Should we convert natural disasters into manmade ones?

Recent earthquake in Gujarat has revised the unfortunate memories of 2001. Have we learned the right lessons and can GSDMA and National authority do something more about it? What should we, the members of civil society do, to be better prepared?

I will reiterate several ideas which i have shared before since we have not paid enough attention to them. We should also think of some new initiatives.  Large number of institutions and communities has done no drill to evacuate quickly and safely in the event of a disaster.  Should we not insist and make it obligatory for every public and private organizations, housing society and village community to do such mock drills once in three or six months? We live in a high risk zone and forewarned is forearmed, after all.  GSDMA should issue guidelines and have a list of dos and don’ts.

One of the lesson we learned in 2001 was that it is the local communities which have to play the most important role soon after an emergency followed by volunteers from nearby place. But do we have a database of volunteer experts, tools  like cutters, hammers, pick axe, cranes  etc., available locally with different people, private firms,  contractors etc.? GSDMA site has resources which municipalities or other public bodies have, but we all know that what we need is a distributed list of such resources( material or human) with contact information, earmarked person willing to be contacted in emergency.  The volunteers can mention within what distance there are willing to offer their resources or services.  The suppliers of medical items including x ray plates, mobile x ray machines ( lest plastering of fractured limbs  is done without x rays),   private ambulances ( with smart 108, this may less be  a problem now) should also be listed.

In schools and colleges, self help training ( e.g. http://www.sristi.org/dmis/dmep )is must.  In an international conference on School safety held in 2006 in ahmedabad several useful recommendations were made about incorporating lessons of disaster preparedness in curriculum, making children and communities aware of what they could in the event of disasters. But we should ask ourselves how much have we done and are we satisfied with that. A very useful document exists at gsdma site (http://www.gsdma.org/pdf/GSDMPolicy%20_revised%20on%2025th%20October_.pdf but then we should ask ourselves, do we know teh contact information of nodal person for any specific help in our institution or housing society. During China war and also subsequently, lot of people got training in self defence.  Is it not the time to prepare ourselves for not helping ourselves but also each other during such moments.  Recent damage in JUnagadh, early warning signals from animal behaviours and quick help from the state are lessons to be learned. It may look difficult that all residents make their houses retrofitted with earthquake proof amendments. But if that is the need, then at least posters with what kind of amendments could make their huts safer could be pasted in every single village.  May be every panachayat can be trained using video-and tele conference facility in dos and donts. Every single life matters and countries like Japan have many more earthquakes but much less damage of human life and other resources.  Gujarat must aim at similar efficiency in this regard.

IT is possible and i think with wider participation, it can be done. Jumping from high roof and hurting one’s back and limbs was an accident which was avoidable if children had been educated about the steps they could take in such matters.  Let us try to achieve much higher standards of safety preparedness than what we have just now.  It will not be possible only by government, civil society organizations will have to join hands.  Collaborative platforms are needed for better preparation and readiness. We have no time to lose.

Anil K Gupta