Opinion At storm’s end
There has been a welcome shift from the reactive approach to disaster management. But rehabilitation remains a challenge.
A stitch in time saves nine,goes the old proverb. Thousands of deaths from Cyclone Phailin,whose wind speed touched 200 kmph,were averted as a result of timely weather forecasting,a cyclone warning system and steps taken by the Centre,states and the military to evacuate 3.61 lakh people from across Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
It was the first time in India that so many people have been evacuated at such short notice after a cyclone warning. This saved lakhs of lives,unlike the super-cyclone that hit Odisha in 1999,reaching windspeeds of 260 kmph,where the official death toll was put at 9,885 people,though unofficial estimates are much higher. With cyclones a recurrent problem in the two states of Andhra and Odisha,they set up cyclone shelters to house people at the time of disaster,and relief camps to provide shelter until they were able to move back to their own houses. Proving that lessons were learnt from the 1999 experience,after evacuation,people were housed in these shelters. Their livestock was either taken care of or left free to flee.
The tsunami in 2004 and the landslides in Uttarakhand earlier this year are still fresh in public memory. The memory of these disasters made people take the warnings seriously and evacuate on time,which led to minimum deaths. While we were applauding the evacuation mission on the one hand,at the same time,it was reported that more than a hundred people died in a stampede at Ratangarh temple in Datia,Madhya Pradesh. Though we witness deaths due to stampedes every year,we hardly take cognisance of this. By setting an example of appropriate action on Phailin,an immediate action plan for management of religious gatherings too needs to be put in place.
After the 2004 tsunami,the Disaster Management Act,2005,was passed to provide effective management of disasters. Until recently,disaster management has been reactive and relief-centric. The shift underlined in the act is from a response-centric approach to one that emphasises prevention,mitigation and preparedness for ensuing disasters. The act provides for prevention,mitigation and preparedness in the pre-disaster phase,and response,rehabilitation and reconstruction in the post-disaster phase. While preventive action minimised deaths,the major challenge for the authorities lies ahead,in relief and rehabilitation. According to the officer on special duty for Odisha,as of October 13,Cyclone Phailin affected 12 districts,99 blocks,1,895 gram parishads,14,514 villages,39 urban bodies,123 wards that is,one-fourth of the state population.
In my book Clash of Waves,I wrote that the event of the disaster,and then the search and rescue operations,are covered by the media,and immediate action is taken. However,long-term rehabilitation takes a backseat and fades away from public memory. After the initial visuals of the devastation and destruction,we tend to forget the plight of the people. The losses are more in terms of livelihoods and damages to crops and shelters. It is a challenge to provide food,drinking water and toilets at the camps. Women face even more difficulties; there is a lack of privacy,and single,widowed and older women are especially vulnerable.
The media doesnt really cover stories of long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction. The lions share of humanitarian aid and national and state funds is spent on building infrastructure and shelters/ housing. Livelihoods take a backseat,but their rehabilitation is more important than reconstruction. Communities have coping strategies and the resilience to rebuild. It is important that these issues be addressed,keeping in mind the local culture and social and ecological sensitivities.
Sunita Reddy
The writer is assistant professor,JNU,Delhi,and author,Clash of Waves: Post Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
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