printers, generators, fax machines, fire extinguishers, steel cupboard, soft board and hard board. The Field Officer, (DRM), Roing shall man these equipments and facilitate the District Administration in handling these equipments.

The identified points were:

• Pre-positioning of men and material
• Delegation of powers
• Evacuation and rescue operation
• Identification of NGOs in different field
• Coordination and monitoring system
• Communication
• Documentation
• Post Calamity preparation
• Relief Operation
• Formation of Village level Committee
• Effective functioning of the BCR

This is the outcome of the meetings that was incorporated, leading to the evolution of District Disaster Management Framework

1.4 Rationale

The District of Balasore, situated on the eastern coast of Orissa has always been at the centre stage of natural calamities like floods, cyclones, etc. Keeping in mind these frequent disastrous happenings in the district that cause major setbacks to lives, livelihoods and property (both movable and immovable), the District Administration felt the urgency of the need of staying prepared to face these adverse situations well in advance. The devastation caused by various disasters has posed a challenge before the administration to rethink and redefine the preparedness and the mitigation strategies to analyze each and every decision making process to gear up the rescue and restoration during such situations as well as building up the capacity to face further calamities in future. The District Administration has realized the necessity to compile a plan to prevent/minimize the loss and also to facilitate faster recovery during an emergency of this kind. This booklet is more of a guidebook, which can help the administration, remains better prepared for floods and cyclones to safeguard lives, livelihoods and property. Based on the past experiences, to combat natural disasters, the rationale of an effective and realistic District Disaster Management Plan was felt. A comprehensive DDMP will strengthen the efforts of the District Administration.

1.5 Objectives

The objectives behind the preparation of the District Disaster Management Plan is

q To mitigate impact of natural and man-made disasters through preparedness at District, Block, Gram Panchayat and Village level.

q To provide effective support and resources to all the concerned individuals, groups and departments in disaster.

q To assist the line departments, block administration, communities in developing compatible skills for disaster preparedness and management.

q To disseminate factual information in a timely, accurate and tactful manner while maintaining necessary confidentiality.

q To develop immediate and long-term support plans for vulnerable people in/during disasters.

q To create awareness among the people about hazard occurrence and increase their participation in preparedness, prevention, development, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction process

q To have response system in place to face any eventuality

q To affect or elicit the least possible disruption to the normal life process when dealing with individuals in disaster

q To ensure active participation by the government administration, communities, NGOs, CBOs and volunteers at all levels making optimal utilization of human and material resources at the time of disaster.

1.5 Perspective

A formal plan for managing disaster would include:

• Pre planning a proper sequence of response actions
• Allocation of responsibilities to the participant agencies
• Developing codes and standards operating procedures for various departments and relief agencies involved
• Inventory of existing facilities and resources
• Mechanism for effective management of resources
• Coordination of all relief activities including those of NGOs to ensure a coordinated and effective response
• Coordinating with the state response machinery for appropriate support
• Testing the plan including mock drills
• Defining levels of acceptable risk
• Monitoring and evaluation of actions taken during relief and rehabilitation

1.6 Strategy

The preparation of a Disaster Preparedness Plan involves the following steps:

Steps	What is to be done	Who are to be involved	How it is to be done
I	Review and Analysis	Collector, ADM, Emergency Officer, BDOs, Tahasildars Village community, NGOs/CBOs, Community/Village level workers	§ Past history of disasters to be discussed and documented § Extent of severity and damage to be recorded § The nature of the Warning issued to be analyzed § The nature and extent of the rescue and restoration done, to be revisited
II	Situation Analysis	BDOs, Tahasildars Village community, NGOs/CBOs, Community/Village level workers	§ Mapping the geography and topography of the risk prone areas, block-wise, GP-wise and village-wise § Demographic details to be recorded § Mapping of the habitation in the concerned areas § The natural resources to be marked on the maps § Listing all the livelihoods and properties § The existing risk prone/ safe infrastructure to be marked on the map
III	Hazard Analysis	-do-	§ Identification of all possible hazards in the area based on past experience and available records § Identification of the most vulnerable areas with relation to threat to life, livelihoods and property
IV	Vulnerability Assessment	-do-	§ Locations of the vulnerable areas are to be mapped separately § Identification of the vulnerable people such as, the elderly, the disabled, children and pregnant women, families living in thatched houses, fishermen at sea (if any), ailing people, etc. § Identification of property or assets which are likely to be affected, such as, cattle and other livestocks, kachcha houses, weak structures, pumpsets, tube wells and other installations, crops, horticulture and plantations, boats, nets, etc. § Identification of weak points on embankments (if any) § Marking the drainage system in the concerned area
V	Opportunity Analysis	-do-	§ Identification of the existing resources which may help to reduce risks to life and property § Identification of the safe houses and buildings for shelter and storage § Listing the existing flood/cyclone shelters, if any § Identification of the elevated and up-lands which can act as natural barriers to protect livestocks § Listing of the existing health and sanitation facilities § Identification of safe routes for evacuation § Identification of the sources of funds to carry out the preparedness activities

1.6 Role of the District Administration

In anticipation of any disaster, the district administration has taken various precautionary measures. Functioning of the Control Room, Closure of past breaches in river and canal embankments and guarding of weak points, rain recording and submission of rainfall report, communication of Gauge reading, functioning of flood/cyclone zones installation of temporary VHF stations, arrangement for keeping telephone and telegraph lines in order, storage of food stuff, arrangement for keeping drainage clear, agricultural/health/veterinary measures, selection of flood/cyclone shelters, etc. have been properly planned. The government officials of different departments have been apprised of their duties for pre, during and post disaster periods. The B.D.Os, Circle Officers, SDOs, EACs and Executive Engineers of Irrigation Department along with other Engineering Departments, DMO, SP, DVO and DFCSO have been requested to take all precautionary and preparatory measures and to remain alert to face the challenge of any disaster.The other government officials have also been apprised of their roles and responsibilities to be played during pre-disaster arrangement and during/post-disaster management. All concerned have been reminded of the havoc of the super cyclone, 1999 and the flood, 2001. Every possible kind of cooperation from all the line departments has been sought for by the district administration in combating the severe natural calamities that may occur anytime.