| A number of natural disasters like drought, floods, | | | | contaminated sites according to the risk they |
| earthquakes, cyclones have hit India hard in the | | | | presented and define remediation techniques to |
| recent past and previously Tsunami-tidal waves | | | | be applied.l) Rank contaminated sites |
| have devastated the coastline of southern states | | | | according to the overall risks for human health |
| – Tamilnadu. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, | | | | and the environment. Consider potential impacts |
| Pondicherry and far-flung Andaman and Nicobar | | | | on health or environment, toxicity where chemical |
| group of Islands and very frequently | | | | contamination is persistent and its mobility. |
| indoneshia. But successive governments have | | | | Further, it is found that, National Disaster |
| not come up to the mark in mitigating the impact | | | | Management Agency insisting Government of |
| of disasters and putting in place a proper, | | | | India should look at all possibilities of not just |
| effective and tested disaster management | | | | rehabilitation of victims but also prevention of |
| apparatus. It is essential to prevent future | | | | future disasters. |
| disasters by adopting certain serious measures | | | | - When the Government of Japan is able to |
| and implement them at an earliest | | | | spend several million dollars on the construction of |
| REQUIREMENTS FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT: | | | | sea walls for a small island covering 52 miles, |
| 1. Prudent land management and infrastructure | | | | perimeter, including almost all the inhabited |
| development is now a key feature of international | | | | stretches of its eastern coast, it is high time for |
| development | | | | Government of India to go in for construction of |
| 2. Governments of poor countries will continue to | | | | sea walls along the east coast line covering, Tamil |
| face the challenge of meeting the basic needs of | | | | Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala.In this connection it |
| their citizens. | | | | is to be mentioned that it is not necessary to |
| 3. Emergency public health is now an established | | | | construct sea wall all along the coastline covering |
| specialty. | | | | several kilometers (like Great wall of China). |
| 4. The media is now an indispensable partner in | | | | - It is suggested to identify certain vulnerable |
| international development. | | | | reaches all along the east coast line, where |
| 5. Emergency preparedness and response - | | | | maximum damage occurred. |
| South-east Asia earthquake and tsunami – | | | | - The sea walls may be constructed covering only |
| Hazardous waste management in | | | | the vulnerable reaches; each stretch may cover a |
| tsunami-affected areas. | | | | distance of 3 to 4 kms. Regarding the height of |
| 6. Hints and warning signals for an earthquake that | | | | walls, it is suggested to collect the data of |
| could trigger towering waves as per studies made | | | | Tsunami disaster for the last several decades in |
| by Indian Seismologist, Arun Bapat. | | | | the area under consideration and also from |
| WHAT IS TO BE DONE? | | | | nearby areas. From the data, available we can |
| 1. Strengthen national organizational capacity of | | | | arrive a maximum height of Tidal wave in the |
| authorities and pledge for the designating an | | | | vulnerable reach under consideration. Taking |
| adequately resourced “National hazardous | | | | 75% probability, the height of wall can be |
| waste co-ordination task force” – | | | | restricted to 3/4th the height of the tidal in a |
| supported by international experts, when | | | | particular reach, with the assumption, the |
| necessary. | | | | maximum height of tidal wave may not occur at |
| 2. Establish links with national, regional and | | | | all times. If the maximum height of tidal wave is |
| international technical agencies and experts who | | | | 15 metres, considering 75% probability, the height |
| can be quickly reached to offer advice to the field | | | | of sea wall can be restricted to 10 to 12 metres; |
| teams. | | | | to start with along the vulnerable reaches |
| 3. Establish an electronic network among focal | | | | identified. As the earthquakes are occurring in |
| points in Tsunami-affected countries, including the | | | | non-seismic zone, it is high time for the |
| Basel Convention Regional Centre in Indonesia, to | | | | Government of India and the Indian Standard |
| exchange information share experience, and pool | | | | Institute to revise seismic zones taking into |
| expertise as necessary. | | | | consideration the extensions of quakes to |
| 4. Together with the National and Regional | | | | non-seismic majorities of the zones, and the |
| authorities, the National Task force should have | | | | seismic zonal map of India has to be revised |
| the capacity to assess the capacity of local | | | | accordingly. |
| governments, to take recommended interior | | | | - Majorities of the affected areas have |
| measures such as;a) Inventorying local | | | | predominantly poor populations who live in shanty |
| risks,b) Containing and security | | | | homes and many tourism centers and lodgings |
| sites,c) Storing known a potentially toxic | | | | appear close to the shoreline. Any serious |
| substances pending evaluation and | | | | long-term re-building effort in the tsunami-affected |
| disposition.d) Transporting toxic | | | | areas must address the issue of prudent land |
| substances to a secured areae) | | | | management and enforcing strict building codes; |
| Assessing availability of personal protective | | | | to go in for earthquake resistant buildings. Need to |
| equipment, etc.f) Exclusively specialized | | | | streamline international development programs to |
| professionals should perform the management of | | | | avoid duplication services and reduce the |
| hazardous waste.g) Risk assessment | | | | bureaucratic burden on poor recipient nations, in |
| analysis: As soon as possible, Governments should | | | | view often lessons learned from the coordination |
| conduct environment risk assessments including | | | | woes of the early phase of relief by |
| procedures for clean-up activities.h) High | | | | non-government organizations. |
| Risk situations (e.g. Highly toxic chemicals, | | | | - Matching skill sets and recognized expertise of |
| proximity to population concentrations) should be | | | | organizations like NGO, with the specific needs of |
| identified for priority consideration.i) | | | | specific populations and specific countries or |
| Evaluate risks of impact of toxic chemicals and | | | | regions. |
| hazardous wastes on ecologically sensitive | | | | From the aforesaid discussions, it is clear that to |
| systems or critical habitats, such as wetlands, | | | | manage disasters world wide, sufficient funds |
| shallow waters, reefs, mangroves, dunes etc.j | | | | should be properly allocated,non government |
| )Decide on preliminary measures that can be | | | | organisations should be encouragedand their |
| taken regarding containment of hazardous wastes | | | | participationis become mandatory to resolve the |
| or decontamination before people return to the | | | | issues on disaster in near future to some extent. |
| affected areas.k) Rank identified | | | | |