Disaster management
THE havoc wreaked by landslides and flashfloods in Himachal Pradesh and the concomitant floods in Punjab has turned the spotlight on disaster management, a pressing issue on which both the Centre and the states have a long way to go. Heavy rain has battered Himachal to such an extent that it will take the state a year to rebuild damaged infrastructure, according to the Chief Minister. The economic loss suffered by the hill state due to two devastating spells of rain in successive months is estimated to be about Rs 10,000 crore. Even as the focus at present is on relief and rescue operations, HP direly needs a long-term policy to promote sustainable development so that such disasters can be tackled effectively or even prevented.
Disaster management has four basic elements: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Climate change is a major reason why the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have increased in recent years. The Union Government has claimed that India’s approach towards disasters is no longer relief-centric and reactionary. The stress is avowedly on early warning systems, optimum utilisation of mitigation funds and strengthening of the agencies concerned at the national, state and district levels. However, the devastation in Himachal and Punjab has revealed gaping holes in the disaster management system.
India cannot become a disaster-resilient nation unless its states are well prepared and well equipped for any eventuality. It was in June that the Centre had announced major schemes for disaster management across the country, including a Rs 2,500-crore project to reduce the risk of urban flooding in seven top cities and a Rs 825-crore national landslide risk mitigation project. Effective implementation of such schemes is possible if the Centre and the states work in close coordination, sharing inputs and encouraging eco-friendly practices. Otherwise, these disasters, no matter in which part of the country they occur, are certain to impede India’s economic growth.
