For decades now, every year, at least two cyclones strike Andhra Coast causing vast devastation resulting in loss of lives and properties worth crores of Rupees. We find the State and its administration always unprepared to meet this annual tragedy. Breaches of tanks, flooding of low lying areas, disruption in communications, which are a regular feature, are not anticipated and preventive and precautionary action not initiated before the cyclone season. We have any number of agencies purported to deal with emergencies and relief. How effective are they? Are the funds wisely spent and reach the target audience are matters to be examined by discerning public. Management of emergencies is a planned anticipatory exercise and is not a hit or miss affair.

In recorded history, danger has been an integral part of human existence and society attempted to anticipate the unexpected and devised measures to reduce the losses. Natural causes like earth quakes, floods, drought, cyclones exacted the maximum toll in the past. In modern times, technology is emerging as a major source of danger as exemplified in Bhopal Gas tragedy, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island incidents. Twentieth Century added many new dimensions - Environmental Pollution, Terrorism and Organised Crime. Our Metropolises and cities are ‘Risk Prone’ to natural calamities and man-made hazards. Concentration of population, economic and industrial activities, unplanned growth have made them vulnerable to maximum damage. At present we view emergencies from ‘CRISIS-REACTIVE’ perspective whereas only ‘CRISIS-PROACTIVE’ approach can minimise loss of lives and damage to properties. This calls for preparedness, planning and advance action.

Emergency management was historically assigned to the Police and Fire Service for the simple reason that they are on call round the clock. They took the help of Health Services and Civil Administration whenever needed. Civil Defence organisations with their orientation to an enemy attack, did not develop the expertise to deal with civil emergencies and natural calamities. The public, who have a vital and important role to play have been kept out. Consequently, whenever emergencies occurred, reactions were unplanned and ad-hoc and the situations were some how brought under control. There is, therefore, a need to have a well designed and formulated Emergency Management Programme consisting of :

1. Planning and implementation of a Risk Reduction Programme;
2. Development of a Response Plan and Training of ‘First-Responders;
3. Specialised Response Machinery; and
4. An effective Relief and Rehabilitation System.

It should aim at coordinating the activities of both Public and Private agencies during an Emergency.

It is unfortunate that we have allowed immediate economic gains to influence our decision making processes while ignoring long range consequencies resulting in exposure of people and properties to high risks. We allow construction of sky-scrappers and Multi-storeyed buildings without regard to making facilities available for emergency response services from having access to them in case of a fire or an explosion. There is hardly any control over the activities carried out in these buildings which may be hazardous to general public. There is crass ignorance and wanton negligence of safety measures and enforcement is lackadaisical. Locations for Dams, Power Houses, Nuclear facilities, oil dumps, gas storage facilities etc. are chosen from technical and economic angles only with little or no regard to public safety. Any emergency developing in these, is hardly visualised.

A Risk Reduction Programme aims to identify the risks to health, safety and welfare of the society and take necessary steps to eliminate them or devising counter measures to reduce their impact.

Having identified the risks and risk-prone locations, a detailed ‘Response Plan’ should be worked out to deal with emergencies. They should focus on the resources available on the site and should not depend entirely on outside assistance. They should aim at containment and damage control till the arrival of the specialists. The plan should aim at training the employees / residents / occupants, who will be the first to respond to the crisis, in organising systematic evacuation, rendering first aid, fighting fires and containment and control of damage. Periodical joint ‘mock drills’ are to be held with the ‘Specialist Units’ to make the ‘first responders’ proficient in their assigned tasks.

A need based assessment of the capabilities of the specialised emergency services like Fire, Ambulance, Police, Medical Services is to be made, deficiencies rectified and their equipment upgraded. Their ‘siting’ should be done on need basis. In our cities, Fire Services are inadequate and it is not possible for the public exchequer to provide finances for their expansion. The answer to this problem would lie in making every building and establishment self-sufficient to fight fires and train the people in the art of fire-fighting and emergency evacuation. Through suitable financial incentives and subsidies, these establishments could be encouraged to acquire fire-fighting equipment, Ambulances, keep stocks of emergency medical supplies etc. Blood donors should be encouraged to enlist and be available to donate blood in an emergency. Medical specialists and Para Medics in Private Service are to be encouraged to maintain a link with Public Medical facilities to be available for service in an emergency.

It is an unfortunate fact that Police in our cities and Metropolises are handicapped in dealing with explosives due to lack of adequate equipment, which are all imported. Government of India should immediately impart Explosive Detection and Neutralisation Equipment in bulk and distribute the same to cities and all districts so that they are self-sufficient in dealing with emergencies arising out of use of explosives. People should be trained to deal with Bomb threats.

In this area there is vast scope for private non-governmental organisations to play an useful role. To be of assistance in an emergency, these organisations should know what they-could do and how to be of help. It is, therefore, necessary that they are briefed fully about the risk evaluation, plans for response etc. and assigned specified tasks in the areas of relief and rehabilitation.

To coordinate Government and private efforts in dealing with emergencies, there is need to establish an umbrella organisation, The National Emergency Management Organisation. This apolitical organisation could have the President of India as Chairman, the Prime Minister as Vice Chairman, Ministers of Home, Defence, Civil Aviation, Health, Surface Transport and Finance as Executive Committee Members along with other Eminent citizens. This organisation should have its branches all over India. The emphasis should be to involve the public spirited citizens in this activity. All responding emergency services should have representatives in the executive committee of the organisation, which should concentrate on educating the public on ‘Risk Reduction’ and coordinate training programmes for the public as first responders. There is a vast untapped reservoir of human resources in this country in Retired Defence Services and Police Personnel and Government Servants. They should motivated and persuaded to join this organisation. Care should be taken to maintain the voluntary and public character of this organisation and it should not be allowed to become part of the Bureaucracy. To enable the organisation to finance its activities, grants from the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers relief funds and Business and Industry could be encouraged to donate funds through fiscal incentives.

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