1. Disaster & it’s Management
By
Rajesh Prasad, IRSE

2. A THOUGHT……..
• “The biggest lesson from Asia’s
recent troubles is not about
economics, it is about Terror,
Disaster and it’s Management”.

3. What is Disaster ?
DISASTERS ARE “RARELY ANNOUNCED
- NEVER POSTPONED”.
 Anything unusual involving large scale loss and
destruction of life and property.
 Floods, Cyclones, Earthquakes.
 Industrial Mishap, Public Enemy Action.
 Rail Accident involving huge loss of life and
property.

4. Disaster defined as per Rly. Bd’s recent letter of Jan ‘09
Railway disaster is a serious train accident or an
untoward event of grave nature either on the railway
premises or arising out of railway activity in that area
due to natural or man made causes that may lead to loss
of many lives and/or grievous injuries to a large number
of people and/or severe disruption of traffic necessitating
large scale help from other Government/Non-
Government and Private organisations.

5. SOME STATISTICS
• During 1985-2000, the average annual
damage caused by natural disasters has
been estimated to be approximately INR
2700 Mill.
• 1999 Orissa Cyclone claimed 9885 lives &
the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake – 13,805.

6. Attack on Twin Towers in Sep 2001
9/11

7. Tsunami in Dec 2004

8. Rescue Operation in Train Mishap

9. DISASTER MANAGEMENT
• “----RELIEF WORK WITHOUT METICULOUS
PLANNING, COORDINATION AND TRAINING,
THE SECOND DISASTER”.
• TIME MAGAZINE REPORT AFTER LATUR
EARTHQUKE, SEPT. 1993.

10. ANALYSIS OF DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
• Disaster
• Preparedness Response
• Mitigation Recovery
• Prevention Development

11. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
• Cabinet Committee for relief measures and
Secretary Ministry of Agriculture is the convenor.
• National Management Crisis Committee chaired
by the Cabinet Secretary and having Secretaries to
PM, MHA, Defense, Agriculture, DIB, Dir. RAW as
members and gives direction to the Crisis
Management Group.

12. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT
• Crisis Management Group chaired by the Central
Relief Commissioner, having members from the
various ministries meets every six months to review
contingency plans and coordination for disaster
preparedness and relief.
• Disaster management is a state subject and each state
has a committee at various levels with plans. Role of
centre confined to financial, logistic and infrastructure
support.

13. TYPE OF DISASTER AND NODAL
MINISTRY
• Air Accidents
• Civil Strife
• Railway Accidents
• Chemical Disasters
• Biological Disasters
• Nuclear Accidents
• Natural Disasters
• Min. of Civil Aviation
• Min. of Home Affairs
• Min. of Railways
• Min. of Env.& Forests
• Min. of Health
• Dept. of Atomic Energy
• Min. of Agriculture

14. EXTERNAL AGENCIES
• Armed Forces
• Civil Defense
• NGO (Non Government Organisation)
• Community
• Research and training institutes

15. INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES
• UNDRO (United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator)
• WFP (World Food Programme)
• WHO
• UNESCO
• UNCHS (United Nations Centre for Human Settlements)
• UNICEF
• ADRC (Asian Disaster Reduction Centre)
• ADPC ( Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre)

16. UNDERSTANDING DISASTERS
• A disaster is the product of a hazard such as an
earthquake, flood, cyclones or rail accidents coinciding
with a vulnerable situation which might include
communities, cities, villages or railway passengers.
• Risk is a measure of the expected losses due to a
hazardous event of a particular magnitude occurring in
a given area over a specific time period.

17. TOI -11.06.2009

18. Hero of The Miracle on the Hudson - US Airways Flight 1549 Pilot Chesley B.
"Sully" Sullenberger, III
What a
presence of
mind ??

21. Landing over River Hudson

22. Railway accident …….
Accident :
is an occurrence in the working of the
railway which does or may affect the
safety of the railway, its engine, rolling
stock, permanent way and works, fixed
installations, passengers or servant or
which affect the safety of others or which
does or may cause delay to train or loss
to the railway.

23. Serious accident …….
Accident to a train carrying passengers which
is attended with loss of life or with grievous hurt to a
passenger(s) in the train or with serious damage
to railway property of the value exceeding Rs.25
lacs and any other accident which in the opinion of
the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety requires
the holding of an inquiry by the Commissioner of
Railway Safety shall also be deemed to be a serious
accident.

25. TRAGEDY STRIKES:
Coromandel Express after 14
bogies derailed near Jajpur.

26. Earthquake in August 2001 in Gujrat

27. How is the impression about
DM of IR toady?
• Excellent
• Very good
• Good
• Average
• Poor

28. The answer may be any thing
from Excellent to Poor depending
upon the perception of person
answering.
I think we agree that what ever it
is, There is scope to improve.
We are already heading towards
more comfort zone….

29. Zone of Distress
(Past)
Zone of Comfort
(Present)
20 Years back vis-à-vis Now
In the context of Railways…………….

30. Distress Zone to Real Comfort Zone

31. DISASTERS THEREFORE
(a) AFFECT THE DAY TO DAY LIFE OF PEOPLE
(b) LOSS OF RESOURCES
(c) DELAY IN DEVELOPMENT
(d) IMPACT ON INVESTMENT CLIMATE
MAYBE, BECAUSE OF LOSS OF IMAGE

32. LOSS OF IMAGE
Customers
Public Representative
Public

33. Example-Loss of public image of Railways

34. DHAWA BRIDGE - SALIENT DETAILS
BRIDGE NO. : 445
BETWEEN STATIONS : RAFIGANJ — DEO ROAD
SECTION : GAYA — MUGHALSARAI
LOCATION : 508 / 19 – 27
SPAN : 3 x 60’ + 1 x 62’ + 1 x 40’
SUPERSTRUCTURE : STEEL PLATE GIRDERS
SUB-STRUCTURE : BRICK MASONRY IN LIME / CEMENT MORTAR
YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION
SUB-STRUCTURE : ABUTMENT # 1 , PIER # 1 & 2 – 1900
PIER # 3 & 4 AND ABUTMENT # 2 – 1958-59
SPANS # 4 & 5 ADDED IN 1958-59
SUPERSTRUCTURE
: UP & DN Line Girders of Span 1, 2 & 3 – 1925
Span 4 & 5 – 1958-59
SPEED RESTRICTION
ON BRIDGE
: NO SPEED RESTRICTION

35. DERAILMWENT OF 2301 UP HOWRAH-NEW DELHI RAJDHANI EXPRESS ON
9.9.2002 IN GAYA-MUGHALSARAI SECTION
SALIENT DETAILS

36. POSITION OF DERAILED COACHES OF
RAJDHANI EXPRESS AT DHAWA BRIDGE

37. POSITION OF DERAILED COACHES OF
RAJDHANI EXPRESS AT DHAWA BRIDGE AT
SPAN # 1 & 2

38. DERAILED COACH INFRINGING DN LINE IN
SPAN # 3

39. A VIEW OF DERAILED COACHES AND DAMAGED
BRIDGE

40. OPENED FISH PLATED JOINT AT POINT OF DROP

41. DAMAGED PIER # 4

42. • Bridge was sanctioned for timber
renewal.
• Estimate was not vetted and
returned to Executive.
• These papers got leaked.
• FIRs lodged by local authority
against railways.

43. POINT OF DROP & DAMAGED TRACK IN
MUGHALSARAI END APPROACH OF DHAWA
BRIDGE

44. Who can help and improve the image?
Passengers, Local, Co-workers, Media….

45. Disaster Management Act 2005 Stipulates :-
1. D. M. Plan.
2. Measures to be taken.
3. Status of preparedness.
4. Roles & Responsibility.
5. Review.

46. CAG Report extract on D.M. in IR examined by PAC.
• DM Plan of Zonal Rlys. & Divns. NOTNOT Comprehensive.
LACKEDLACKED Uniformity.
• DID NOTDID NOT adhere to (i) DM Act 2005 & (ii)
Recommendations of HLC.
• Facilities incl. communication & co-ordination WEAKWEAK.
• SPART, ART, ARMV, BD Crane etc. INADEQUATEINADEQUATE.
• Training POORPOOR. Crack Team NOTNOT Formed.
• Assets NOTNOT Renewed timely. Surveillance inadequateinadequate
& ineffective.ineffective.

47. Deficiencies (specific in ER) pointed out by PAC.
• ART speed < 100 KMPh.
• ARTs & ARMVs not located strategically. Provision of
ARMVs inadequate.
• DM plan not dovetailed with State. Not available on
Railnet.
• Pending compensation case.
• Excessive use of line capacity.

48. Recommendations of PAC.
• Effective coordination with civil authorities, hospitals & other
agencies to leverage their infrastructure.
• No formal arrangement is necessary for the above. Contact
details should be available in DM plans.
• In the 2nd
phase of on-board staff training, services of private
contractors may be harnessed.
• Ensure replacement & rehabilitation of assets, safety aids &
other infrastructure.
• Integrated security system to be implemented enhancing
existing surveillance system.
• Enhancement of state of preparedness, improvement of
response time & effective monitoring of relief equipments.

49. Video Clips of Corromondal Exp. accident at Jajpur

50. Video Clips of Rajdhani Exp. accident at Rafiganj

51. Plane Crash on Hudson river

52. Civil Defence – role
• Disaster management
– Crack team
• Training camps
– Periodical
• Mock drills
– Annual day
• Interface
• Communication

55. TYPES OF MEDIA
• NEWSPAPERS
• RADIO
• TELEVISION
• NEWS AGENCIES & FOREIGN
CORRESPONDENTS
• MAGAZINES
• INTERNET

56. MEDIA’S INTEREST IN CRISIS
• Access to the scene and/or timely information that
helps reporter describe the scope of the disaster and
efforts to cope with it.
• Enough access to those affected for human dimension
of the tragedy.
• Timely notification of next-of-kin.
• Timely sharing of emerging facts and developing
stories.
• Speculating on the causes and placing the blame.

57. HANDLING THE MEDIA - Basic rules
• BE FIRST — Primary rule of crisis
communications is to BE FIRST - rather than
simply react to media queries/requests.
• CO-OPERATE WITH THE MEDIA — In times of
crisis, lack of cooperation sends reporters and
editors to seek other sources usually less
knowledgeable and one-sided

58. He is trying to find out about his relative traveling by Corromondal
Express which has derailed near Jajpur……………

59. WHERE WE STAND
• Timely maintenance of R.S., P. Way & other assets.
• DM Plan of E. Rly. has been uploaded in website.
• DM plans of WB, Bihar & Jharkhand are still under
preparation & our plan has to be dovetailed after
receipt.
• Fire fighting arrangements.
• ISO certification of Disaster Management system.

60. Destruction iseasier……..Destruction iseasier……..
Destruction can takeplacefaster……Destruction can takeplacefaster……
Disastersnot announced and never postponed…….Disastersnot announced and never postponed…….
Media is very active….We are accountable and it is related to
PUBLIC IMAGE…….
Media is very active….We are accountable and it is related to
PUBLIC IMAGE…….
Enough instruction/guidelinesareavailableto follow…..Enough instruction/guidelinesareavailableto follow…..

61. Fireand Terror attack- preparednessneed review..Fireand Terror attack- preparednessneed review..
Mock drill- announced DM drill………….Mock drill- announced DM drill………….
Un-announced Mock drill- effectiveUn-announced Mock drill- effective
Co-ordination with other departmentsinsideand out –
sideand NO DEPARTMENTALISM
Co-ordination with other departmentsinsideand out –
sideand NO DEPARTMENTALISM

62. AFTERTHOUGHT….
• “ A GENTLEMAN WHO HAD BEEN VERY UNHAPPY IN
MARRIAGE, MARRIED IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS
WIFE DIED”
• IT WAS SAID “TRIUMPH OF HOPE OVER
EXPERIENCE”
• HOPE WE WILL NOT HAVE DISASTERS AND IF IT IS THERE WE
WILL MANAGE WELL WITH OUR EXPERIENCE..…