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Transcript of Disaster management with case study
SMT.CHANDIBAI HIMATMAL MANSUKHANI COLLEGE
ULHASNAGAR- 421003
PROJECT REPORT ON
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Disaster Management & CASE STUDY
SUBMITTED BY
AKASH RANA
(ROLL NO: 46)
M.COM (SEM.II):.
SUBMITED TO
UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI
2015-16
PROJECT GUIDE
Prof. kishore karia
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Department of CommerceCertificate
This is to certify that, Mr. AKASH RANA of M.Com.-I, Sem.-I (Roll NO-46) has successfully
completed the project titled “Disaster management & case study.” under my guidance for the
Academic Year 2015-16. The information submitted is true and original as per my knowledge.
Prof. kishore karia
(Project Guide)
Prof. Gopi Shamnani Dr. Manju Lalwani pathak (Coordinator, M. Com Course) ( I/C Principal)
External Examiner
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I acknowledge the valuable assistance provided by SMT.CHANDIBAI HIMATMAL MANSUKHANI COLLEGE, for two years of degree course in M.Com.
I specially thank the principal Dr . Manju Lalwani pathak for Allowing us to use the facilities such as library, computer laboratory, internet etc.
I sincerely thank the M.Com co-ordinator Prof. Gopi Shamnani for Guiding us in the right direction go prepare the project.
I thank my guide Prof. kishore karia who has given his/her valuable time, knowledge and guidance to complete the project successfully in time.
My family and peers were great source of inspiration throughout my project their support is deeply acknowledged.
Signature
DECLARATION
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I, AKASH RANA OF SMT.CHANDIBAI HIMATMAL MANSUKHANI COLLEGE OF M.Com SEMESTER I, hereby declare that I have completed the project on ‘Disaster management & case study’ in the academic year 2015-16. The information submitted is true and original to the best of my knowledge.
(AKASH .P. RANA)
M.Com part-1, ROLL NO: 46
SEMESTER II
INDEX
Sr.No Topic Name PAGE NO.
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1. Introduction 7-8
2. TYPES OF DISASTER 9
3. Disaster management 10
4. Emergency planning ideas 11
5. Implementing ideas 12
6. Phases and personal activities 13-23
7. Response 24-25
8. Recovery 26
9 Indian Armed Force & Jammu & Kashmir Floods, 2014 27-28
10. Disaster Management in India 29
11. Command and control 30
12 Rescue Mission 31-33
13 Relief assistance 34-36
14 National disaster response force (NDFR) 37-38
15 CASE STUDYUTTARAKHAND DISASTER
39-49
16 Conclusion 50-51
17 Bibliography 52
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Introduction
A disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving
widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the
ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.
In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of inappropriately managed
risk. These risks are the product of a combination of both hazard/s and vulnerability. Hazards
that strike in areas with low vulnerability will never become disasters, as is the case in
uninhabited regions.
Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits – more than 95 percent of all
deaths caused by hazards occur in developing countries, and losses due to natural hazards are 20
times greater (as a percentage of GDP) in developing countries than in industrialized countries
Classifications
Researchers have been studying disasters for more than a century, and for more than forty years
disaster research The studies reflect a common opinion when they argue that all disasters can be
seen as being human-made, their reasoning being that human actions before the strike of the
hazard can prevent it developing into a disaster. All disasters are hence the result of human
failure to introduce appropriate disaster management measures. Hazards are routinely divided
into natural or human-made, although complex disasters, where there is no single root cause, are
more common in developing countries. A specific disaster may spawn a secondary disaster that
increases the impact. A classic example is an earthquake that causes a tsunami, resulting in
coastal flooding.
Natural Hazard
A Natural Hazard is a natural process or phenomenon that may cause loss of life, injury or other
health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic
disruption, or environmental damage.
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Various phenomena like earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods, hurricanes,
tornadoes, blizzards, tsunamis, and cyclones are all natural hazards that kill thousands of people
and destroy billions of dollars of habitat and property each year. However, the rapid growth of
the world's population and its increased concentration often in hazardous environments has
escalated both the frequency and severity of disasters. With the tropical climate and unstable
land forms, coupled with deforestation, unplanned growth proliferation, non-engineered
constructions which make the disaster-prone areas more vulnerable, tardy communication, poor
or no budgetary allocation for disaster prevention, developing countries suffer more or less
chronically by natural disasters. Asia tops the list of casualties caused by natural hazards.
Airplane crashes and terrorist attacks are examples of man-made disasters: they cause pollution,
kill people, and damage property. This example is the September 11 attacks in 2001 at the World
Trade Center in New York.
Human-Instigated Disasters
Main article: Man-made disasters
Human-Instigated disasters are the consequence of technological hazards. Examples include
stampedes, fires, transport accidents, industrial accidents, oil spills and nuclear
explosions/radiation. War and deliberate attacks may also be put in this category. As with natural
hazards, man-made hazards are events that have not happened, for instance terrorism. Man-made
disasters are examples of specific cases where man-made hazards have become reality in an
event.
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Types of Disasters
Disasters are simply defined as any over helming ecological disruption which disturbs environmental and economical positions.
Disasters are mainly divided as two types:
Natural Disasters and
Artificial Disasters.
Artificial Disasters are also called as Man Made Disasters.
Natural Disasters:
Disasters that are caused by Natural causes are called as Natural Disasters.
Earthquakes,
Landslides,
Floods,
River erosion,
Cyclones,
Tsunami,
Forest Fires etc…
Artificial Disasters:
These are the disasters that are occurred due to man made changes over the surface of the Earth.
Nuclear Disasters,
Chemical Disasters,
Mine Disasters,
Biological Disasters.
These are an example of man-made disasters
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Disaster Management
Disaster management is the process of addressing an event that has the potential to seriously
disrupt the social fabric of the community. Disaster management is similar to disaster mitigation,
however it implies a whole-of-government approach to using community resources to fight the
effects of an event and assumes the community will be self-sufficient for periods of time until the
situation can be stabilized. Through disaster management, we cannot completely counteract the
damage but it is possible to minimize the risks through early warning, provide developmental
plans for recuperation from the disaster, generate communication and medical resources, and aid
in rehabilitation and post-disaster reconstruction.
The exchange of correct information following the event is important, in order to ensure the
resources necessary to support response and recovery activities. The 72 hours following a major
event is the most difficult time because of a lack of coordination among relief organizations.
Problems that interrupt rather than coordinate the rescue efforts of all groups involved often
occur because of hasty decision-making under complicated circumstances and the large number
of organizations, which are unsure of their roles during operations.
The process of Disaster Management involves the following phases:
Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.
Disaster management (or emergency management) is the creation of plans through which
communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters.Disaster management does
not avert or eliminate the threats, instead it focuses on creating plans to decrease the impact of
disasters. Failure to create a plan could lead to damage to assets, human mortality, and lost
revenue. Currently in the United States 60% businesses do not have emergency management
plans. Events covered by disaster management include acts of terrorism, industrial sabotage, fire,
natural disasters (such as earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.), public disorder, industrial accidents, and
communication failures
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Emergency planning ideas
If possible, emergency planning should aim to prevent emergencies from occurring, and failing
that, should develop a good action plan to mitigate the results and effects of any emergencies. As
time goes on, and more data becomes available, usually through the study of emergencies as they
occur, a plan should evolve. The development of emergency plans is a cyclical process, common
to many risk management disciplines, such as Business Continuity and Security Risk
Management, as set out below:
Recognition or identification of risks
Ranking or evaluation of risks
o Responding to significant risks
o Tolerate
o Treat
o Transfer
o Terminate
Resourcing controls
Reaction Planning
Reporting & monitoring risk performance
Reviewing the Risk Management framework
There are a number of guidelines and publications regarding Emergency Planning, published by
various professional organizations such as ASIS, FEMA and the Emergency Planning College.
There are very few Emergency Management specific standards, and emergency management as a
discipline tends to fall under business resilience standards. In order to avoid, or reduce
significant losses to a business, emergency managers should work to identify and anticipate
potential risks, hopefully to reduce their probability of occurring. In the event that an emergency
does occur, managers should have a plan prepared to mitigate the effects of that emergency, as
well as to ensure Business Continuity of critical operations post-incident. It is essential for an
organization to include procedures for determining whether an emergency situation has occurred
and at what point an emergency management plan should be activated
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Implementations ideas
An emergency plan must be regularly maintained, in a structured and methodical manner, ensure
it is up-to-date in the event of an emergency. Emergency managers generally follow a common
process to anticipate, assess, prevent, prepare, respond and recover from an incident.
Pre-incident training and testing
Emergency management plans and procedures should include the identification of appropriately
trained staff members responsible for decision-making when an emergency occurs. Training
plans should include internal people, contractors and civil protection partners, and should state
the nature and frequency of training and testing.
Testing of a plan's effectiveness should be carried out regularly. In instances where several
business or organizations occupy the same space, joint emergency plans, formally agreed to by
all parties, should be put into place.
Communicating and assessing incidents.
Communication is one of the key issues during any emergency, pre-planning of communications
is critical. Miscommunication can easily result in events escalating unnecessarily.
Once an emergency has been identified a comprehensive assessment evaluating the level of
impact and its financial implications should be undertaken. Following assessment, the
appropriate plan or response to be activated will depend on a specific pre-set criteria within the
emergency plan. The steps necessary should be prioritized to ensure critical functions are
operational as soon as possible.
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Phases and personal activities
Emergency management consists of five phases: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response
and recovery.
Prevention
Prevention was recently added to the phases of emergency management. It focuses on preventing
the human hazard, primarily from potential natural disasters or terrorist attacks. Preventive
measures are taken on both the domestic and international levels, designed to provide permanent
protection from disasters. Not all disasters, particularly natural disasters, can be prevented, but
the risk of loss of life and injury can be mitigated with good evacuation plans, environmental
planning and design standards. In January 2005, 168 Governments adopted a 10-year global plan
for natural disaster risk reduction called the Hyogo Framework.
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Mitigation
Personal mitigation is a key to national preparedness. Individuals and families train to avoid
unnecessary risks. This includes an assessment of possible risks to personal/family health and to
personal property, and steps taken to minimize the effects of a disaster, or take procure insurance
to protect them against effects of a disaster.
Preventive or mitigation measures take different forms for different types of disasters. In
earthquake prone areas, these preventive measures might include structural changes such as the
installation of an Earthquake Valve to instantly shut off the natural gas supply, seismic retrofits
of property, and the securing of items inside a building. The latter may include the mounting of
furniture, refrigerators, water heaters and breakables to the walls, and the addition of cabinet
latches. In flood prone areas, houses can be built on poles/stilts. In areas prone to prolonged
electricity black-outs installation of a generator. The construction of storm cellars and fallout
shelters are further examples of personal mitigate actions.
On a national level, governments might implement large scale mitigation measures. After the
monsoon floods of 2010, the Punjab government subsequently constructed 22 'disaster-resilient'
model villages, comprising 1885 single-stores homes, together with schools and health centers.
Preparedness
Airport emergency preparedness exercise.
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Preparedness focuses on preparing equipment and procedures for use when a disaster occurs.
This equipment and these procedures can be used to reduce vulnerability to disaster, to mitigate
the impacts of a disaster or to respond more efficiently in an emergency. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) has set out a basic four-stage vision of preparedness flowing from
mitigation to preparedness to response to recovery and back to mitigation in a circular planning
process. This circular, overlapping model has been modified by other agencies, taught in
emergency class and discussed in academic papers FEMA also operates a Building Science
Branch that develops and produces multi-hazard mitigation guidance that focuses on creating
disaster-resilient communities to reduce loss of life and property.
Emergency Preparedness can be difficult to measure. CDC focuses on evaluating the
effectiveness of its public health efforts through a variety of measurement and assessment
programs.
Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) are required by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act to
develop an emergency response plan, review the plan at least annually, and provide information
about chemicals in the community to local citizens. This emergency preparedness effort focuses
on hazards presented by use and storage of extremely hazardous, hazardous and toxic
chemicals.Particular requirements of LEPCs include
Identification of facilities and transportation routes of extremely hazardous substances
Description of emergency response procedures, on and off site
Designation of a community coordinator and facility emergency coordinator(s) to
implement the plan
Outline of emergency notification procedures
Description of how to determine the probable affected area and population by releases
Description of local emergency equipment and facilities and the persons responsible for
them
Outline of evacuation plans
A training program for emergency responders (including schedules)
Methods and schedules for exercising emergency response plans
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According to the EPA, "Many LEPCs have expanded their activities beyond the requirements of
EPCRA, encouraging accident prevention and risk reduction, and addressing homeland security
in their communities" and the Agency offers advice on how to evaluate the effectiveness of these
committees.
Preparedness measures can take many forms ranging from focusing on individual people,
locations or incidents to broader, government-based "all hazard" planning. There are a number of
preparedness stages between "all hazard' and individual planning, generally involving some
combination of both mitigation and response planning. Business continuity planning encourages
businesses to have a Disaster Recovery Plan. Community- and faith-based organizations
mitigation efforts promote field response teams and inter-agency planning.
Classroom Response Kit
School-based response teams cover everything from live shooters to gas leaks and nearby bank
robberies. Educational institutions plan for cyber-attacks and windstorms. Industry specific
guidance exists for horse farms, boat owners and more.
Family preparedness for disaster is fairly unusual. A 2013 survey found that only 19% of
American families felt that they were "very prepared" for a disaster. Still, there are many
resources available for family disaster planning. The Department of Homeland Security's
Ready.gov page includes a Family Emergency Plan Checklist, has a whole webpage devoted to
readiness for kids, complete with cartoon-style superheroes, and ran a Thunderclap Campaign in
2014 The Center for Disease Control has a Zombie Apocalypse website
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Kitchen Fire Extinguisher
Disasters take a variety of forms to include earthquakes, tsunamis or regular structure fires. That
a disaster or emergency is not large scale in terms of population or acreage impacted or duration
does not make it any less of a disaster for the people or area impacted and much can be learned
about preparedness from so-called small disasters. The Red Cross states that it responds to nearly
70,000 disasters a year, the most common of which is a single family fire.
Items on Shelves in Basement
Preparedness starts with an individual's everyday life and involves items and training that would
be useful in an emergency. What is useful in an emergency is often also useful in everyday life
as well. From personal preparedness, preparedness continues on a continuum through family
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preparedness, community preparedness and then business, mom-profit and governmental
preparedness. Some organizations blend these various levels. For example, the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent Movement has a webpage on disaster training as well as offering
training on basic preparedness such as Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and First Aid. Other non-
profits such as Team Rubicon bring specific groups of people into disaster preparedness and
response operations. FEMA breaks down preparedness into a pyramid, with citizens on the
foundational bottom, on top of which rests local government, state government and federal
government in that order.
Non Perishable Food in cabinet
The basic theme behind preparedness is to be ready for an emergency and there are a number of
different variations of being ready based on an assessment of what sort of threats exist.
Nonetheless, there is basic guidance for preparedness that is common despite an area's specific
dangers. FEMA recommends that everyone have a three day survival kit for their
household.Because individual household sizes and specific needs might vary, FEMA's
recommendations are not item specific, but the list includes:
Three-day supply of non-perishable food.
Three-day supply of water – one gallon of water per person, per day.
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Portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra batteries.
Flashlight and extra batteries.
First aid kit and manual.
Sanitation and hygiene items (moist towelettes and toilet paper).
Matches and waterproof container.
Whistle.
Extra clothing.
Kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, including a can opener.
Photocopies of credit and identification cards.
Cash and coins.
Special needs items, such as prescription medications, eyeglasses, contact lens
Solutions, and hearing aid batteries.
Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers.
Other items to meet unique family needs.
Along similar lines, but not exactly the same, CDC has its own list for a proper disaster supply
kit.
Water—one gallon per person, per day
Food—nonperishable, easy-to-prepare items
Flashlight
Battery powered or hand crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
Extra batteries
First aid kit
Medications (7-day supply), other medical supplies, and medical paperwork (e.g.,
medication list and pertinent medical information)
Multipurpose tool (e.g., Swiss army knife)
Sanitation and personal hygiene items
Copies of personal documents (e.g., proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth
certificates, and insurance policies)
Cell phone with chargers
Family and emergency contact information
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Extra cash
Emergency blanket
Map(s) of the area
Extra set of car keys and house keys
Manual can opener
Children are a special population when considering Emergency Preparedness and many
resources are directly focused on supporting them. SAMHSA has list of tips for talking to
children during infectious disease outbreaks, to include being a good listener, encouraging
children to ask questions and modeling self-care by setting routines, eating healthy meals, getting
enough sleep and taking deep breaths to handle stress. FEMA has similar advice, noting that
"Disasters can leave children feeling frightened, confused, and insecure" whether a child has
experienced it first hand, had it happen to a friend or simply saw it on television. In the same
publication, FEMA further notes, "Preparing for disaster helps everyone in the family accept the
fact that disasters do happen, and provides an opportunity to identify and collect the resources
needed to meet basic needs after disaster. Preparation helps; when people feel prepared, they
cope better and so do children."
To help people assess what threats might be in order to augment their emergency supplies or
improve their disaster response skills, FEMA has published a booklet called the "Threat and
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Guide." (THIRA) This guide, which outlines the
THIRA process, emphasizes "whole community involvement," not just governmental agencies,
in preparedness efforts. In this guide, FEMA breaks down hazards into three categories: Natural,
technological and human caused and notes that each hazard should be assessed for both its
likelihood and its significance. According to FEMA, "Communities should consider only those
threats and hazards that could plausibly occur" and "Communities should consider only those
threats and hazards that would have a significant effect on them." To develop threat and hazard
context descriptions, communities should take into account the time, place, and conditions in
which threats or hazards might occur.
Not all preparedness efforts and discussions involve the government or established NGOs like
the Red Cross. Emergency preparation discussions are active on the internet, with many blogs
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and websites dedicated to discussing various aspects of preparedness. On-line sales of items such
as survival food, medical supplies and heirloom seeds allow people to stock basements with
cases of food and drinks with 25 year shelf lives, sophisticated medical kits and seeds that are
guaranteed to sprout even after years of storage.
One group of people who put a lot of effort in disaster preparations is called Doomsday Peppers.
This subset of preparedness-minded people often share a belief that the FEMA or Red Cross
emergency preparation suggestions and training are not extensive enough. Sometimes called
survivalists, Doomsday Peppers are often preparing for The End of the World as We Know It,
abbreviated as TEOTWAWKI. With a motto some have that "The Future Belongs to those who
Prepare," this Preparedness subset has its own set of Murphy's Rules, including "Rule Number 1:
Food, you still don't have enough" and "Rule Number 26: People who thought the Government
would save them, found out that it didn't."
Not all emergency preparation efforts revolve around food, guns and shelters, though these items
help address the needs in the bottom two sections of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The American
Peppers Network has an extensive list of items that might be useful in less apparent ways than a
first aid kid or help add 'fun' to challenging times. These items include:
Books and magazines
Arts and crafts
Children's entertainment
Crayons and coloring books
Notebooks and writing supplies
Nuts, bolts, screws, nails, etc.
Religious material
Sporting equipment, card games and board games
Emergency Preparedness goes beyond immediate family members. For many people, pets are an
integral part of their families and emergency preparation advice includes them as well. It is not
unknown for pet owners to die while trying to rescue their pets from a fire or from
drowning.CDC's Disaster Supply Checklist for Pets includes:
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Food and water for at least 3 days for each pet; bowls, and a manual can opener.
Depending on the pet you may need a litter box, paper towels, plastic trash bags,
grooming items, and/or household bleach.
Medications and medical records stored in a waterproof container.
First aid kit with a pet first aid book.
Sturdy leash, harness, and carrier to transport pet safely. A carrier should be large enough
for the animal to stand comfortably, turn around, and lie down. Your pet may have to stay
in the carrier for several hours.
Pet toys and the pet's bed, if you can easily take it, to reduce stress.
Current photos and descriptions of your pets to help others identify them in case you and
your pets become separated, and to prove that they are yours.
Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name
and telephone number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets or place
them in foster care.
FEMA cautions that emergencies happen while people are travelling as well and provides
guidance around emergency preparedness for a range travelers to include commuters Commuter
Emergency Plan and holiday travelers. In particular, Ready.gov has a number of emergency
preparations specifically designed for people with cars. These preparations include having a full
gas tank, maintaining adequate windshield wiper fluid and other basic car maintenance tips.
Items specific to an emergency include:
Jumper cables: might want to include flares or reflective triangle
Flashlights, to include extra batteries (batteries have less power in colder weather)
First Aid Kit, to include any necessary medications, baby formula and diapers if caring for
small children
Non-perishable food such as canned food (be alert to liquids freezing in colder weather), and
protein rich foods like nuts and energy bars
Manual can opener
At least 1 gallon of water per person a day for at least 3 days (be alert to hazards of frozen
water and resultant container rupture)
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Basic toolkit: pliers, wrench, screwdriver
Pet supplies: food and water
Radio: battery or hand cranked
For snowy areas: cat litter or sand for better tire traction; shovel; ice scraper; warm clothes,
gloves, hat, sturdy boots, jacket and an extra change of clothes
Blankets or sleeping bags
Charged Cell Phone: and car charger
In addition to emergency supplies and training for various situations, FEMA offers advice on
how to mitigate disasters. The Agency gives instructions on how to retrofit a home to minimize
hazards from a Flood, to include installing a Backflow prevention device, anchoring fuel tanks
and relocating electrical panels.
Marked gas shutoff
Given the explosive danger posed by natural gas leaks, Ready.gov states unequivocally that "It is
vital that all household members know how to shut off natural gas" and that property owners
must ensure they have any special tools needed for their particular gas hookups. Ready.gov also
notes that "It is wise to teach all responsible household members where and how to shut off the
electricity," cautioning that individual circuits should be shut off before the main circuit.
Ready.gov further states that "It is vital that all household members learn how to shut off the
water at the main house valve" and cautions that the possibility that rusty valves might require
replacement.
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Response
The response phase of an emergency may commence with Search and Rescue but in all cases the
focus will quickly turn to fulfilling the basic humanitarian needs of the affected population. This
assistance may be provided by national or international agencies and organizations. Effective
coordination of disaster assistance is often crucial, particularly when many organizations respond
and local emergency management agency (LEMA) capacity has been exceeded by the demand or
diminished by the disaster itself. The National Response Framework is a United States
government publication that explains responsibilities and expectations of government officials at
the local, state, federal, and tribal levels. It provides guidance on Emergency Support Functions
which may be integrated in whole or parts to aid in the response and recovery process.
On a personal level the response can take the shape either of a shelter in place or an evacuation.
Evacuation sign
In a shelter-in-place scenario, a family would be prepared to fend for themselves in their home
for many days without any form of outside support. In an evacuation, a family leaves the area
by automobile or other mode of transportation, taking with them the maximum amount of
supplies they can carry, possibly including a tent for shelter. If mechanical transportation is not
available, evacuation on foot would ideally include carrying at least three days of supplies and
rain-tight bedding, a tarpaulinand a bedroll of blankets.
Donations are often sought during this period, especially for large disasters that overwhelm local
capacity. Due to efficiencies of scale, money is often the most cost-effective donation if fraud is
avoided. Money is also the most flexible, and if goods are sourced locally then transportation is
minimized and the local economy is boosted. Some donors prefer to send gifts in kind, however
these items can end up creating issues, rather than helping. One innovation by Occupy
Sandy volunteers is to use a donation registry, where families and businesses impacted by the
disaster can make specific requests, which remote donors can purchase directly via a web site.
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Medical considerations will vary greatly based on the type of disaster and secondary effects.
Survivors may sustain a multitude of injuries to include lacerations, burns, near drowning,
or crush syndrome.
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Recovery
The recovery phase starts after the immediate threat to human life has subsided. The immediate
goal of the recovery phase is to bring the affected area back to normalcy as quickly as possible.
During reconstruction it is recommended to consider the location or construction material of the
property.
The most extreme home confinement scenarios include war, famine and severe epidemics and
may last a year or more. Then recovery will take place inside the home. Planners for these events
usually buy bulk foods and appropriate storage and preparation equipment, and eat the food as
part of normal life. A simple balanced diet can be constructed from vitamin pills, whole-meal
wheat, beans, dried milk, corn, and cooking oil one should add vegetables, fruits, spices and
meats, both prepared and fresh-gardened, when possible
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Indian farmed forces and the Jammu and Kashmir floods, 2014
In the wake of heavy monsoon rain and flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K), which has
killed over four hundred, and rendered hundreds of thousands homeless, the Indian Armed
Forces were deployed in increasing numbers starting September 2, 2014 to conduct search,
rescue, relief, relocation, humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation missions in J&K. By
September 18, over 200,000 people were rescued from the various parts of Jammu and Kashmir
by the Armed forces. The J and K floods, the worst in a century according to Omar Abdullah, the
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, paralyzed the state government. Omar Abdullah,
responding to public criticism, told the media “I had no government” in the first few days
following the floods, as “My secretariat, the police headquarters, the control room, fire services,
hospitals, all the infrastructure was underwater.” Adding “I had no cell phone and no
connectivity. I am now starting to track down ministers and officers.” The J and K Floods 2014
have been blamed on heavy rainfall, about 8 inches on 4 September alone, on climate change,
unplanned and uncontrolled development, encroachment of river banks, lakes, ponds, and
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massive loss of wet lands, absence of local government flood forecasting system, and poor
governance.
The Armed Forces humanitarian assistance mission, in response to J and K floods 2014 was
named Mission Sahayata (assistances). Norther Command humanitarian assistance in response to
J&K floods 2014 to civil authorities in J&K was named 'Operation MEGH RAHAT'.The Indian
Army, Air Force, and the Navy, committed large resources to the assistance mission including
over 30,000 troops ( 21,000 in Srinagar, and 9000 in Jammu), 15 engineer task forces, 84 Indian
Air Force and Army Aviation Corps fixed wing transport aircraft and helicopters, naval
commandos and rescue specialists, and Base Hospital, four field hospitals, over 106 medical
detachments. "Operation Megh Rahat", ended on 19 September 2014, but "Operation
Sadbhavna", the relief and medical assistance support, according to government press release,
will continue in "close synergy with the civil administration and the police"
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Disaster management in India
The organization, structure, laws, protocol, and arrangements for disaster management at the
Federal and State level are outlined in a manual titled Disaster Management in India, and the
Disaster Management Act, 2005, which provides for "the effective management of disasters" in
India. The Disaster Management Division (DM Division), under the Secretary, Border
Management, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, is responsible for
“response, relief and preparedness for natural calamities". The Head of Disaster Management
Division is G.V.V. Sarma, Joint Secretary. The head of Border management is Ms Sneh Lata
Kumar, Secretary, and Border Management.
The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), is responsible for the preparation of the
National Disaster Management Plan for the whole country and to ensure that it is "reviewed and
updated annually". The Chief of the Integrated Defense Staff of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, is
an ex officio member of the NEC. NEOC is mandated to function twenty-four hours a day, seven
days a week. The NEOC is responsible for monitoring the disaster or disaster like situation,
receive updates from federal Early Warning (EW) Agencies like the India Meteorological
Department (IMD), Central Water Commission, and Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment.
After processing the information NOEC submits its report and updates to affected States and
concerned Central Ministries and organizations. During the monsoon period, it is required to
issue daily situation reports. It is not known, whether the NEOC was functioning in prior to the J
and K floods 2014, and whether it received the EW from IMD, and reported to the state
government.
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Command and control
Northern Command, along with the Advance Air HQ, located in Udhampur, is responsible for
the armed forces humanitarian assistance mission, called Operation Megh [ (मेघ) in English
Cloud] Rahat, in the entire J and K. General Officer Commanding in Chief ( GOC-in-C),
Northern Command, is Lieutenant General DS Hooda, of 4th Gorkha Rifles. XV Corps also
called the Chinar Corps , based in Srinagar, is responsible for the assistance mission in the
Kashmir valley. General Officer Commanding (GOC) XV Corps is Lieutenant General Subrata
Saha, of the Assam Regiment. XVI Corps also called White Knight Corps, based in Nagrota, is
responsible for assistance mission in areas south of the Pir Panjal range. GOC XVI Corps is
Lieutenant General Konsam Himalay Singh of the Rajput Regiment. In Delhi, Air Marshal P.P.
Reddy, Chief of Integrated DefenseStaff (IDS), who reports to chairman of the Chiefs of Staff
Committee, is responsible for coordinating Mission Sahayata, the Armed Forces response to the
J and K Floods 2014.
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Rescue mission
The J and K Floods, described as a ‘tragedy’, by Lt Gen DS Hooda, Northern Army Commander,
“became evident”, on 7 September, 14, the third day of incessant rains, when flood waters
breached the banks of Jhelum, and submerged Srinagar, including the Badami Bagh Cantonment,
disrupted “ electricity, water supply and civil communications” and flooded the headquarters of
XV Corps, which was responsible for “coordinating all rescue operations” The flooding of
headquarters XV Corps, and the Srinagar Cantonment, Hooda acknowledged, delayed the army’s
rescue operations in Srinagar but “only for a few hours ”. The rescue operations however, did not
affect rescue work in “South Kashmir”, the worst affected area in the first three days, and the
Jammu region. In Srinagar, where the “Army does not operate” except in the “Badami Bagh
Cantonment and the area of the airfield”, the General said the rescue operations were mainly
conducted by “Kashmiris” from Srinagar based Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry Centre.
Responding to media reports that locals were discriminated against, he said that it is hardly likely
that soldier of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry would discriminate against the Kashmiris in
carrying out the rescue mission
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During the first few days the search and rescue operation were hindered by shortage of boats and
bad weather. Boats were airlifted from all corners of India, including from far away Tamil Nadu.
In the absence of civil boats the army pressed into service its BAUTS, more appropriate for
assault river crossings than rescue assistance during floods. By the 11 September, there were 224
army boats and 148 NDRF’s inflatable boats in the affected area conducting rescue and search
operations for those who were stranded on roof tops as flood water menacingly swirled around
them, Air Force helicopters with IAF Garud Commandos help winch the stranded people to
safety. Several hundred were rescued from rood tops. In some cases the Indian Air Force (IAF)
commandos had to break through the roof to rescue the trapped people.
Social media in search and rescue
They were just playing Facebook and twitter somewhere in Delhi. The Electricity and
Internet Services were out in Kashmir during the flood. The Indian Army, for first time, used
social media such as twitter, WhatsApp, a messaging service, and Facebook , in its search and
rescue operations, and to collate and feed Person Finder provided by Google to the army’s public
information office.According to Indian army’s Major General Shokin Chauhan, who is head of
public information office, “a dedicated team of two young officers" are handling the social media
“practically around the clock”. An estimated 12,000 people, according to the Indian army
official, have been assisted on the basis of reports received over the social media.
The Army Commander denied media reports that it had "embedded journalists", and that army
has conducted its rescue according to “a hierarchy of importance and influence“, rather than “on
the first-seen-first-saved basis”. On the incidents of stone throwing by some people, he said, “the
incidents were very few” and “blown out of proportion. Most people rescued were extremely
appreciative of the Army's effort”, and that the rescue mission was assisted by “local volunteers
who have contributed immensely.
Kashmir floods: Come 'hell' or rain, army won't stop until last man is rescued
From helicopter sorties to building bridges to tugging makeshift boats through muddied waters.
Our jawans have done it all over the last one week to save tens of thousands marooned by the
floods in Jammu and Kashmir.
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The jawans from the Indian Army, the Air Force and the National Disaster Relief Force braved
hostile conditions to pull out 1.3 lakh survivors so far, while the state administration took a
backseat. There are nearly four lakh more trapped by the waters in different areas, and the task is
still by no means over.
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Relief assistance
They only helped Indian and Foreign tourists in Kashmir. The numbers are just made up. Water
and biscuits (expired in 2008) were dropped on the bridge via helicopter just for the purpose of
shooting for news channels. From the start of Mission Sahayata till 10 September, the
Armed Forces rescued 1,10,000 persons, and airlifted and distributed 2,24,000 liters of
water, 31,500 food packets and ready to eat meals, 375 tons cooked food, 2.6 tons of biscuit,
7 tons baby food, water purifying tablets, 8,200 blankets, 650 tents, to the affected civilian
population.Most of this food served was outdated as a result of which people threw stones
on the rescue helicopters out of anger. As many as 224 boats of Army and 148 boats of
NDRF have been pressed into service.Air transport
Because of the massive damage to surface communication, the rescue and relief effort was
largely dependent on air transport. Air transport support operations were conducted from air
force stations and bases in Delhi, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Avantipur.
Helicopters support operation were conducted from Srinagar, Awantipur, Udhampur, Jammu,
Pathankot and Sarsawa. Over 80 aircraft were deployed on the humanitarian assistance mission
including 13 Chetak and 5 Advance Light Helicopters of the Army Aviation Corps. On 11
September, the IAF deployed its heavy duty MI-26, called Bheem, the largest helicopter in IAF
inventory, from IAF 12 Wing, Chandigarh, to Avantipur Air Force base, Srinagar, with 12 tons
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of relief material, for Relief and Rescue Mission, in J and K. Wing Commander G S Tung of 12
Wing said that MI 26 was “ especially designed to meet the heavy lift requirements of the IAF
and has a carrying capacity of 30 tonnes”.
In the first seven days till the 10 September, the army and IAF flew 1081 sorties, 100 to 120
sorties every day, moving 1411 tons of relief materials. Air transport operations included
delivery of six large water filtration plants with a capacity to filter 1,20,000 bottles per day,
engineering stores like suction and submersible pumps, generator sets with mobile charging
stations, communication equipment for Department of Tele communication and some of private
companies like Aircel.It airlifted the Base Transmitting Station of BSNL from Kargil to Srinagar
By 18 September 2014, over 80,000 affected people were airlifted including over 28,000 from
Srinagar and 52,000 from other flood affected area of J and K, by the IAF, Army, and Civil
aircrafts.
Navy
The Indian Navy Marine Commandos rescued 200 personnel at Haigaon on the Srinagar–Sopore
highway, and assisted in rescue efforts near Pantha Chowk, Srinagar. In addition to search and
rescue assistance, naval medical team, and Diving Teams were placed on alert, ready to move, at
New Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam.
Medical
The armed forces have deployed 80 medical teams. In addition it has set up four field hospitals,
one each in Avantipur, Pattan, Anantnag and Old Airfield. Over 20,000 patients have received
treated at these facilities.
Repair and restoration of communication infrastructure
The floods and rain ravaged the roads and road communication severing road communication
between Jammu and Srinagar, and Jammu and Poonch, and host of other roads. Restoration of
communication was urgent priority task. Initially five task forces of Border Roads Organization
(BRO), which included 5700 personnel, were mobilized. By 10 September, the Jammu–Poonch
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road was cleared, and road traffic between Batote and Kishtwar and Kishtwar - Sinthan Pass was
restored By 16 September, the strength of Army Engineers and BRO personnel on road building
and bridge construction had increased to 10,0000. Heavy road construction equipment used
included 400 bulldozers, excavators and JCBs, and 300 tippers and dumpers, to restore and
repair roads damaged in over 1000 places.After opening of the national highway between Jammu
and Srinagar, the army, on 16 September, restored communication between Rajouri and Budhal
by constructing a 180 feet bailey bridge over Ans River at Kot Ranka on 16 September.
Relief camps
To complement the rescue work, the Army established 19 relief camps, where the rescued
persons were provided food, shelter, and medical assistance. In Srinagar region, camps were at
Badami Bagh Cantonment, Avantipur, Old Airfield, Sumbal, Chattargam and Jijamata Mandir.
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National disaster response force (NDRF)
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is a force of 12 battalions, organized on paramilitary
lines, and manned by persons on deputation from the para-military forces of India. It is headed
by O.P. Singh (IPS-1983), with the title of Director General (DG). He is from the Uttar Pradesh
cadre, of the Indian Police Service (IPS). He took over as DG of the NDRF on 1 September
2014, a few days before the J and K floods 2014. OP Singh in addition to being DG NDRF is
also Additional DG of the Central Industrial Security Force (Airport sector), his current
responsibilities. The NDRF is a top heavy organization, which in addition to the DG has an
Inspector Generals (IG) and several Deputy IGs. Till 2 September the Disaster Management
Division, MHA, had no plans to deploy NDRF in J and K. It was surprised by the floods. A
NDRF Officer told the media" We were all caught off guard because there was not a single
warning issued by the weather office. The flash floods took us by surprise” NDRF started to
arrive in J and K from 6 September on wards. By 9 September there were elements from 5,6, and
7 NDRF Battalions: 5 NDRF Battalion (1 team of 54 personnel), 6 NDRF Battalion (64
personnel )and 7 NDRF Battalion( 370). The total strength of NDRF committed to J and K was
488. On 7 September 7 NDRF battalion had 3 teams in Jammu, 6 teams (244 personnel) in
Srinagar. The team in Jammu was engaged in responding to bus stuck under water, and on search
and rescue mission in Gharkhal, and Abhor, in Jammu District. On 9 September, 86 personnel ( 3
teams) from 4 NDRF Battalion( CISF), from Arakkonam, in Tamil Nadu, was airlifted from INS
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Rajali, to Srinagar, to conduct search-cum-rescue operations rescue operations in Nehru Park and
Manaswal in Srinagar. The 4 NDRF Be detachment included 24 inflatable boats; with these
additions the total of NDRF boats goes up to 148 boats. The NDRF is expected to stay in J and K
for a period of 10 days.
CASE STUDY ON UTTARAKHAND DISASTER
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Introduction
The vulnerable nature of global tourism is one of the major concerns for contingency
Management. Disaster management is an important aspect for any tourism destination
(Especially in the face of a crisis). The specific contingencies such as war, terrorism, crime
waves, epidemic and natural disasters have devastating impacts on any community, region,
state or nation. Any potential destination is exposed to one or more of the above threats,
which can question the safety of residents, tourists and can hamper the market perception of
that destination. Consequently, it is crucial for all destination stakeholders to analyze and
develop contingency plans to respond to varying levels of threats.
Either a specific episode or a series of those may create a change in the perceptions
towards a destination. There are a number of factors which can question the safety and
security image of tourist destinations and result in a destination crisis. Some of them are:
international war / prolonged demonstrations of internal conflict; terrorism which can affect
the tourism sector of the state; crime wave, especially when tourists are targeted (murder,
sexual exploitation, theft etc); natural disasters, such as an earthquake, storm or floods,
causing damage to urban areas or the natural environment and consequently impacting on the
tourism infrastructure and health concerns related to epidemics and diseases; these may be
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diseases which impact on humans directly or diseases affecting animals, which create
constraints for tourism.
These events can cause massive aftermaths, individually or in combination, to create a
negative image on the safety, security or desirability of tourist destinations. Thereby, it poses
challenges for the concerned authorities and local communities to examine the ingredients of
disaster management strategies. The degrees to which emergency service is initiated to face
crisis can always be critically examined when crisis overrules. Certainly, those factors do not
represent the totality of issues which can impact negatively the destination image.
However,the concern can extend to analyze how a destination and its tourism industry conduct a
marketing campaign to restore its image and recover its market from the damage caused by
these events (Varghese, 2012)
This study envisages on the repercussions of Uttarakhand as a destination in the plight
of a disaster and provides the various steps that make an effective disaster management plan
and it seeks to provide a means of disaster recovery through a systematic approach which will
help restoring the destinations success, the paper also goes a step ahead in discussing the
marketing strategies and campaigns so as to restore the destinations image which would be
tainted due to the devastation and finally recommends the importance if destination
management by implementation of Destination Management Organizations(DMOs).
A Case Study of Uttarakhand:
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At the peak of the monsoon season the northern state of Uttarakhand was face to face
with floods caused due to the cloud burst that hit three of the four famous Char Dham pilgrim
sites, “2013 North India floods” leaving tens and thousands of inhabitants as well as
pilgrims stranded or swept away due to the floods, and not to mention the damage cause to
life, property and business. The famous Char Dham pilgrimage is now discontinued for three
years for repair and restoration ("Plan ahead", 2013).The National Institute of Disaster
Management (NIDM), in one of its first reports on the Uttarakhand floods, has blamed
“climatic conditions combined with haphazard human intervention” in the hills for the
disaster (“Down To Earth”, 2013).
Besides the natural disaster various other factors have contributed to the downfall of
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this famous religious/ tourist site. Uttarakhand’s huge potential in tourism lead to the state
intapping its potential towards becoming a major tourist and pilgrim destination, also has a
hand in this disaster. The uncontrolled rise of tourism inflow into the sate of Uttarakhand,
took a toll on the ecology of the state. With Uttarakhand’s proximity to the national capital,
the weekend revelers soon found Uttarakhand to be the destination to beat the heat. Plus, the
religious tourists found it much easier to travel to-not-so accessible Badrinath, Kedarnath,
Gangotri and other shrines, all this lead to an unsustainable rise in the number of people
traveling to Uttarakhand (Bisht, 2013).
As stated by Jacob (2013) during a live television interview on CNN-IBN that, “the
number of 'pilgrims' has been steadily increasing, with people from the plains interested in a
quick guided tour of the hills in a vehicle...the local authorities have ignored the carrying
capacity and cumulative impact of dams and illegal construction on the fragile Himalayas”.
This steady rise in tourist inflow resulted in other detrimental issues such as heavy
traffic and roadblocks, with tourists routinely complaining about the bad roads and how it
affected their travel time, the government resorted to widen the roads so as to accommodate
the tourist’s inflow. Considering the fragility of these mountains, Himalayas being the
youngest of the mountain ranges in the world with very poor soil stability the roads would
routinely cave in or get washed away during monsoons (Bisht, 2013).
The rising tourism industry lured the land sharks and they erected multi-storied hotels,
flouting all environmental norms. Thousands of such resorts and hotels have mushroomed in
this eco-sensitive zone in the last few years. Some of these hotels were built on banks of
several small and big rivers just to give the tourist a bird’s eye view of the pristine river
flowing through the valley . The number of hotels has also seen a similar rise in the recent
past. For example, Kedarnath Valley has hundreds of such hotels that were vulnerable to
these natural calamities. So, when flash floods struck the valley, many of these hotels got
swept away and so did the people staying in them (Bisht, 2013). As addressed by Jacob
(2013), that “rampant illegal construction of buildings by locals had also contributed to the
problems and made a bad situation worse. On top of it all, traffic in the hills has increased
hugely, with the number of vehicles registered in the hills going up sharply. Remember the
hills are delicate and unstable, so it takes little to set off landslides. More infrastructure has in
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fact worsened the situation since much of it is poorly made and constructed by people who
have no idea of building in the hills”.
All the above factors has had a crucial role to play in the disaster, but as the report
provisioned by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) showed that not only was the
disaster aggravated due to rise tourism but also blame lands in the faults of the State Disaster
Management Authority which was formed in 2007, but never was a meeting convened nor
were there any rules, regulations, policies or guidelines framed, "the state disaster
management plan was under preparation and actionable programmes were not prepared for
various disasters," the report says. Going to show that the state was unprepared to face a
sudden crisis, furthermore as Varma (2013) stated, “citing examples of the mismanagement
by the Uttarakhand government, the CAG said that although the Geological Survey of India
had identified 101 villages as 'vulnerable' in June 2008, the state government did not take any
measures for their rehabilitation till date”.
Besides this there are also allegations against the government based on the
construction of several dams along the river, which is as good as handing out an invitation to
disasters, as Jacob (2013) reflects on the same, “illegal construction - of buildings and
dams...the government has sanctioned an absurd number of hydro electric power projects that
actually overlap with each other”. All this only goes to show the state and in turn the
nation’s lack of competency, lack of planning and absences of political accountability is
evidently seen through this extensive damage.
To highlight the main factors that aggravated the disaster are as follows: the
unregulated tourist inflow; the absence of an early warning mechanism as the CAG report
mentions “The communication system was inadequate.”(As cited in "Plan ahead", 2013,);
a lack of trained medical staff at hospitals; the climatic conditions the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued advance warnings predicting extreme weather
conditions in Uttarakhand before the flash-floods though no appropriate action was taken
("Warning had been," 2013) and finally the fact that the state had no action plan in case a
disaster struck.
"Plan ahead" (2013), states that “Disasters are not learning processes. The authorities
will have to do all they can to ensure against such recurrences...the starting point is for the
State Disaster Management Authority to put place a disaster management plan”.
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Thus, unforeseen disasters calls for having an effective disaster management plan in
place and for the State Disaster Management Authority to prepare actionable programmes to
deal with disasters. One such action plan is as suggested below, will help in restoring the
destinations success.
Steps in Disaster Management:-One of the many means of avoiding extensive damage caused by disasters is by being
well prepared to face them. So as to ready the state of Uttarakhand with ways of combating
unexpected disasters, an effective disaster management plan is to be implemented. The
following are some of the steps that can be taken toward framing a disaster management plan.
The Pre-Disaster Stage:
This stage focuses on minimizing the damage to life, property and environment is that
before the disaster strikes and at the prohibition stage, various schemes are drafted for
controlling the losses to lives and property to minimize the effects of disaster. There are
several techniques to embark upon this stage where the disaster has not occurred, wherein
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there is a call for being better prepared and to have an effective of warning mechanism prior
to the disaster.
PreparednessIt refers to the readiness, on the governmental, social and personal levels, to
effectively face the disaster that has already visited and it includes practical disaster-layouts.
Here, the local residents along with the state officials need to be sensitized regarding the
measures to be taken when faced by a crisis, such as landslides, floods, earthquakes etc. So in
case of such emergencies they can take necessary action.
The Warning of DisasterIt is very crucial that immediately after receiving slightest hint of a disaster, the
information about its advent reaches the entire danger-prone area. In the case of Uttarakhand
it was seen that the State Disaster Management Authority did not have a scheme so as to
curtail the disaster nor were the warnings issued by the meteorology department taken
seriously.
Response and Relief Measures:This includes a wide range of activities including the erection of control booths,
action according to the action-plan drafted, the broadcasting of danger notice. Post the
disaster various relief measures were initiated by the authorities in forms of rescue missions
by the Indian Armed Forces, so as to rescue victims and provide rehabilitation and in
monetary terms to reconstruct the destination
The Post – Disaster Stage:While restoring the state to normalcy, it is also equally necessary to ensure that if,
unfortunately, the disaster revisits, the extent of damage is lesser. Restoration includes
assistance, rehabilitation and reconstruction. “In addition to this, many protective steps will
be taken to prevent if same calamity recurs in any case. It is decided to keep a track of the
pilgrims – Indian as well as foreigners. Moreover, this time efforts will be made to handle
things thoroughly and systematically” returns ("Char Dham yatra", 2013, para.3).
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Revival / Resurrection:In revival, the focus is on the erection of facilities of greater competence than those
built in pre-disaster stage. Erection of new buildings, taking ultra care of durability while
erecting various essential facilities – are some illustrations of revival activities. During this
stage care is to be taken to see to it that building do not encroach nature and that they are built
in a sustainable manner. The government has curtailed the Char Dham yatra for three years
for the purpose of repair and restoration as quoted by B.D. Singh, chief executive officer of
the Badrinath - Kedarnath Temple Committee told IANS (2013), that the chances of reviving
the pilgrimage "for the next few years" was grim, "what we are seeing is very painful and
unbelievable," he said. "We don't expect the Char Dham Yatra to resume in the next three
years." . A survivor claims that there is nothing left In Kedarnath except for the
temple, which now will take these three years to restore, as from the building to the roads
were washed away in the flood (IAN, 2013). Thus this stage will require this ample time to
plan appropriately for the revival of this holy destination.
Development:The reconstruction of the affected region and bringing back people’s lives to
normalcy is a pretty long process – especially because of the existence of severe financial
constraints. The government is taking initiative to raise fund from both the public and private
fronts. To facilitate the above various funds and relief funds are raised throughout the country
to mention a few the donations sent to Doctors For You, Uttaranchal Daivee Aapada Peedith
Sahayata Samiti, Uttarakhand relief fund, individuals contributions and relief funds such as
the Chief Ministers relief fund, Prime Ministers relief fund etc. all have come to aid the state
of Uttarakhand.Besides this the chance of the Char Dham Yatra to resume excluding
Kedarnath is also expected by the end of 30th September, 2013 so as to help the locals who
survived solely on tourism returns ("Char Dham yatra," 2013).
An apt means of ensuring that the destination thrives in spite of being in a crisis is
through the adoption of an effective means to restore the destination post the disaster. The
following approach showcases a step by step means in destination restoration. This can be an
example of how Uttarakhand can be restored to its former glory.
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A Systematic Approach - Improves Destination Restoration Success
To assist planners in conducting cost-effective monitoring for destination restoration,
techniques can be developed consisting of four components, following which is the brief
explanation regarding the four components: planning, construction and implementation,
assessment of performance and management of the system.
Planning:The key element in planning the restoration project would require: conceptual
modeling, site assessments, and cost estimation. A conceptual model details the structural
aspects of the system that must be developed to meet the goals. Whereas as site assessment is
essential where the site lacks the characteristics necessary to reach performance goals, the
restoration project will likely fail. Thus in the case of Kedarnath an assessment of the
destination must be made prior to any constructions made. Also cost estimation is to be made
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to the end of the planning stage. Restoration managers must account for land acquisition,
engineering design, and construction, among other factors.
Construction and Implementation:
Projects that require less physical restructuring of the site are more likely to develop
successfully without human intervention. Projects requiring more engineering to massively
rework the site often have a higher degree of uncertainty. These factors are to address while
restoring the disaster hit regions of Uttarakhand.
Assessment of Performance:Post-implementation monitoring should focus on a parameter indicative of the
original goal. There are numerous low-cost ways to effectively monitor a restoration project.
Within the span of the three years there is a need for continuous assessment to see to it that
the destination is being restored as per the action plan and no deviations occur.
Management of the System:Restoration management plans should be modified according to the principles of
adaptive management, which is nothing but decision making in times of uncertainty, where
policies and practices are altered according to learning from outcomes. Thereby restoration
policy can be understood well, depending on the application of alterations so as to
accommodate changes if necessary. This is further explained through the means of the
following diagram.
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“Applying the continual evaluation process of adaptive successful restoration projects” (Beirman, 2003)”
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Conclusion
Five days of heavy rain in the Kashmir valley has had a devastating impact. Almost 400
confirmed deaths so far across India and Pakistan, 600,000 people stranded and the number of
roads, bridges, schools and buildings damaged too great even to start counting.
For Jammu and Kashmir, this is their worst flood in 100 years, according to the chief minister
Omar Abdullah. However for the rest of India, mega floods of this type are becoming ‘the new
normal’. However, an extreme weather event only becomes a disaster when it hits assets and
causes loss of life and livelihood. Even if climate change was not a factor, scientists tell us that
disasters are getting more destructive as people are more exposed to floods and other such events
Preparing for a disaster does not just mean putting in place early warning systems and protocols
for evacuations. Preparedness is fundamental to the way we plan and do development.
Development should protect against the risk of disasters, rather than increasing the risk. This
requires understanding and acting upon disaster risk in plans and decisions.
Identifying risk and mitigating it is not always straightforward. For example, in Leh district in
Jammu and Kashmir, the planting of trees on the edge of streams –to tackle climate change —
actually exacerbated the impact of the 2010 flash floods, because the trees fell into the streams
forming dams which when they broke proved disastrous. This is a classic case of why addressing
climate change and disaster risk cannot be separated.
Rather than leaving it as theory, there are opportunities now to build the risk of flooding and
other natural disasters into future development programs in the Himalayas and throughout India.
Investing in development that also reduces disaster risk will help break the cycle of tragedy
UTTARAKHAND DISASTER:The highlight is on the tourism disasters vulnerability of the tourist trade to
unforeseen events which also signifies the principles of disaster management, the content also
elaborates on how to pro-actively deal with the potential for future crisis related to tourism,
steps in disaster management would give a brief overview about the various stages involved
in disaster management. Further discussion in this paper leads to a systematic approach –
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which improves destination restoration techniques and also describes about the reasons for
the collapse of tourism destination areas and enumerating on the aspects of an ideal area
development, with relation to Uttarakhand.
In terms the losses faced by the tourism industry, due to the disaster are extensive as
said by an official to Madhav (2013) that, “speaking on the possible losses…the season
accounted for 30 per cent (around Rs 3,500 crore) of the tourism sector's annual earnings.
Due to the calamity, they were witnessing 99 per cent cancellations from the affected
travelers and from pre-bookings.”. Thus when the Char Dham yatra has been
cancelled for three year the possible losses can be imagined. So through the implementation
of destination management and the several disaster management techniques, such losses can
be avoided and the credibility of a destination restored.
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BIBLOGRAPHY
Books:-
M.com Part 1 S.M. bookOXFORD dictionary
Notes & journal:-
Dr. Bindi Varghese & Neha Itty Jose Paul case study On Uttarakhand
Disaster
Websites:-
www.google.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.slideshare.com
www.hindustantimes.com
www.economictimes.com
www.blog.wsj.com
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