End of Course Report Sandeep Parkhi

India - Background Information

"So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked."

-Mark Twain, from Following the Equator

Main Economic Indicators, 2003
GDP growth[1] (at factor cost; %) / 8.3
GDP at current prices (at factor cost; Rs. bn) / 22496
Per Head (NNP; Rs.) At constant (1993/94) process / 12561
Consumer price inflation (av; %) / 3.8
Current account surplus (% of GDP)[2] / 0.6
Total external debt (US$ bn)[3] / 104.4
Exchange rate (av; Rs:US$) / 46.6
Fiscal Deficit (2002-03) / 5.6%
Table 1: Economic Structure of India
Sources: Central Statistical Office; Economic Survey, IMF; International Financial Statistics.

Set apart from the rest of Asia by the supreme continental wall of the Himalayas, the Indian subcontinent touches three large bodies of water and is immediately recognizable on any world map. This thick, roughly triangular peninsula defines the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Arabian sea to the west, and the India Ocean to the south. The republic of India, a parliamentary federal democracy, is one of the most populous democracies with about 1.05 billion (mid 2003) spread across an area of 3,287,263 sq kms. (including Indian-administered Kashmir). There are twenty-four languages that are spoken by a million people or more, and countless other dialects. India has seven major religions and many minor ones, and six main ethnic groups

The GDP of the country is $505 billion (2002); per capita income is $486 (2002) with a growth index of 5 %. (2001). Two-thirds of India’s labour force works in agriculture. The forestry and fishing sector accounts for around 25% of GDP (at factor cost)[Table 1]. India is experiencing massive and rapid urbanization .A second urban India is being added in just a period of about two decades. It is estimated that by 2025 the urban component, which was only 25.7% in 1991 will be more than 50%. The ninth five-year plan estimates India’s population size by 2011 to be 1178.89 million with an urban population share of 32%. The characteristic feature of this urbanization process is the increasing metropolitanisation.

Vulnerability to Natural Disasters

India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters because of its unique geo-climatic conditions. The history of disasters has demonstrated the multi-hazard scenario in the country. The main hazards that are experienced in the parts of country include earthquakes, cyclones, floods, tsunamis, landslides, forest fires, drought, etc. Such natural events have often turned into disasters causing significant disruption of socio-economic life of communities leading to loss of life and property.

As per the Bureau of Indian Standards, out of the 32,87,263 sq. Kms of the country, about 59% of landmass is susceptible to earthquakes of various intensities, about 8% of total area is prone to cyclones, 68% land is susceptible to drought. The coastal states, especially the east coast are vulnerable to cyclones, 4 Crore hectare land mass is susceptible to floods,68 % of net sown area is vulnerable to drought,55 % of total area is in seismic zone III to V and the sub-Himalayan / western Ghat is vulnerable to landslides.(tenth five year plan 2002-2007,NDM division, MHA,GoI )

As per the annual reports, NDM division, Ministry of Agriculture, in the year 2001, about 788 lakh people were affected in the country by different disasters, with a damage/loss to property worth Indian Rupees 12000 Crores. As per the International database, in case of India, drought, earthquakes, floods and cyclones are the disasters that have been causing large scale damage to life and property in the last decade.[ Table-2]

Event / No. of
Events / Killed / Injured / Homeless / Affected / Total
Affected / Damage US$
(000's)
Drought / 21 / 4,250,430 / 0 / 0 / 1,391,841,000 / 1,391,841,000 / 1,898,721
Ave. per event / 202,401 / 0 / 0 / 66,278,143 / 66,278,143 / 90,415
Earthquake / 24 / 60,396 / 206,561 / 1,935,700 / 24,966,300 / 27,108,561 / 5,124,900
Ave. per event / 2,517 / 8,607 / 80,654 / 1,040,263 / 1,129,523 / 213,538
Flood / 157 / 50,860 / 1,268 / 8,934,230 / 654,151,850 / 663,087,348 / 11,118,841
Ave. per event / 324 / 8 / 56,906 / 4,166,572 / 4,223,486 / 70,821
Wind Storm / 133 / 162,986 / 16,822 / 9,026,245 / 82,279,340 / 91,322,407 / 13,397,100
Ave. per event / 1,226 / 127 / 67,867 / 618,642 / 686,635 / 100,730

Table 2: Natural Disasters in India (1900 to 2004)

Source:"EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, www.em-dat.net - Université

The earthquake of year 2001 was one of the most destructive events recorded in the history of state of Gujarat in India. This earthquake of magnitude 7.7 Richter scale ( USGS revised) caused extensive damage to Bhuj, and various towns of the district of Kutch. More than 10,000 human beings lost their lives with extensive loss to property as well. The loss of lives caused by the earthquake was colossal. With destruction and damage to more than 1.2 Million houses by the earthquake, the people lost their shelter and security. The civic facilities such as schools, hospitals, health centers, and public buildings suffered massive destruction. The utility infrastructure, which included water supply, electricity and telecommunications, were also completely disrupted. About 100 high-rise buildings were affected in the business city of Ahmedabad. The major causes for the destruction were identified [through various surveys and research studies] to be soft storey system in apartments, plan asymmetry, poor quality of materials, insufficient shear core details, etc.

The state government established the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority as the nodal agency to undertake mitigatve measures as well as ensure activities to ensure risk reduction. One of major steps towards risk reduction was the revision of building byelaws w.r.t earthquake resistant design and safe construction practices. The process of updating of existing disaster management plans at district as well as Taluka level w.r.t vulnerability assessment, emergency response, early recovery systems, etc was initiated. Various programmes were undertaken for spreading mass awareness on dos and don’ts in case of earthquakes. A large number of national, international organizations along with voluntary organizations conducted large-scale relief, recovery and rehabilitation activities. The state government with the help of technical institutes undertook rapid visual screening of many public as well as private buildings, followed by training to architects and engineers in the subject.

The state also took active steps towards the formulation of state disaster management policy as well as the state disaster management Act. The Government of Gujarat launched the Gujarat Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project to comprise: (i) immediate rehabilitation support to fund social safety net; (ii) assistance for power sector rehabilitation; (iii) assistance for urban infrastructure rehabilitation; and (iv) assistance for the reconstruction of residential houses. The stakeholders in the response mechanism comprised of many agencies and international organizations such as United Nations, Japan International Cooperation Agency, World Bank, EDM, Asian Development Bank, USAID World Health Organization, etc as well as NGOs such as SEEDS, City Managers Association of Gujarat, Environmental Planning Collaborative, etc

After the Independence to India, the Union Home Ministry was assigned the responsibility of looking after the natural disasters. Initially the task of disaster management was undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture after setting up of the National Disaster Management Division [NDM]. In February 2002, The Ministry of Home Affairs was assigned the roles and responsibility of Disaster Management at the National Level.

The major change in the strategy is a paradigm shift from the culture of Response to the culture of Preparedness/Mitigation

In the national system various roles and responsibilities have been assigned at national and state level. The country has administrative machinery for management of disasters at national, state, district as well as sub-district level. The subject of disaster management is handled by The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India that is the nodal Ministry for all matters concerning disaster management. The department of agriculture and cooperation is the nodal ministry for drought management. The Ministry Of Environment and Forests Deals with matters related to chemical disasters. A Central Relief Commissioner in the Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal officer to coordinate relief operations for natural disasters. Each of the Ministries have been assigned a specific portfolio w.r.t disasters and management. [Table-3]

The new vision adopted for disaster management comprises of the following concerns -

·  Preparedness rather than Crisis Management

·  Coordinated participatory approach rather than only state responsibility

·  Technology up gradation and deployment

·  Information as a tool for disaster management

·  Recognition of linkages between natural disasters and development

·  Connecting specific programmes for managing natural disasters

·  Emphasis on forecasting and warning using advanced technology

· 

·  Preparedness and Mitigation through specific Plan Programmes

·  Disaster management as a continuous and integrated part of development process

Type of Disaster

/ Nodal Ministry
Natural Disaster / Ministry of Home Affairs
Drought Relief /

Ministry of Agriculture

Air Accidents / Ministry of Civil Aviation
Railway Accidents / Ministry of Railways
Chemical Disasters / Ministry of Environment
Biological Disasters / Ministry of Health
Nuclear Disasters / Department of Atomic Energy
Table 3- Ministries at National level and the task allocations
Source-Disaster Management-The Development Perspective,
An extract of the chapter in the tenth five year plan document [2002-2007], Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Division.

The framework of disaster management under the new vision with the culture from relief to prevention is expected to undertake following arrangements-

·  Encourage disaster mitigation and prevention

·  Establish Institutional mechanisms to ensure coordinated efforts between various governments for disaster management

·  Disaster Management to be listed in List – III – [Concurrent List] of Seventh Schedule of the constitution

·  Each of the states to draft the State Disaster Management Act

·  States to enunciate policy on disaster management

·  Governments at various levels to ensure the formulation and implementation of disaster management codes

·  Early warning systems to be developed at all levels, with the establishment of emergency operations centers

·  Institutionalize knowledge and lessons learnt in the process of working on the national roadmap

Disaster Management requires the development of methodologies, concepts and operational strategies for effective implementation of response systems in the field. Predicted as well as unprecedented events exists differently, therefore the methodologies have to be situation specific and driven by depth of risks associated. There is lot to be learned from the history, experiences as well as practices of various agencies and governments. The current national disaster management system in India has a set of strengths as well as few weaknesses.

Strengths

·  From Relief to Prevention

One of the major strengths of the current national disaster management system is the paradigm shift from relief to the development of culture of prevention. The system has now taken up steps to ensure that the relief departments at state and national level be defined and termed as disaster management units/ departments. With the new nomenclature the tasks of the departments at various government levels, the task allocation has been towards active steps towards preparedness, development of databases to support functionaries in case of disaster/emergency situation. Thus there has been a greater encouragement to imbibe the culture of prevention rather than relief.

·  Sustainable Development

The past events of disasters such as earthquake of 1993 at Latur, cyclone of 1999 at Orrissa, earthquake of January 2001 at Bhuj, etc have demonstrated that after every such a disaster, a large part of the country’s as well as state economy is lost in the relief and response actions. With this view, the national disaster management system promotes every state to ensure annual allocation for disaster preparedness. Sustainability has been identified as the key word in the development processes. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India along with international organizations such as UNDP, USAID, AUSAID, Government of Japan, European Union, etc has launched various programmes at national and state levels on disaster management to ensure capacity building at all levels, and multi-hazard preparedness of states through community participation.

·  Mass Awareness Amongst Communities

The national disaster management system promotes the governments to undertake large-scale preparedness measures such as awareness generation. Most of the state governments have initiated mass awareness generation activities on disasters and its management through different programmes and with the help of voluntary organizations such as Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghatan, National service scheme, etc. For example under the Govt. of India-UNDP India, Disaster Risk Management Programme, about 81,847 sensitization meetings were held in the state of Orrissa to generate awareness about flood and cyclone management

[Source-Local level Risk Management-Indian experience, an initiative under GoI-UNDP DRM Programme]

Weaknesses

·  Lack of Coordination Amongst Stakeholders

The earthquake of January 26, 2001 at Gujarat affected both life and economy significantly. The disaster demonstrated that there is a need of a long-term vision, with appropriate involvement of different stakeholders. Though various agencies provided a large-scale support through tangible goods, financial support, human support, etc, the relief and immediate response activities demonstrated the lack of coordination amongst these agencies and stakeholders because of insufficient set operating procedures in case of such a mass disaster

·  Non-Compliance of Norms on Safe Construction Practices

The post-earthquake scenario of January 2001 indicated widespread damages of both engineered and non-engineered buildings in the affected region in Gujarat state. Analysis showed that much of these damages were attributed to the inherent construction problems of the buildings. The codal provisions and norms were defined in the rules and regulations under the national vision of the disaster management. However, the disaster demonstrated the compliance of these norms was not implemented at ground. It is interesting to note that properly constructed engineered and non-engineered structures in the epicentre region escaped with only minor damage. This clearly demonstrates the importance of proper construction practice for seismic safety of buildings.