The lawful meaning of “disaster” according to the Disaster Management Act 2005 is that of a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area arising from natural or manmade causes or by accident or negligence which lead to substantial loss of life or human sufferings or damage to property or degradation of environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area.
There are various local factors to get rid of the crises. If we cannot be successful fully, we can succeed in a substantial way to prevent gross destruction of human resources and properties.
Disaster management means a continuous and integrated process of planning, organising, coordinating and implementing measures which are necessary or expedient for prevention of danger or threat of any disaster by cyclone or flood and drought.
These are the perpetual crisises happening in every two to three years' interval. So, long planning and infrastructural developments to combat the problems are absolutely required with adequate technical persons to meet situation effectively and boldly.
Mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or consequences, requires organised efforts. The State Government must prepare a scheme to overcome the problems as far as possible.
The capacity building of people means enabling them to face the consequences and save their lives and livestocks and other things. The capacity building of infrastructure means giving adequate protection to the affected people and provision of food, water and medicines.
Besides the above, calamity and disaster fighting battalion should always be ready during the disaster prone season to meet the challenges. For this there should advance perfect planning.
To meet any type of expected disaster there should be preparedness. The preparedness is of three types such as prevention, protection and curretive measures. These three steps should be very strong to meet the challenges.
Alertness and keeping information about weather conditions, climate temper and any kind of accident can save a lot and bring the situation under control.
The assessment of severity from the beginning must be done properly and rightly till end of each disaster. The people having expertise in the matter must be employed for such work.
Evacuation of people from the affected areas before occurrence must be carried out. The people should motivated and proper information and understanding should be imparted before evacuation.
The evacuation and the rescue operations should follow the relief operations to extend adequate help to the affected persons. Proper saniation should be maintained, where these people are settled temporarily. The local factors should be taken into accounts before and after carrying out such operations.
The post disaster managements are most important steps after the events to carry out reconstruction works in the affected habitats. All these works should be done seriously by every wing of the Government concerned. It should not be taken as event – management, rather it should be taken as crisis management, as the lives of thousands or may be lakhs are at stake.
As it is seen dodging responsibilities is more in our Government departments rather than taking responsibilities on public causes. Everything in the interest of public of affected areas should be scrupulously planned and also carried out in an organised way. The State Government should prepare a scheme for this.
The risk and impact including effect of a disaster cannot be tackled immediately after occurrence of a disaster. It should be properly planned.
The planning should be prepared district wise. In Odisha, 14 revenue districts are very prone to disaster caused through oceanic cyclones and rest of the districts are also prone to climate disaster. So a district wise planning for mitigation of disaster should be done. As such, problems are faced to overcome the crisis when attempts are taken to carry out post disaster mitigation plans.
Besides ocean based cyclonic disaster, the flood based disaster is also of very horrendous nature, specially within the State of Odisha. The major river Mahanadi has originated from Amarkantak plateau of Chhatisgarh. The total course of the river is 959.8 km excluding the courses of its tributaries, sub tributaries and branches and sub-branches.
Similarly, the whole catchment area of the river is 1,40,716.00 square km, out of which in Odisha passes 65,580 square km. Again its deltaic area which spread over 107 km long upto river mouth is very prone to flood. When disaster management plan is prepared, the whole physical features of the river systems of a particular river should be taken into account right form its starting point to its end. The whole picture of the river should be studied bit by bit.
The geophysical aspect of the entire course should be studied before preparation of disaster management maps of each river along with its tributaries and sub-tributaries including its branches and sub branches.
The rivers like Mahanadi, Brahmani and Subarnarekha are inter-State rivers. So an inter-State river management planning should be carried out to tackle crisises.
There are other rivers, which flow within the State and merge in the Bay of Bengal. Intensive river control measures should be taken throughout the State to prevent flood damages. There should be intensive planning and preparation to face the flood crisis and conserve water. All the rivers and rivulets including all the wetlands of the State should be kept under intensive planning for conservation of water and to overcome the water crisis.
Odisha faces drought every alternative year. Cyclone, flood and drought-- these three calamities --always remain permanent woes for the people of Odisha. In fact, the people are accustomed to these kinds of crisises.
At least the coastal people are having ponds in every family compound to solve water crisis during acute dry season. So there should be pro people scheme for the entire State for management of all the river streams for flood control and conservation of water.
By this not only can we tackle disasters, but also keep enough water for daily consumptions and irrigation and promote fishing.
(The writer is a former forest officer and environmentalist, Mob: 9937460649)