How far we are prepared for natural
disaster
After 25th April, things have changed in
Nepal and Gorakhpur has become the transit point for the stranded people in
Nepal. Administration worked round the clock in the relief camp but all these
exercises are happened after the disaster. The question arises that how we far
we are ready for such disasters. In the name of disaster management many NGOs
and organizations claim to work but there was not a hint of disaster management
at the time of calamity. People camped outside their houses several days after
the earthquake and many people jumped from buildings and among which many
survived and many died. In short panic
encompassed the area and people were exactly doing things which are in the list
of Don’ts in disaster management.
The entire Himalayan belt is considered prone to
great earthquakes of magnitude exceeding 8.0 and in a relatively short span of
about 50 years, five such earthquakes have occurred: 1897 Shillong (M8.7), 1905
Kangra (M8.0), 1934 Bihar-Nepal (M8.3), 1950 Assam-Tibet (M8.6) and 2015 Nepal-
Uttar Pradesh (M8.1). Prof RP srivatav,
says, “Scientific publications have warned of the likelihood of the occurrence
of very severe earthquakes in the Himalayan region, which could adversely
affect the lives of several million people in the region. In this situation it
becomes necessary for us to be prepared for the disasters like earthquake but
unfortunately we never give a second thought to such things in normal
days. A need for awareness campaigns regarding
dos and don’ts at the time of disaster particularly during earthquake is highly
required which is missing at all from the scene. I became shocked to read in
the news papers that a lot of people died because they jumped from a building
as an attempt to safeguard themselves during earthquake.”
Dr KN Saxena, Psychologist, says, “Panic is our
enemy especially during disaster. We should be mentally prepared for it as till
today there is no instrument which could tell us about the place and time of
earthquake in advance. There should be always an emergency kit in the house at
accessible place so that at least one could have emergency medicines, bandage, torch,
robe, axe, cash, plastic sheets, water and canned food. There is no need to jump from the building as
one could go in open space or if it is not possible get inside furniture and be
away from heavy furniture. Always decide a place where all the family members
will reach during earthquake. Preparation in advance could lessen the loss as
we can’t stop earthquake.”
Though Gorakhpur is in highly earthquake prone belt
but very few buildings in the area are earthquake proof buildings. Dr. PC
Ahluwalia, scientist, says, “80% of the deaths occurred during earthquake due
to building collapse. The culprit was unsafe buildings. After all, earthquakes
do not kill, unsafe buildings do.The extent of damage to buildings depends not
only on the magnitude of the earthquake, but also on the type of construction
practice followed in a particular region or country. For example, an earthquake
in Tokyo or Los Angeles may result in damage of only a few buildings because
strict construction regulations are adopted. But a similar earthquake may be
catastrophic here, in terms of buildings damaged and lives lost, because the
building design and construction practices are not adequately regulated.”
Development activities are good but development with
consideration of geographical, societal and situational factors could be
catastrophic. Dr. Sunita Das, a social activist and economist, says, “The
increase in earthquake risk is due to a spurt in developmental activities
driven by urbanization, economic development and the globalization of India’s
economy. The increase in use of high-technology equipment and tools in
manufacturing and service industries has also made them susceptible to
disruption due to relatively moderate ground shaking. As a result, loss of
human life is not the only determinant of earthquake risk any more. Severe
economic losses leading to the collapse of the local or regional economy after
an earthquake may have long-term adverse consequences for the entire country.”
There should be concrete policy of disaster
management as the country losses a lot during natural calamity. Dr. Shiraz
Wajih, environmentalist, says, “The time has come when the country should make
a good police of disaster management. The pace of disaster management is quite
slow in the country and participation of people in the plan is also essential
as there was no people participation in Disaster Management Act 2005 in the
state. The dams constructed here are not scientifically correct and prove to be
cause of loss than safety. The basic infrastructure is poor here thus the loss
during the disaster is expected to be more than other developed nations.”
Arjumand Bano
