Disaster management

1
TOPIC
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
SUBMITTED BY
LENIN JEYAKUMAR
ROLL NO.17
CLASS: M.Com ( Accountancy)
SEMESTER II
SUBMITTED TO :
UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI
PROJECT GUIDE:
Prof: MS.SUBHASHINI NAIKAR
VIVEK EDUCATION SOCIETY’S
VIVEK COLLEGE OF COMMERCE
Siddharth Nagar, Goregaon (W)
Mumbai – 400 062
YEAR: 2015-16

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VIVEK EDUCATION SOCIETY’S
VIVEK COLLEGE OF COMMERCE
Siddharth Nagar, Goregaon (W)
Mumbai – 400 062
CERTIFICATE
I Ms. SUBHASHINI NAIKAR hereby certify that Mr. Lenin
Jeyakumar . A student of Vivek College of commerce of M.Com Managemnet
(Semester - II ) has completed Project on “Disaster management” in the
academic year 2015-16. This information Submitted is true and original to the
best of my knowedge.
External Examiner : Principal
Date:
Project Co-ordinator College seal
Date:

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DECLARATION
I Mr. Lenin Jeyakumar Roll No. 17 of Vivek College of
Commerce, Goregaon (w) of M.Com – Managemnet ( Semester - II ) has
completed Project on “Disaster management” in the academic year 2015-16.
This information Submitted is true and original to the best of my knowedge.
Date: Signature of Student

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ACKNOWELDGEMENT
I would like to thanks the Univesity of Mumbai and my college for
giving me this opportunity for taking such a challenging project, Which has
enhanced my knowledge about “DISASTER MANAGEMENT”.
I express my sincere gratitude to the Principal, Course co-ordinator ,
Guide Prof.Ms.SUBHASHINI NAIKAR and our liabrarian other Teachers for
their constant support and helping for completing the project.
I am also grateful to my Friends for giving support in my project.
Lastly, I would like to thank each and every person who helped me in completing
the project especially my Parents.
“NO ENDEAVOUR ACHIEVES SUCCESS WITHOUT THE ADVICE &
COOPERATION OF OTHER”

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INDEX
SR.NO TOPIC NAME PAGE NO.
1.
INTRODUCTION STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT &
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
2.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
3. IN DETAIL ABOUT NIDM
4. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
5. Conclusion
6. CASE STUDY
7.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

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CHAPTER 1: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Today’s business world is global, Internet-driven, and obsessed with speed. The
challenges it creates for strategic managers are often complex, ambiguous, and
unstructured. Add to this the incessant allegations of top management wrongdoings,
economic stagnation, and increasing executive compensation, and it is easy to see why
firm leaders are under great pressure to respond to strategic problems quickly, decisively,
and responsibly. Indeed, the need for effective strategic management has never been
more pronounced. This text presents a framework for addressing today’s strategic
challenges.
What is Strategic Management ?
Organizations exist for a purpose. The mission is articulated in a broadly
defined but enduring statement of purpose that identifies the scope of an organization’s
operations and its offerings to affected groups and entities. Most organizations of a
significant size or stature have developed a formal mission statement, Strategy refers to
top management’s plans to develop and sustain competitive advantage a state whereby a
firm’s successful strategies cannot be easily duplicated by its competitors1—so that the
organization’s mission is fulfilled.
Strategic management is a broader term than strategy and is a process that
includes top management’s analysis of the environment in which the organization
operates prior to formulating a strategy, as well as the plan for implementation and
control of the strategy. The difference between a strategy and the strategic management
process is that the latter includes considering what must be done before a strategy is
formulated through assessing whether or not the success of an implemented strategy was
successful. The strategic management process can be summarized in five steps are as
follows:
1. External Analysis : Analyze the opportunities and threats, or constraints, that exist in the
organization’s external environment, including industry and forces in the external
environment.

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2. Internal Analysis : Analyze the organization’s strengths and weaknesses in its internal
environment. Consider the context of managerial ethics and corporate social
responsibility.
3. Strategy Formulation: Formulate strategies that build and sustain competitive advantage
by matching the organization’s strengths and weaknesses with the environment’s
opportunities and threats.
4. Strategy Execution: Implement the strategies that have been developed.
5. Strategic Control: Measure success and make corrections when the strategies are not
producing the desired outcomes.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
 INTRODUCTION
Disaster management (or emergency management) is the creation of plans
through which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with
disasters.[1][2] 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. Events covered by
disaster management include acts of terrorism, industrial sabotage, fire, natural
disasters (such asearthquakes, hurricanes, etc.), public disorder, industrial accidents, and
communication failures.

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What is Disaster ?
Almost everyday, newspapers, radio and television channels carry reports
on disaster striking several parts of the world. But what is a disaster? The term disaster
owes its origin to the French word “Desastre” which is a combination of two words ‘des’
meaning bad and ‘aster’ meaning star. Thus the term refers to ‘Bad or Evil star’.
A disaster can be defined as “A serious disruption in the functioning of the community
or a society causing wide spread material, economic, social or environmental losses
which exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using its own resources”.
A disaster is a result from the combination of hazard, vulnerability and
insufficient capacity or measures to reduce the potential chances of risk. A disaster
happens when a hazard impacts on the vulnerable population and causes damage,
casualties and disruption. would give a better illustration of what a disaster is. Any hazard
– flood, earthquake or cyclone which is a triggering event along with greater vulnerability
(inadequate access to resources, sick and old people, lack of awareness etc) would lead to
disaster causing greater loss to life and property. For example; an earthquake in an
uninhabited desert cannot be considered a disaster, no matter how strong the intensities
produced.
An earthquake is disastrous only when it affects people, their properties and
activities. Thus, disaster occurs only when hazards and vulnerability meet. But it is also
to be noted that with greater capacity of the individual/community and environment to
face these disasters, the impact of a hazard reduces.
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

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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
 Responding to significant risks
 Tolerate
 Treat
 Transfer
 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 organisations 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 organisation
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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 Implementation ideals :
An emergency plan must be regularly maintained, in a structured and
methodical manner, to 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
A team of emergency responders performs a training scenario involving anthrax.
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 occur regularly. In instances where
several business or organisations occupy the same space, joint emergency plans, formally
agreed to by all parties, should be put into place.
 Communicating and incident assessment
Communication is one of the key issues during any emergency, pre-
planning of communications is critical. Miscommunication can easily result in
emergency 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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CHAPTER 2: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
(India)
राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन संस्थान
National Institute of Disaster Management
(NIDM)
Institute's Logo
Motto Towards a disaster free India
आपदा मुक्त भारत की ओर
Established 1995
Mission
 To work as consulting agency for the Government by providing assistance in policy
formulation and;
 To facilitate in reducing the impact of disasters through its technological innovations.
President Union Home Minister of India
Executive
Director
Dr. Satendra
Faculty 16
Staff 22
Owner Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of India

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Formerly
called
National Centre for Disaster Management
( Upgraded to present status on 16 October 2003 )
Location New Delhi, India
Coordinates 28.635°N 77.224°ECoordinates: 28.635°N 77.224°E
Address 5-B, IP Estate,MG Marg
Website Official Website
 Introductin
National Institute of DisasterManagement (Hindi: राष्ट्रीय आपदा
प्रबंधन संस्थान ) abbr. NIDM, is a premier institute for training and capacity development
programs for managing natural disasters in India, on a national as well as regional basis. The
National Centre of Disaster Management (NCDM), constituted under an Act of Parliament in
1995; was re designated to give the present name of National Institute of Disaster
Management (NIDM) by the Disaster Management Act 2005. passed by President of
India on 9 January 2006,
NIDM also serves as international SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) and works
as focus for its operation and planning.
 Evolution of NIDM
The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) was constituted
under an Act of Parliament with a vision to play the role of a premier institute for capacity
development in India and the region. The efforts in this direction that began with the

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formation of the National Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM) in 1995 gained impetus
with its re designation as the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) for training
and capacity development. Under the Disaster Management Act 2005, NIDM has been
assigned nodal responsibilities for human resource development, capacity building, training,
research, documentation and policy advocacy in the field of disaster management.
 NIDM Logo
Empowering Stakeholders for Improving the Effectiveness
of Disaster Management in India
The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) was constituted under
an Act of Parliament with a vision to play the role of a premier institute for capacity
development in India and the region. The efforts in this direction that began with the
formation of the National Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM) in 1995 gained impetus
with its redesignation as the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) for training
and capacity development. Under the Disaster Management Act 2005, NIDM has been
assigned nodal responsibilities for human resource development, capacity building, training,
research, documentation and policy advocacy in the field of disaster management.
Both as a national Centre and then as the national Institute, NIDM has performed a crucial
role in bringing disaster risk reduction to the forefront of the national agenda. It is our belief
that disaster risk reduction is possible only through promotion of a "Culture of Prevention"

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involving all stakeholders. We work through strategic partnerships with various ministries
and departments of the central, state and local governments, academic, research and technical
organizations in India and abroad and other bi-lateral and multi-lateral international agencies.
NIDM is proud to have a multi-disciplinary core team of professionals working in various
aspects of disaster management. In its endeavour to facilitate training and capacity
development, the Institute has state-of-the-art facilities like class rooms, seminar hall, a GIS
laboratory and video-conferencing facilities etc. The Institute has a well-stocked library
exclusively on the theme of disaster management and mitigation. The Institute provides
training in face-to-face, on-line and self-learning mode as well as satellites based training. In-
house and off-campus face-to-face training to the officials of the state governments is
provided free of charge including modest boarding and lodging facilities.
NIDM provides technical support to the state governments through the Disaster Management
Centres (DMCs) in the Administrative Training Institutes (ATIs) of the States and Union
Territories. Presently NIDM is supporting thirty such centres. Six of these centres are being
developed as Centres of Excellence in the specialised areas of flood risk management,
earthquake risk management, cyclone risk management, drought risk management, landslides
risk management and management of industrial disasters. Eleven larger states (Andhra
Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,
Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha) have been provided with additional centres to cater
their needs in this area.
NIDM hosts the SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) and works as its national
focal point.
Our vision is to create a Disaster Resilient India by building the capacity at all levels for
disaster prevention and preparedness.

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VISION
 To be a premier Institute of Excellence for training and research on disaster risk mitigation
and management in India and to be recognized as one of the leading Institutions at the
International level in the field.
 To strive relentlessly towards making a disaster free India by developing and promoting a
culture of prevention and preparedness at all levels,
MISSION
 To work as a think tank for the Government by providing assistance in policy formulation
and;
 To facilitate in reducing the impact of disasters through:
1. Planning and promoting training and capacity building services including strategic learning.
2. Research, documentation and development of national level information base.
3. System development and expertise promotion for effective disaster preparedness and
mitigation.
4. Promoting awareness and enhancing knowledge and skills of all stakeholders.
5. Strengthening institutional mechanisms for training and capacity building of all stakeholders.
6. Networking and facilitating exchange of information, experience and expertise.
 IMPORTANCE OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Disaster management refers to the process of management of a disaster to
avert it, if possible, and to manage it after it has occurred. Worldwide, nations have set up
disaster management teams. A disaster management teams examines the causes of
disaster, find out ways to avert a crisis and to manage it after it has occurred.
Disaster management is important for the following purposes:

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1. To avert disaster: Disaster management teams can help to avert disaster before it occurs.
The disaster management teams may examine the possible causes of disaster, and may
take appropriate measure to avert a disaster. For instance, forest fires, or even terrorists
bombings can be averted through effective planning and pre-emptive action.
2. To undertake rescue operations: Disaster management personal can be
undertakingrescue operation effectively. Trained disaster management personnel can
rescue people effectively at the time of floods, major fires, building collapses, and so on.
Such as effectively action on the part of disaster management personnel helps to
minimize the loss of life and property.
3. To undertake rehabilitation programmes: Disaster management teams can work
effectively to undertake rehabilitation programmes in the affected areas. For instance, in
the earthquake affected areas rehabilitation programmes.
4. To undertake liaison work: The disaster management teams undertake liaison work
relating to the disaster. The liaison work is required with various agencies – private and
government (including hospitals) in order to obtain funds or donations, and other
resources or services so as to manage and overcomes the disaster effectively. For
instance, in July 2006, the disaster management teams of Municipal Corporation of
Mumbai and Mumbai police maintained liaison with hospitals to find out whetheror not
the victims of bomb blast are getting proper treatment.
5. To reduce trauma and tension: The disaster management teams can help to reduce
trauma and tension before and after the disaster. For instance, before a disaster, the team
can strongly property guide the people to face or handle the disaster such as floods. Also,
after the disaster the team can provide not only material or financial support, but also
psychological support to overcome the traumatic effect of disaster.
6. To protect the environment: Disaster management team can help to protect and
preserve the environment. For instance, a disaster management team can plan pre-
emotive action to avert forest fires. Also, a disaster management team can strongly
recommend to the government to ban the use of plastic, as is being done in certain states
such as Himachal Pradesh.
7. To minimize loss: Disaster management is requiring team can help to minimize loss of
life and property. This is because; the disaster management team can take pre- emotive

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action to avert a disaster. Also, if a calamity strikes, the team can manage it effectively
and reduce the losses to life and property.
8. To discipline people: Disaster management is requiring disciplining people, especially at
the time of disasters. Normally, people tend to spread rumours relating to the disaster
management team a exaggerate the gravity of the situation. Disaster management team
can make the members of the public to ignore rumour by providing correct information
about the disaster. The information can make be transmitted through media like TV,
radio, and newspapers. Public awareness can be also created through smsservices on the
cell phones.
9. To develop sense of security: Disaster management is required to develop sense of
security among the affected people. Timely provision of relief supplies such as food,
shelter, medicines, etc. the disaster management team can develop a sense of security
among the affected people. Sense of security can also be created by talking preventive
measure to avert the disaster in future.
10. Training to people: Disaster management team trains people to deal with disaster. For
example: municipal corporation of greater Mumbai has disaster management team. The
team member conducts workshops for students, teachers and lay- people. They train the
participant in respect of techniques to adopt during the disaster.
11. To develop sense of security: Disaster management is required to develop sense of
security among the affected people. Timely provision of relief supplies such as food,
shelter, medicines, etc. the disaster management team can develop a sense of security
among the affected people. Sense of security can also be created by talking preventive
measure to avert the disaster in future.
12. Training to people: Disaster management team trains people to deal with disaster. For
example: municipal corporation of greater Mumbai has disaster management team. The
team member conducts workshops for students, teachers and lay- people. They train the
participant in respect of techniques to adopt during the disaster.

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CHAPTER 3: IN DETAIL ABOUT NDMA
NDMA ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

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 History
The International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, proposed with the
purpose of ensuring the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
prompted the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) under the Ministry of
Agriculture and Cooperation, the nodal ministry for disaster management in India to establish
a national center for management and planning the control of such natural disasters in 1995.
The Centre was later upgraded as the National Institute of Disaster management (NIDM)
on 16th October 2003, with the transfer of the subject of disaster management to the Ministry
of Home Affairs. The Institute was inaugurated by Home Minister of India on August 11,
2004.
The NIDM has been mandated by the Govt. of India (NDMA – as per DM Act 2005,
guidelines for NIDM) to be a deemed University and institute of excellence on higher
learning and capacity building. UGC has worked out with NIDM and developed a model
curriculum for strengthening disaster management in higher education and research. Most
Central Universities have envisaged Centre for Disaster Management under their School of
Environmental Studies. A core group is being formed with UGC-NIDM to promote the
subject at Academic Staff Colleges as well.
Origin and responsibilities
The United Nations designated the 1990s as the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction (IDNDR). In 1995, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, nominally
responsible for disaster management in India, created the National Centre for Disaster
Management. When responsibility for disaster management was transferred to the Ministry
of Home Affairs, the Centre became the National Institute of Disaster Management. The
Institute was officially inaugurated by the Union Home Minister on 11 August 2004.

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The National Disaster Management Act of 2005 granted the Institute statutory organization
status. The Act holds the Institute responsible for "planning and promoting training and
research in the area of disaster management, documentation and development of national
level information base relating to disaster management policies, prevention mechanisms and
mitigation measures".
Management
1. Policy Planning and Interdisciplinary issues
2. Hydro-meteorological, Climate change and Environment related
3. Geological disasters and engineering related issues
4. Emergency response and administration related issues
 Besides these, are envisaged/working:
1. Cell on Environment and Climate change
2. Indo-German Cooperation Programme on Environmental Knowledge for Disaster Risk
Management (ek DRM) www.ekdrm.net
3. Training Cell.
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
Union Home Minister is the President of the Institute and Vice Chairman of the NDMA is its
Vice President. Besides the Institute body comprises of 42 Members, which include
Secretaries of various nodal Ministries and Departments of Government of India and State
Governments and heads of national levels scientific, research and technical organizations,
besides eminent scholars, scientists and practitioners.
The Institute has a Governing Body of 16 members chaired by Vice Chairman of National
Disaster Management Authority. Union Home Secretary is the Vice Chairman of the
Governing Body of the Institute.

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The Institute has five Divisions besides a Training Cell. Executive Director of the Institute
who is also the Member Secretary of the Institute and its Governing Body runs the day to day
administration of the Institute.
Activities
1. Drought Disaster Vulnerability Assessment and Mitigation Analysis for Bundelkhand
(ICSSR Project)
2. UNDP-MOEF Project on Climate Resilient Development and Adaptation.
3. CDKN-START project on integrating climate change adaptation and DRR (flood) - Case
study of Gorakhpur (with GEAG and ISET)
4. GIZ-EU project on case studies/pilots of climate resilient disaster management plans at
various levels ( case of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh).
5. National Cyclone Risk mitigation project (Capacity building component) with NDMA.
6. Urban Flooding - India - Case studies of 8 cities. (Institutional).
7. Preparation of National Human Resource Plan for Disaster Management.
8. Disaster Research Fellowship (National Fellowship for Ph.D. registration in inter disciplinary
subjects like environment al studies, etc. on topic related with disaster management/risk
reduction.
In the backdrop of the International decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR),
a National Centre for Disaster Management was established in 1995 in the Indian Institute of
Public Administration (IIPA) by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, the nodal
ministry for disaster management in the country. The Centre was upgraded as the National
Institute of Disaster management (NIDM) on 16th October 2003, following the transfer of
the subject of disaster management to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Institute was
inaugurated by Hon'ble Union Home Minister on 11th August, 2004.
The Institute has achieved the status of a statutory organisation under the National
Disaster Management Act 2005. Section 42(8) of the Act has made the Institute responsible
for 'planning and promoting training and research in the area of disaster management,

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documentation and development of national level information base relating to disaster
management policies, prevention mechanisms and mitigation measures'.
 Section 42(9) of the Act has assigned the following specific functions to the
Institute:
a. develop training modules, undertake research and documentation in disaster management
and organise training programmes;
b. formulate and implement a comprehensive human resource development plan covering
all aspects of disaster management;
c. provide assistance in national level policy formulation;
d. provide required assistance to the training and research institutes for development of
training and research programmes for stakeholders including Government functionaries
and undertake training of faculty members of the State level training institutes;
e. provide assistance to the State Governments and State training institutes in the
formulation of State level policies, strategies, disaster management framework and any
other assistance as may be required by the State Governments or State training institutes
for capacity-building of stakeholders, Government including its functionaries, civil
society members, corporate sector and people's elected representatives;
f. develop educational materials for disaster management including academic and
professional courses;
g. promote awareness among stakeholders including college or school teachers and
students, technical personnel and others associated with multi-hazard mitigation,
preparedness and response measures;
h. undertake, organise and facilitate study courses, conferences, lectures, seminars within
and outside the country to promote the aforesaid objects;
i. undertake and provide for publication of journals, research papers and books and
establish and maintain libraries in furtherance of the aforesaid objects;
j. do all such other lawful things as are conducive or incidental to the attainment of the
above objects; and
k. undertake any other function as may be assigned to it by the Central Government.

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 STRATEGIC PLAN
To build a national hub to share and learn and to create a critical mass of institutions, trainers
and trained professionals.
 To undertake quality research covering both natural and human induced disasters, with a
multi-hazard approach
 To work as a National Resource Center for the central and state governments in the
country through effective knowledge management and sharing of best practices
 To professionalise disaster risk reduction and emergency management in India and other
neighboring countries by developing an independent cadre of professionally trained
emergency and mitigation managers.
 To promote formal training and education for disaster management in India and in the
region
 To build working partnerships with the Government, universities, NGOs, corporate
bodies and other national and international Institutes of eminence.
 To link learning and action by building a synergy between institutions and professionals
in the sector.
 PROBLEMS/ CHELLENGES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
In the past two decades, India’s public policy on disaster management has shifted from a
focus on relief and rehabilitation effort to holistic management of disasters. This new
policy approach incorporates pre- disaster issues of prevention, mitigation, and
preparedness, as well as post- disaster issues of response, recovery, and reconstruction.
Some of the challenges of disaster management in India are as followings:
1. Challenges of training: One of the major challenges in disaster management is to
provide training to Government and non- Government functionaries so as to impart them
knowledge and skills which are necessary for disaster risk reduction and management.

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Training programmes have to be practical oriented with emphases on different scenarios
aware of their specific responsibly aware of disc arch the tasks effectively before, during
and after the disaster management.
2. Challenges of creating awareness and education: Management of disaster requires
creation of awareness relating to the causes and effects of disasters, and the pre- disaster
and post- disaster measure to be taken by all concerned stakeholders. While training is
direction to specific groups according to their training needs; awareness among the
masses especially in disaster prone areas.
3. Challenges of unsafe building practices: Unsafe building practices in rapidly growing
urban settlements constitute one of Indian’s greatest challenges for disaster management
.a major earthquake in any of India’s densely and heavily populate cities and destruction
of property. The central and state government should take frame stringent laws and take
strict action on deflating and contractions for poor quality of building and constrictions.
For instance, that contractor responsibility for collapsed buildings needs to be arrested by
doing the need to be arrested needful time.
4. Challenges of Regional Cooperation:Generally, disasters take place within a particular
state or a group of states. However, at times, disasters may affect several countries at a
time. For instant, the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami affected several countries
including India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives, Somalia, and other , killing
about 2,30,000 people in 14 countries.
Given that natural disaster do not always follow national boundaries, cross-boundary
issues of disaster management should be addressed through enhanced religion
cooperation. Furthermore, an effective regional response system should be developed to
pool capacity for mutual benefit.
5. Challenges during the Rescue Phase: The most immediate need during the destructive
event and in its immediate aftermath is to rescue those who can be saved. For instant,
during a tsunami some volunteers may reach out and provide assistance to others in need.
In the immediate aftermath, some can be saved by pulling from the rubble, or from the
receding water and from the mud. The task force, specifically deployed at the affected
area may have to provide first aid to the victims, and also provide emotional support.

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After rescuing the survivors, attention must be drawn to the immediate needs of those
injured, and those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Medical
attention, food, water, cooking, shelter, and basic sanitation arrangements are the most
critical priorities
6. Challenges of Recover and Reconstruction: Among other things, the Government
authorities need to identify and exchange information about displaced survivors. It is a
big challenge to restore vital services such as electricity, drinking water, communication,
etc.
Also, there is a need to reconstruct infrastructure for livelihood, and social institution like
schools, religious places, hospitals, etc. The reconstruction efforts may take months or
even year.
7. Challenges of jurisdiction: A classic challenges in disaster situation is to determine the
person/authority that is responsibility for relief operations, i.e. the authority to command
the resources, to set priorities, and to distribution resources. In many of the areas where
relief operations activity are underway, there are is a tangled web of authorities – central
and state government official, local district and local official police and military
personnel, local aid agencies, community groups, NGOs, and at times international relief
organisations. Each of these has some basis for discretion and authority, and each is
likely to be wary of chains issued by others. Together, they form a tangled web of
instruction of command with ample opportunity for confusion, resentment, and conflict.
8. Challenges of Unplanned Development:In several parts of India, unplanned
development goes unchecked. Unplanned development is growing environmental
concern, which can causes and aggravate disaster situation. Rescue and relief operations
get hampered on account of unplanned development,
In June 2013, disaster struck Uttarakhand (India) due to heavy rainfall that caused
flooding. Thousands of lives were lost and there was heavy destruction of infrastructure.
But the disaster in Uttarakhand was also a result of indiscriminate, unchecked
development. Expert says that the disaster was expected as dozens of dams and hundreds
of kilometres of diverted river flow in the area. Despite a ban since 2002 on building
within 100 meters of a river, construction along riverbank continued to take place.

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9. Challenges for Nuclear Power Plants: There are Challenges for nuclear power plants to
improve security against disasters. There are often protest by locals protesting the safety
concerns of such plants. For instance, the constriction of kadankulam nuclear power plant
(Tamil Nadu) was partly delayed due to the 500 – day long anti – nuclear protest by the
locals (led by the people’s Movement against Nuclear Energy – PMANE). The until I of
the plant was commissioned on 22nd Oct. 2013, six years after the scheduled date, and 12
years after the construction of the plant began. The protests were triggered on account of
the meltdown of Fukushima Daiichi power plant of japan in March 2011.
10. Challenges of Damage Assessment: Damage assessment at the post – disaster stage is
usually conducted by a team of experts. The damage assessment if required to assess the
economic losses such as damage to corps, INS fracture, livestock, and so on.
Damage assessment is a complied task. Quite often, it is very difficult to assess the exact
amount of damage and destruction. At times, certain affected person in disaster affected
areas give a feudality of exact damage to their property or assets. At times, certain section
of the affected area may not be contacted to determine the loss on account of disaster
damage.Event relief and compensation distribution is a big challenge to government
maturities.

27
SECTION –I
Disaster Management in India
 Introduction
Spread over an area of 3,287,590 sq. km, India shares its borders with Pakistan,
Nepal, China, Bangladesh, Burma and Bhutan. The country has water on three sides; with the
Bay Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and Indian Ocean in the south. Various
types of calamities including floods, tropical cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, Tsunamis,
hailstorms, avalanches, fires and accidents take place from time to time, affecting different
parts of the country – and causing varying degrees of damage.
The country is divided into 4 flood regionsaccording to river systems. They
are the Brahmaputra region, Ganga region, IndusRegion and Central & Deccan region. On
anaverage 40 million hectares are subjected to floods annually. 56% of the total area in the
country constitutes an active seismic zone of the 7516 kms long coastline, 5700 kms prone to
Cyclone & Tsunami which causes deaths and damages to life and property every year. India
has established a large network of organisations and facilities to respond to disasters. After
the Indian Ocean Tsunami’ 2004, the Govt. of India has taken a defining step through an Act
of Parliament by adopting the ‘NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACT’ in 2005
and creating the ‘National disaster Management Authority’.
The Act envisages a paradigm shift from the relief centric response to a
proactive prevention, mitigation and preparedness driven approach. In order to conserve the
developmental gains and also minimize losses to lives, livelihoods and properties. The
National vision for disaster management is to build a safer and disaster-resilient India by
developing a holistic, proactive, multi-hazard and technology-driven strategy. This is to
be achieved through a culture of prevention, mitigation and preparedness. The entire process
will focus on community and will be supported and sustained through collective efforts of all
government agencies and community based organisations

28
 Overview
1. India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-
climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have been a
recurrent phenomena. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various
intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone
to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. In the decade 1990-2000, an
average of about 4344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected
by disasters every year. The loss in terms of private, community and public assets has
been astronomical.
2. At the global level, there has been considerable concern over natural disasters. Even as
substantial scientific and material progress is made, the loss of lives and property due to
disasters has not decreased. In fact, the human toll and economic losses have mounted. It
was in this background that the United Nations General Assembly, in 1989, declared the
decade 1990-2000 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction with the
objective to reduce loss of lives and property and restrict socio-economic damage through
concerted international action, specially in developing countries.
3. The super cyclone in Orissa in October, 1999 and the Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat in
January, 2001 underscored the need to adopt a multi dimensional endeavour involving
diverse scientific, engineering, financial and social processes; the need to adopt multi
disciplinary and multi sectoral approach and incorporation of risk reduction in the
developmental plans and strategies.
4. Over the past couple of years, the Government of India have brought about a paradigm
shift in the approach to disaster management. The new approach proceeds from the
conviction that development cannot be sustainable unless disaster mitigation is built into
the development process. Another corner stone of the approach is that mitigation has to
be multi-disciplinary spanning across all sectors of development. The new policy also
emanates from the belief that investments in mitigation are much more cost effective than
expenditure on relief and rehabilitation.

29
5. Disaster management occupies an important place in this country’s policy framework as
it is the poor and the under-privileged who are worst affected on account of
calamities/disasters.
6. The steps being taken by the Government emanate from the approach outlined above.
The approach has been translated into a National Disaster Framework [a roadmap]
covering institutional mechanisms, disaster prevention strategy, early warning system,
disaster mitigation, preparedness and response and human resource development. The
expected inputs, areas of intervention and agencies to be involved at the National, State
and district levels have been identified and listed in the roadmap. This roadmap has been
shared with all the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Ministries
and Departments of Government of India, and the State Governments/UT
Administrations have been advised to develop their respective roadmaps taking the
national roadmap as a broad guideline. There is, therefore, now a common strategy
underpinning the action being taken by all the participating organisations/stakeholders.
7. The changed approach is being put into effect through:
(a) Institutional changes
(b) Enunciation of policy
(c) Legal and techno-legal framework
(d) Mainstreaming Mitigation into Development process
(e) Funding mechanism
(f) Specific schemes addressing mitigation
(g) Preparedness measures
(h) Capacity building
(i) Human Resource Development
and, above all, community participation.

30
SECTION-II
 IN DETAIL EXPLATION ABOUT FLOODS BY NIDM ARE AS
FOLLOWS:-
India is highly vulnerable to floods. Out of the total geographical area of 329
million hectares (mha), more than 40 mha is flood prone. Floods are a recurrent
phenomenon, which cause huge loss of lives and damage to livelihood systems, property,
infrastructure and public utilities. It is a cause for concern that flood related damages show an
increasing trend. The average annual flood damage in the last 10 years period from 1996 to
2005 was Rs. 4745 crore as compared to Rs. 1805 crore, the corresponding average for the
previous 53 years. This can be attributed to many reasons including a steep increase in
population, rapid urbanization growing developmental and economic activities in flood
plains coupled with global warming.
An average every year, 75 lakh hectares of land is affected, 1600 lives are lost and the
damage caused to crops, houses and public utilities is Rs.1805 crores due to floods. The
maximum number of lives (11,316) was lost in the year 1977. The frequency of major floods
is more than once in five years.
Floods have also occurred in areas, which were earlier not considered
flood prone. An effort has been made in these Guidelines to cover the entire gamut of Flood
Management. Eighty per cent of the precipitation takes place in the monsoon months from
June to September. The rivers a bring heavy sediment load from catchments. These, coupled
with inadequate carrying capacity of rivers are responsible for causing floods, drainage
congestion and erosion of river-banks. Cyclones, cyclonic circulations and cloud bursts cause
flash floods and lead to huge losses. It is a fact that some of the rivers causing damage in
India originate in neighboring countries; adding another complex dimension to the problem.
Continuing and large-scale loss of lives and damage to public and private property due to
floods indicate that we are still to develop an effective response to floods. NDMA's

31
Executive Summary Guidelines have been prepared to enable the various implementing and
stakeholder agencies to effectively address the critical areas for minimising flood damage.
 What to Do Before an Floods
 Avoid building in flood prone areas unless you elevate and reinforce your home.
 Elevate the furnace, water heater, and electric panel if susceptible to flooding.
 Install "Check Valves" in sewer traps to prevent floodwater from backing up into the
drains of your home.
 Contact community officials to find out if they are planning to construct barriers (levees,
beams and floodwalls) to stop floodwater from entering the homes in your area.
 Seal the walls in your basement with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage.
 Identify safe places indoors and outdoors.
 In the open, away from telephone and electrical lines
 Know emergency telephone numbers (such as those of doctors, hospitals, the police, etc)
 Educate yourself and family members.
 If A Flood Is Likely To Hit Your Area, You Should:
 Listen to the radio or television for information.
 Be aware that flash flooding can occur. If there is any possibility of a flash flood, move
immediately to higher ground. Do not wait for instructions to move.
 Be aware of streams, drainage channels, canyons, and other areas known to flood
suddenly. Flash floods can occur in these areas with or without such typical warnings as
rain clouds or heavy rain.

32
 If you must prepare to evacuate, you should:
 Secure your home. If you have time, bring in outdoor furniture. Move essential items to
an upper floor.
 Turn off utilities at the main switches or valves if instructed to do so. Disconnect
electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in
water.
 If you have to leave your home, remember these evacuation tips:
 Do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you
have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the
firmness of the ground in front of you.
 Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and
move to higher ground if you can do so safely. You and the vehicle can be quickly swept
away.
 Have a disaster emergency kit ready
 Battery operated torch with extra batteries
 Battery operated radio
 First aid kit and manual
 Emergency food (dry items) and water (packed and sealed)
 Candles and matches in a waterproof container
 Knife

33
 Chlorine tablets or powdered water purifiers
 Can opener.
 Essential medicines
 Cash and credit cards
 Thick ropes and cords
 Sturdy shoes
 Important documents
 Help your community get ready
 Publish a special section in your local newspaper with emergency information on
earthquakes. Localize the information by printing the phone numbers of local emergency
services offices and hospitals.
 Conduct week-long series on locating hazards in the home.
 Work with local emergency services and officials to prepare special reports for people
with mobility impairment on what to do during an earthquake.
 Provide tips on conducting earthquake drills in the home.
 Interview representatives of the gas, electric, and water companies about shutting off
utilities.
 Work together in your community to apply your knowledge to building codes, retrofitting
programmes, hazard hunts, and neighborhood and family emergency plans.

34
 Recoverand build
 What to Do After an Floods
 Keep calm, switch on the radio/TV and obey any instructions you hear on it.
 Keep away from beaches and low banks of rivers. Huge waves may sweep in.
 Be prepared to expect aftershocks.
 Turn off the water, gas and electricity.
 If people are seriously injured, do not move them unless they are in danger.
 Immediately clean up any inflammable products that may have spilled (alcohol, paint,
etc).
 If you know that people have been buried, tell the rescue teams. Do not rush and do not
worsen the situation of injured persons or your own situation.
 Avoid places where there are loose electric wires and do not touch any metal object in
contact with them.
 Do not drink water from open containers without having examined it and filtered it
through a sieve, a filter or an ordinary clean cloth.
 If your home is badly damaged, you will have to leave it. Collect water containers, food,
and ordinary and special medicines (for persons with heart complaints, diabetes, etc.)
 Do not re-enter badly damaged buildings and do not go near damaged structures.

35
SECTION III
 Flood hazards: History, trends and impacts
Like all of eastern India, the Basins are prone to floods during the four monsoon months.
About one third of catchment lies in the Nepal Tarai where cloudbursts cause intense rainfall
events. There is always some annual flooding, with major floods having occurred in 1954,
1961, 1974 and 1993. In the last 10 years the intensity and frequency of floods appear to
have increased and three major floods have occurred within a decade: 1998, 2001 and 2007.
In the upper part of the basin, piyas, or small hill streams and drainage channels, are prone to
erosion and sudden course changes.
In the lower part, the very low gradient causes to meander sluggishly through the plains.
Since the 1970s, embankments (currently totalling over 113 km in length) and some spurs
have been constructed for flood control. However, these embankments have been frequently
breached, causing more damage than if they had not been built. The structures fail primarily
because they are not maintained properly, or in some cases their hydraulic designs are
exceeded. Embankments have also caused the river bed to rise, decreasing the river's carrying
capacity and increasing chances of flooding. Water logging occurs because of drainage
congestion caused mainly by embankments and other linear developments (roads, railways,
canals, urbanization, etc.).
In certain areas, including Maharajganj, the water logged area increased by 65-95% during
1971 to 1991. In many cases waterways developed across road and railway embankments,
drain water away insufficiently. Excessive rainfall can cause overflowing of low and poorly
formed riverbanks, and drainage congestion is a serious problem. Siphons are either closed
during high floods or do not function due to silting and clogging. The flood hazard is
pronounced where drainage channels, especially lower in the basin above the confluence and
Rapti Rivers. The overall nature of flooding therefore has changed; inundation depths have
become higher and more unpredictable (embankment failures), with constant water logging

36
in certain areas. While earlier floods were considered to have done more good than harm,
they now cause immense damage to life and property, and have become an obstacle to
development in the region.
The region has been affected by floods from ancient times and, in fact, the floods have
played a major role in formation of the area. People have been living with the floods and they
have adapted according to the situation. The problems have significantly increased due to
land pressures, locally inappropriate developmental practices and policies and the change in
climatic conditions. The history and trends of floods have been traced with the help of
secondary information and recollection of the communities living in the area. Flood
frequency and ethno-history of flooding Rohini and Rapti: The water levels in various rivers
are gauged at identified points by government department and danger levels have been
marked on the basis of flooding magnitude.
Such gauges help in issuing alarms and warnings and reporting to relevant points at the state
and national level. However, for any community centred disaster risk reduction initiative it is
important that inundation, water levels and its impacts are observed at the affected village
level. Efforts are made to trace the ethno history of floods in various villages, in a river basin,
where DRR initiatives have been undertaken by GEAG. Such a record of flooding in UP is
outlined . It documents the varied nature of flood events and their social impacts. Major flood
events occurred in 1904, each year from 1952 to 1957, 1962, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1980,
1981, 1998, 2000 and 2001. The flood of 2001 was followed by a drought in 2002. Attempts
were made to control flooding rivers by constructing embankments, a process which began in
1952 and continued intermittently until 1985.
It is impossible to provide details on the impacts of flooding in all case study villages, but
the case of Gaighat village illustrates the situation well. Gaighat is situated on the bank of the
Rapti River between the Rapti and the Bathuanala River. It has been affected by flooding and
land cutting for as long as the villagers can remember. In most years, flooding has occurred
for a brief period and hasn't had a major impact on life. During the period from 1952 to 1957,
however, parts of the village were cut down by the shifting course of the Rapti and villagers

37
were forced to settle elsewhere or to build new houses in agricultural fields. This history
repeated itself between 1960 and 1980, when the shifting course of the river destroyed more
land and houses. As a result, approximately half of the villagers have migrated to safe places.
The remaining villagers have moved their dwellings into agricultural fields.
As a result of the regular disruption and shifting, Gaighat has been sub-divided into three
smaller villages-Gaighat, Rampur and Sonbha Ehtemali. In the late 1980s an embankment
was constructed to check the problem of flooding and much of Gaighat was indeed protected
from annual floods to some extent. Many houses, however, were located beyond the
embankment and most of these collapsed one after another as the river encroached upon
them. In 1998 the embankment breached and the village experienced the worst flood in its
history.
The initial breach occurred in the adjacent village of Malpurwa and after that dozens of more
breaches occurred. The resultant flash flood destroyed many structures and the water also
remained in the area for a long period afterwards. There was dangerous flooding again in
2001, 2007 and 2009 but not on the scale of 1998. The history of Gaighat is typical of the
history of many villages. The gradual movement of the river often affects those located on
the banks of large rivers. They are also flooded on an annual or, in any case, frequent basis.
Except during extreme years most of these floods are manageable. When embankments are
constructed the situation changes: regular flooding is reduced for villages inside the
embankments but the impact of large floods is increased by embankment breaches.
 Impacts of flooding
The impact of the floods is not only during the floods but it extends to post flooding period
and in fact, during the whole year. The impacts are not only in form of losses and damages of
life and property but they affect the very basis of livelihoods and make communities
vulnerable to a vicious cycle of losses, lack of capacity and poverty. The impacts of floods
are also not uniform and it varies according to socio-economic classes, gender, age etc.
Hence, DRR planning and reduction of vulnerabilities requires disaggregated information.

38
The impacts of floods in the Trans Saryu region are devastating. Recurring flooding has
destroyed the livelihoods of many poor and vulnerable communities. Health and sanitation
suffer, educational institutions are forced to close and employment opportunities dry up.
Transportation is rendered difficult and local populations face major problems accessing
markets and key services. In some cases, where bank cutting or sand casting occurs, the land
is destroyed and owners lose their main productive asset. As a result, those who are able
migrate to other areas. The impacts of flooding on women are particularly severe. These
aspects are discussed in detail below.
 Livelihood system
In most of the case study villages, vulnerable communities usually reside in kachha
houses made of mud and other locally available materials. These are regularly destroyed by
floods . Each time a house is destroyed other critical assets such as stored food and
household goods are lost as well. Losses are great because people have no place to move
their things to, even when materials are portable and the flood arrives gradually. Saving
bulky materials such as food and fodder is particularly problematic for the poor. Many of the
wealthy are, however, able to move their goods onto the roof of their pakka brick and cement
houses. When the poor lose everything to floods, they are forced to take loans to meet their
consumption needs. Since local moneylenders charge interest rates as high as 120% per
annum and daily wages are the main source of income for the poor, they never accumulate
the money they need to build a pakka house of cement and bricks.
As a result, each time floods occur they lose their assets again. Furthermore, if they
are dependent on earning a daily wage they often cannot devote enough time to growing
crops on the land they own. Thus, they end up depending on the market to meet even their
basic food needs. Since food is expensive, food insecurity is high. Despite their clear
impacts, not all aspects of flood are negative. In some places, there are examples that
flooding helped cultivation of banana, increased soil fertility and helped fisheries.

39
Health and sanitation
Poor health is a major problem in all flood-affected study sites. Water-borne diseases
such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and other gastrointestinal disorders are common,
particularly during floods. Water related diseases such as malaria and Japanese encephalitis
are also common as are some non-water related illnesses. Anemia and malnutrition are
frequent particularly among women and children.
The presence of many disease vectors is compounded by the lack of an effective
health care system. Due to the poverty and backwardness of the region, well trained doctors
are rare and government health services are unavailable or, because of their high cost, private
services are inaccessible in most areas. People depend on local knowledge or poorly trained
'health workers' to meet their medical needs.
Local populations attribute many of their health-related problems to the recurrence of
floods. Flooding exacerbates poverty and renders local populations unable to attract the types
of resources needed for regional development to occur. Social infrastructure such as a health
care system has had no chance to develop.

40
SECTION IV
Conclusion
4.1 Disaster Management has to be a multi-disciplinary and pro-active
approach. Besides various measures for putting in place institutional and policy
framework, disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness enunciated in this
paper and initiatives being taken by the Central and State Governments, the
community, civil society organizations and media also have a key role to play in
achieving our goal of moving together, towards a safer India. The message being
put across is that, in order to move towards safer and sustainable national
development, development projects should be sensitive towards disaster
mitigation.
4.2 Our mission is vulnerability reduction to all types of hazards, be it natural
or manmade. This is not an easy task to achieve, keeping in view the vast
population, and the multiple natural hazards to which this country is exposed.
However, if we are firm in our conviction and resolve that the Government and the
people of this country are not prepared to pay the price in terms of massive
casualties and economic losses, the task, though difficult, is achievable and we
shall achieve it.
4.3 We have taken the first few but significant steps towards vulnerability
reduction, putting in place prevention and mitigation measures and preparedness
for a rapid and professional response. With a massive awareness generation
campaign and building up of capabilities as well as institutionalization of the
entire mechanism through a techno legal and techno financial framework, we are
gradually moving in the direction of sustainable development.

41
CHAPTER 4 –CASE STUDY
Inundation continues in many parts of the district, about 30,000languish
in relief camps and 1.25 lakhaccess foodin 71 government centres.
Relief works shifted to the next phase in Chennai with the government
focusing on rehabilitation and controlling disease outbreaks, while in Cuddalore, vast tracts
remained under water. The flow of materials to Cuddalore was regulated, but thousands of
residents in remote areas, cut off by waters, continued to complain that they were being left
out. In a major respite to the large rural population in Cuddalore, the district administration
has restarted the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MNREGS) with the labour force set to be utilized for unclogging waterways and sanitary
work.
However, inundation continued in many parts of the district on Tuesday with about 30,000
persons languishing in relief camps and 1.25 lakh accessing food in 71 government centres.
The Hindu had reported on Tuesday about the flooding of close to an estimated 55,000
hectares of cropping land and how the lack of MNREGS works had made the rural
population dependent on relief materials. Senior IAS officer Gagandeep Singh Bedi, who is
overseeing the relief operations in Cuddalore, said officials were instructed to provide work
to at least 200 persons in every habitation. This would help put money in their hands to meet
crucial expenses, the IAS officer said.
Officials said levels in all water bodies were under control. On Tuesday, parts of the district
received mild rainfall. Army sources said that in medical camps run on Monday and
Tuesday, some villagers reported rain-related ailments like bacterial infection, cough and
cold.
In Cuddalore town, inundation continued in Jothi Nagar, Surya Nagar, Ragavendra Nagar
and Gnanambal Nagar. Meanwhile in Chennai, the distribution of relief remained an issue,

42
with the north of the city complaining of neglect. The government has opened several
medical camps, restored all health centres affected by the floods, and appointed counsellors
to handle post-traumatic stress disorder. As relief came pouring in to the Chief Minister’s
Relief Fund, actor Rajnikanth, in solidarity with the people of Chennai, urged fans not to
celebrate his birthday on December 12, but instead spend the day constructively for relief
activities.
 Cuddalore Struggles To Be Back On Feet After Tamil Nadu
Floods
CUDDALORE, TAMIL NADU: With huge tracts of paddy, cane and tapioca plantations
under a thick sheet of shiny red sand, vast swathes in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu
resemble a desert landscape after the devastating deluge. Having repeatedly weathered

43
natural disasters like Tsunami and cyclones in the years gone by, Cuddalore is fighting, yet
again, to stand on its feet after the recent floods that claimed 49 human lives and inflicted
heavy damage to standing crops, cattle and infrastructure.
The farmers in Visur and Periyakattupalayam are now faced with the
daunting task of not only pumping out the rain waters but also clearing the farmland of the
thick sheet of sand, five feet high in some places. "We just do not know how we are going to
remove such huge loads of sand from our land even if water recedes completely," say C Balu
and G Govindaraju, farmers of Visur and Periyakattupalayam respectively, in the Cuddalore
hinterland.
For a small farmer like R Padmanban of Sundaraavandi with a land holding of just an acre,
the problem is also about handling debts and making the ends meet when there will almost be
no income. Farmers have also been burdened with the loss of cattle. "Be it paddy, cane or
cashew growers they are just hit hard as the deluge has damaged crops at the flowering stages
ahead of the harvest," said President of the Cuddalore District Farmers Club Federation, P
Ravindran.
In places like Kalkunam and Kurinjipadi, he says, there is "absolutely no chance for any
crop harvest".
Apart from the death of 49 people, over 50,000 huts have been damaged during the floods in
Cuddalore district where hundreds of families spent weeks together in relief camps. A large
number of people are still living in those camps. Kondur area is still heavily inundated.
Cuddalore was ravaged by Tsunami in 2004 that had killed 640 people along the district's 57
km coastline. Since then, it has been hit hard by multiple cyclones including Nilam and
Thane, and Cuddalore's cup of woes brimmed full with the recent rains. Flood water is still
being drained into a canal using heavy pumps in residential localities in and around Chavadi.
For the villagers of Periyakattupalayam who have been housed in a relief camp after the
flash floods of November 9 which washed away ten people, their dream is to settle in pucca

44
houses that could withstand natural calamities. Across the predominantly agrarian district,
the flood victims, both in rural and urban areas, want a robust mechanism to be put in place,
including long-term measures, to prevent flooding and put rain water to optimum use.
 Modi sanctions Rs. 940 crore for flood-hit Tamil Nadu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday instructed the immediate release of financial
assistance of nearly Rs. 940 crore to deal with the flood situation in rain- battered Tamil
Nadu, hours after Chief Minister wrote to him for funds to sustain relief work.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instructed the release of financial assistance worth Rs.
939.63 crore immediately to Tamil Nadu to assist it in dealing with the situation arising

45
from the floods,” an official release said. The Centre is also sending a team to Tamil Nadu to
assess the damage and “further action will be taken after the team submits its report,” it said.
The assistance was sanctioned in response to a request of the State government.
With the northeast monsoon leaving a trail of destruction in the state, the Tamil Nadu
government has pegged the damage at Rs 8,481 crore, with Ms. Jayalalithaa on Monday
urging Mr. Modi to immediately release Rs. 2,000 crore to sustain relief work.The Chief
Minister, in her letter to the Prime Minister, gave a detailed memorandum on the flood
damage. It was sent to the Prime Minister’s Office by a delegation led by S.T.K. Jakkayan,
Special Representative of Tamil Nadu. She said that 169 lives have been lost in various rain-
related incidents since October 1, 2015. The State government had also asked for a Central
team to be deputed immediately to make an on-the-spot assessment of the damage.
“This assessment has been made as an immediate measure since the Tamil Nadu government
requires assistance from the Centre to meet the high expenditure requirements that such a
severe calamity has caused. The funds required are well beyond the resources available with
the state, including the State Disaster Response Fund.

46
 Effects of flooding on Dalit communities in Cuddalore
A survey conducted by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR)
and the Social Awareness Society for Youths (SASY) surveyed 8,400 Dalit and non-Dalit
families in 20 villages in the Cuddalore region. It found around 90 percent of the houses,
livestock and crops destroyed in the floods belonged to Dalit families, who made up the majority
of flood-displaced people. The final report alleged dominant caste people blocked access to clean
water and official relief measures were concentrated in more accessible upper-caste
neighbourhoods. On average, a majority of Dalit settlements were located only 1.5 km from
rivers, canals and the sea. In Vadakkuthurai village, dominant caste people prevented Dalits from
entering their neighbourhoods to access clean water.
In Alamelumangalapuram, Dalits were reported to be afraid to attend a
government medical camp for flood victims. Most primary health centres were located in
dominant caste neighbourhoods and were, on average, three km from Dalit settlements. As a
result, reaching a PHC involved wading through flooded areas, posing major risks. Alleging
institutional neglect, the survey noted that visits by senior government officials and distribution
of relief materials were mostly to accessible parts of villages populated by those of dominant
castes

47
BIBLIOGRAPHY
www.wikipedia.com
http://nidm.gov.in
http://www.thehindu.com
Reference Book :- Manan Prakashan
Book Author -: L.M.Prasad
Azar Kazmi

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