Managing Disasters: Vocal for Local

 

Dr. Joy Elamon

 

 

Whom do the people trust during disaster was a question practically unanswered until the devastating floods hit the state in 2018. The local governments jumped into action, which became a coordinated network under District Collectors who head District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). Co-chaired by the District Panchayat President, DDMA answered the WHO questions about the first respondent and the first authority to understand the local community. In 2018 flood,the local community engaged to provide early warning, evacuation, rescue, initial relief, camp management and coordinated rehabilitation activities in the preliminary stages itself. This spontaneous response by the grass root level network coordinated by District Collectors monitored directly by the Chief Minister and Ministers in charge of districts became effective models of Disaster Management (DM). The success of this model led the Government of Kerala to initiate a policy in 2019 by setting up working group for planning in every Local Self Government.

Named the Working Group on Biodiversity, Climate change, Environment and Disaster management, first of its kind in the country, the policy initiative led to the preparation of Local Disaster Management Plans in 2019-20 by all local governments in the state. As a result, The Nammal Namukkayi (by Us for Us) campaign was launched as part of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI). In this joint venture, the Department of Local Self Governments (LSGs) provided framework, templates and guidelines, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) technical support, while, Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) played the role of capacity building and coordination. Working groups of all other sectors, and around 2.5 lakh people from CBOs, NGOs, residents’ associations, Kudumbashree and other agencies of such sort were converged to action mode at the local level.

Cascading trainings up to Grama Panchayat level were organised phase by phase. The process at the local level included data and map analysis, preparation of DM plan suggestions, discussions in the Grama Sabha, Development Seminars on DM and finalisation. 31 layers of maps were provided by KSDMA to every Local Self Government. The Local DM plan is structured into eight chapters – general information (profile) pertaining to the Local Government, hazard and vulnerability profile, capacity and resources, response plan, preparedness, mitigation, and community resilience plan. Efforts are being made for rolling out the plan to all over India. As part of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI), these Local Disaster Management Plans have been reviewed and redeveloped in all the 266 Local Self Governments in four districts – Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kottayam – with the support of KILA and KSDMA. It will be eventually rolled out in other districts.

Emergency Response Team (ERT)

Thus, duly trained Emergency Response Teams were formed at the local level to engage a trained community with indigenous knowledge and relevant skills responding to the nature of terrain and circumstances during disaster in four domains– first aid, camp management, search-rescue-evacuation and early warning dissemination. These ERTs have been restructured and revitalised this year with around 40,000 trained members.

Sushaktham

The program to provide comprehensive training on risk assessment, disaster response and management aims initially to train the officers of Departments of Health, Local Self-Governments, Agriculture, Women and Child Department and Revenue this year to equip them to actively participate in a structured manner in emergency situations.

Sannadham

The program recognises the critical need to equip women to lead Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) while empowering them to participate in community building in disaster management and risk assessment. This program will become the first of this kind in the country.

Teachers’ Brigade

This project initiated by the Directorate of General Education with the support of KSDMA imparts skill training on various aspects of Disaster management to teachers. It aims to create a more organised platform to ensure school safety during emergency conditions.

School Safety Plans

KSDMA has developed the methodology and tools for the School Safety Plans to ensure school safety across the state in the context of increasing disasters. The programme which includes the hazard map, evacuation plan as well as mitigation activities will be rolled this year in all the schools in the state.

Bhadram

This soon to be launched project by the Health department in collaboration with KSDMA aims to enhance hospital safety and disaster resilience in Kerala’s 1280 health facilities in the public sector. A comprehensive Hospital Disaster Management plan will be prepared in each of these institutions ensuring all hospitals in Kerala are equipped to respond to disasters.

Tribal Hamlet Based Disaster Management Plan

Launched this year, the programme envisages the formulation of Tribal Hamlet DM plans in more than 6000 tribal hamlets across the state by scientifically enhancing indigenous knowledge and making it the core components of disaster resilience. For Kerala, known for development indicators and accelerating towards its new dimensions, planning for disaster through trickle down methods is the need of the hour. Onset of monsoon with all extremities and potential disasters need timely interventions by strengthening entire disaster management system and spreading its wings down to the grass root level. Widening the scope of trained first respondents with infrastructure at local level will strengthen the local community and local self government to accelerate to new dimensions of development.

-The writer is Member at Kerala State Disaster Management Authority