ROLE OF PRIs AND ULBs In DRR

Role of PRIs

The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have a statutory existence. Its members are elected by the

local people

through a well-defined democratic process with specific responsibilities and duties. The elected

members are

accountable to the people of the ward, rural community, block and the district. Article 243(G) of the

Constitution

visualizes panchayats as institutions of self-government.

It also outlines the role of panchayats with respect to development, planning and implementation of

programmes

of economic development and social justice.

The PRI, a representative body of the people, is the most appropriate institution from the village to

district level in view of its proximity to the people, universal coverage and mandate of enlisting

people’s participation on an institutionalized basis.

The PRIs are entrusted with tasks that aim to:

• Promote popular participation through an institutional framework;

• Act as catalysts to social mobilization process;

• Tap the traditional wisdom of the local communities to complement the modern practices in

disaster mitigation efforts;

• Provide a base for integration of various concerns of the community with that of the Non-

Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs), which are

engaged in various developmental activities at the grassroots level;

• Sensitize local communities, and through them develop coping mechanisms in disaster

preparedness and mitigation measures;

• Discuss and evolve strategies to manage crisis situations effectively;

• Ensure transparency and accountability in the mitigation efforts;

• Streamline activities like distributing immediate relief in the form of money, food grains,

medical care, clothes, tents, vessels for drinking water and other necessities;

• Coordinate activities of restoration, rehabilitation and reconstruction;

• Act as leaders to the community;

• Gather, analyze and disseminate information;

• Articulate community needs and expectations;

• Converge with local, state, national and international organizations involved in disaster management;

• Form disaster management task forces;

• Arrange for emergency relief;

• Encourage damage appraisal, vulnerability assessment and risk reduction strategies;

• Organize awareness campaigns and promote community education on disaster preparedness;

• Activate disaster management plans;

• Provide for safe disposal of carcasses;

• Arrange for safe drinking water and sanitation;

• Enforce minimum specification for safe reconstruction;

• Supervise and monitor long-term disaster management projects; and

• Mobilize funds and resources for disaster management.Thus, many disaster management tasks have been allocated to the PRIs.

Source: Rajasthan Panchayati Raj indiascanner.com

Role of the ULBs

Likewise, the representatives of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) have to initiate disaster management tasks in the urban areas

in the jurisdiction of municipal bodies. Their tasks include:

• Maintaining of vehicles, sanitary facilities, food, shelter and rest facilities, relief and replacement, personnel and

emergency message, contact arrangement and logistic support;

• Keeping unauthorized persons out of the disaster area in order to prevent looting and decreasing congestion hampering

rescue efforts, and preventing persons from being injured in the wreckage;

• Handling the dead, as mass disposal poses many problems in disasters;

• Warning and communicating with the public;

• Evacuating neighbourhoods;

• Coordinating with volunteers;

• Acquiring and allocating unusual resources;

• Dealing with livestock or family pets that had to be left behind;

• Disposing unclaimed valuables and merchandise found in the rubble;

• Disbursing large amounts of donations;

• Controlling emergency vehicle traffic in order to avoid blockage of routes by emergency vehicles;

• Maintaining hospital wards for emergencies;

• Checking the hospitals, nursing homes and day care centres that may need assistance;

• Prioritizing utility sources delivery;

• Enhancing communication that is a recurring challenge in disaster response;

• Sharing and collecting information on what agencies have responded to and what resources have

they dispatched;

• Determining the resources needed to undertake the counter disaster measures;

• Sharing information about the location, scope, and character of the disaster and damage;

• Locating and specifying procedures for obtaining special disaster resources;

• Sharing information about the state of transportation route facilities, docking and landing sites;

• Generating and sharing predictions about weather conditions; and

• Obtaining information on how to deal with specific hazardous chemicals.

• Thus, ULBs have many specific disaster management tasks to do.