How far we are prepared for natural disaster

After 25^th 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