Sunday, May 15, 2005
Sunday, May 15, 2005 |
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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Kerala
T. Nandakumar
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The next time a natural disaster wreaks havoc in Kerala, the official machinery may be better equipped to handle relief activities. If the Government approves the recommendations of an expert committee constituted to formulate a disaster management strategy for the State, all the districts will soon have quick response teams, rescue squads, mobile hospitals and control rooms for emergency operations. The committee headed by A. E. Muthunayagam, the executive vice- president of the State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, has highlighted the advantages of using satellite technology for early warning and networking relief work across the State. The panel has recommended the installation and networking of more observatories and monitoring and recording stations to track tropical cyclones, prepare inundation maps and transmit real-time information beamed from satellites. A satellite-based cyclone warning and dissemination system is expected to prepare the administration for quick response.
Response teams
An incident command system is to be set up with specialist teams comprising officers trained in logistics, operations, planning, safety and media management. Search-and-rescue teams equipped with dog squads, mobile hospitals with emergency equipment, cyclone shelters capable of accommodating 3,000 to 5,000 persons and mobile control rooms are some of the major recommendations. The expert committee has underlined the need for the State Government to prepare a web-enabled centralised database to ensure quick access to resources and minimise response time in emergencies. A highly-placed official said the committee's report was based on the assessment that most of the districts in the State were prone to multiple hazards. "Essentially, the report calls for a shift in the approach to disaster management from response to prevention and preparedness." One of the major recommendations of the committee is zoning of disaster- prone areas to identify vulnerability to hazards and risk analysis. State, district and panchayat-level resource directories will be prepared with details of machinery and manpower to respond to different types of disasters. Evacuation procedures and separate disaster management plans for vital installations are to be prepared. Each department, NGO and vulnerable community is to be equipped with a contingency plan. A State emergency operations centre will link up the affected districts through control rooms. The network will interact with Central Ministries, departments and organisations to coordinate relief and rescue operations. The control rooms will be equipped to identify the whereabouts of displaced, injured or dead persons. They will also conduct post-mortem, issue death certificates, dispose of dead bodies and assist rehabilitation. The panel has recommended crop, property and life insurance schemes in hazardous areas. It has also proposed the creation of emergency stocks of food, medicines and other essential items anticipating a disaster.
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