
Posted on October 24, 2024
India is one of the countries in this world characterized by geographical diversity and socio-economic conditions, which makes it very vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters. The country is prone to all the above-mentioned hazards-the earthquake, floods, cyclones, and droughts. India faces these and other such dangers that require proper and effective disaster management. Over the years, India has made considerable advancement in building its framework of disaster management. However, challenges persist. This blog talks about how India has transformed in disaster management, great challenges, and recent improvements it has shown in the reduction of disaster impact.
Understanding the Disaster Risk in India
India’s geographical location makes it highly susceptible to natural catastrophes. The country experiences frequent floods, droughts, landslides, cyclones, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Nearly 58.6% of India’s area is seismically vulnerable, and 12% is susceptible to floods and river erosion. About 68% of the total area seeded is vulnerable to droughts, and about 8% of the coastline is susceptible to cyclones. Urbanization and population growth have further added potential to man-made disasters such as industrial hazards, fire, and other transportation-related risks.
Development of Disaster Management Framework
Disaster management in India has undergone some radical changes in the years. It started as a reactive approach wherein relief and rehabilitation more concerned after a disaster had already occurred. But then, there was a paradigm shift towards a pro-active mode where disaster preparedness, mitigation, and reduction of risk are primary concerns.
The 2001 earthquake in Bhuj, Gujarat, has left widespread destruction in its wake; the event witnessed the shift of this approach from India towards disaster management. It was after this disaster that there was a necessity for a systemic framework for disaster management, and the government has been undertaking and starting to concretize steps it had undertaken to strengthen its mechanisms for disaster preparedness.
The landmark was the Disaster Management Act, 2005, that laid the foundation for a mainstreamed approach in disaster management. The Act established the National Disaster Management Authority or NDMA, which is involved in policy, plan, and guideline formulation for disaster management. In addition, it paved the way for the institution of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) to provide training and capacity-building programs.
Decentralized Structures: SDMAs and DDMAs were established at the state and district levels to implement plans and strategies regarding disaster management. The decentralized structure has made it easier to respond to disasters at the local level and more efficient.
Challenges in Disaster Management
Much has been achieved in India concerning disaster management, but there are still existing ones. These are:
- Public and Preparedness Lack: The population in most rural areas is ignorant of the danger involved in such disasters and how to prepare in advance. A stronger education and training program needs to be implemented so that, when these dangers arise, they know how to protect themselves.
- Poor urban planning: Cities have developed so rapidly that there are some cities without proper infrastructure. Overcrowding, unregulated construction and a lot of other activities make many urban places highly vulnerable to disasters, further accentuating effects of floods, earthquakes, or any other calamity.
- Coordination and Implementation Gap: There is often an implementation gap of the policies and frameworks at the grassroots level. Coordination between different agencies and authorities, especially during an emergency response, is slow and inefficient, with a high causality and damage.
- Technological Limitation: Even though India has been successful in developing early warning systems for cyclones and floods, it lags considerably behind in predicting other disasters like earthquakes and landslides. More investment in disaster forecasting technology has to come in to improve response time.
- Climate Change: Climatic change has increased the natural disaster trend and intensity in India. The unpredictable weather condition and rising sea levels have made coastal areas more vulnerable to storm and flood impacts. Climate change adaptation in strategies is significant.
Developments and Success
India has made some commendable steps in managing disasters of late. Some of them are:
- Cyclone Warning and Management: As regards the eastern coastal region of India, the technique of warning by cyclones has really worked. For example, while Cyclone Fani hit India in 2019, more than a million people were evacuated in time that saved thousands of lives. Similarly, while Cyclone Amphan hit India in 2020, it reflected concerted efforts by both the central and state administration as death tolls were a lot fewer than the previous cyclones.
- Flood Management: The National Flood Risk Mitigation Programme has established flood forecasting systems. Advanced flood warning systems are in place in cities like Mumbai and Chennai, although there still is a management problem of urban floods caused by an inadequate drainage system.
- Earthquake Readiness: India is developing resilience in its infrastructure, particularly in seismically sensitive areas, such as the Himalayan belt. The building codes that have been enforced emphasize earthquake-resistant construction practices. Such initiatives call for enhanced enforcement.
- Community-Based Disaster Management: The government has promoted community-based preparedness and response. Initiatives began at the grassroots or the community levels for training purposes, building local capacity and resilience.
The Role of Technology
Technological changes are also empowering the development of better disaster management systems for India. The involvement of GIS, remote sensing, and satellite imagery has made the disaster forecasts and monitoring much more precise. Indian Space Research Organisation, through its satellite information service, has been quite significant in providing satellite data for disaster management activities, more specifically tracking cyclones and floods.
Another citizen empowerment through technology scheme is the Aapda Mitra program, where volunteers in communities are trained to respond during disasters.
Conclusion
India’s disaster management has taken the best turn with a shift in approach-from one being reactive to proactive. Great strides have been taken on building an institutional framework, improving early warning systems, and engaging communities. There is still much work to be done. Disaster preparedness needs strengthening, urban planning improved upon, more investment in technology, and, very importantly, climate change challenges addressed for India to become better resistant to future disasters.
Disaster management is not just saving lives, but it also reduces loss economically and contributes to sustainable development. With this effort still ongoing, India will be able to reduce losses from disasters and build a safer and more resilient nation.