Human Induced Disaster Management and Issues (Specials)

Recently, the most discussed issue in the country is the accident at Balasore, Odisha involving three trains collided and de-railed from the track taking lives of up to 300 peoples, has highlighted the man-made disasters and its extent.

• More than 6,000 natural and 7,000 human-made disasters took place between 1970 and 2021.
• More than one fourth (02 per cent) of all people worldwide affected by natural disasters live in India.
• Natural disasters have killed 45, 91,768 Indians since 1900.

• India ranks among the top ten countries in the world that is prone to disasters.

What does the man-made disaster exactly means?

• Man-made disasters have an element of human intent, negligence, or error involving a failure of a man-made system, as opposed to natural disasters resulting from natural hazards.
• Such man-made disasters are crime, arson, civil disorder, terrorism, war, biological/chemical threat, cyber-attacks, etc.
  
  
  

Forms of man-made disasters in India:

Why man-made disasters are a cause of concern?

• Increasing Number of Climate refugees: More people are likely to migrate due to slow-onset processes of environmental degradation such as inundation, desertification, soil erosion and changing coastlines than sudden-onset events like storms and cyclones.
• Economic Losses: The economic losses due to man-made disaster can be massive and also can impact the surrounding environments too. Especially for a developing country like India, economic losses induced by disaster are very high.
• Social Impacts: People affected and after-effects of man-made disasters can impact society at large.
• Psychological impacts: The man-made disasters sometimes can cause a mental impact on people affected by it. This can create lack of trust.

Disaster Management in India:

• Disaster Management efforts are geared towards disaster risk management.
• Disaster Risk Management implies the systematic process of using administrative decisions, organisation, operational skills, and capacities to implement policies, strategies and coping capacities of the society and communities to lessen the impact of natural hazards and related environmental and technological disasters.
• Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): Disaster risk reduction is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and reduce the causal factors of disasters.
  • Pre-Disaster risk reduction includes-
    • Mitigation: To eliminate or reduce the impacts and risks of hazards through proactive measures taken before an emergency or disaster occurs.
    • Preparedness: To take steps to prepare and reduce the effects of disasters.
• Post-Disaster risk reduction includes-
  • • Rescue: Providing warning, evacuation, search, rescue, providing immediate assistance.
    • Relief: To respond to communities who become victims of disaster, providing relief measures such as food packets, water, medicines, temporary accommodation, relief camps etc.
    • Recovery: This stage emphasises upon recovery of victims of disaster, recovery of damaged infrastructure and repair of the damages caused.

Who is responsible for disaster management?

• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, is the apex body for Disaster Management in India.
• Setting up of 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.
• NDMA has the power to authorise the Departments or authorities concerned, to make emergency procurement of provisions or materials for rescue and relief in a threatening disaster situation or disaster.
• The general superintendence, direction, and control of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are vested in and will be exercised by the NDMA.
• The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) works within the framework of broad policies and guidelines laid down by the NDMA.

National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM) 2009:

• The Disaster Management Act, 2005, provides for the legal and institutional framework for the effective management of disasters.
• The Act mandates creation of new institutions and assignment of specific roles for Central, State and Local Governments.
• Under the provisions of the Act, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has been established under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister and National Executive Committee (NEC) of Secretaries has been created to assist the NDMA in the performance of its functions.
• At the State level, a State Disaster Management Authority has been created under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister of the State, which has been assisted by a State Executive Committee. At the District level, District Disaster Management Authorities have been created.

Way forward:

• Promoting a productive partnership with the media to create awareness and contributing towards capacity development.
• Ensuring efficient response and relief with a caring approach towards the needs of the vulnerable sections of the society.
• Undertaking reconstruction as an opportunity to build disaster resilient structures and habitat for ensuring safer living.
• Promoting productive and proactive partnership with media in disaster management.