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The June 2013 disaster in <keyword id="44522" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword> is unforgettable for the heavy loss of human life, as well as the economic and ecological damages it caused. However, the inadequate disaster management and delayed response from the government were even more ominous. 
 While heavy rain (more than 375% of normal rainfall) inundated Uttarakhand and the surrounding areas, it also led to the melting of the Chorabari Glacier and the <keyword id="30363" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mandakini">Mandakini</keyword> burst its banks, resulting in the region’s worst-ever flooding in five decades. 
 
Government officials committed many errors that had a direct bearing on the tragedy: 
· Early weather warnings went unheeded. Otherwise, the loss of human life would have been lower. 
· Haphazard development with hotels near the waterways, extensive tunnelling for badly planned roads and more than 70 hydroelectric projects have created a serious environmental imbalance. 
· Private sources put it to over 5,000 deaths. As the flooding occurred during peak pilgrimage season, more than 70,000 pilgrims were stranded with little or no food for over three days. 
 
Total economic loss is estimated at Rs 20,000 crore. The damage to infrastructure such as roads, hydro projects and housing will be difficult to overcome. As tourism accounts for almost 30% of Uttarakhand’s GDP, road and other infrastructural damage means the state government has to ask tourists to stay away, leading to loss of economic activities. 
 
Disaster management While the <keyword id="107430" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="National-Disaster-Management-Authority">National Disaster Management Authority</keyword> (NDMA) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, did their best, it was not enough. The NDMA and the NDRF have to be better equipped, especially in terms of communications, to properly manage quick relief work. The director general of the NDRF has been changed every year for the past nine years, causing a lack of continuity in this body. Moreover, we don’t have fully trained and fully equipped disaster management personnel. The locals are not trained either or opt to work with the authorities. Early and prompt action is vital for all disaster management and this requires active involvement of the locals. 
 
Local people should be made aware of the problems likely to occur and must be taught how to respond to those. Each region or locality should have a rescue shelter and a command network in place. In other words, public awareness of ecology and environmental issues is a must. The government has to work with the people to protect the environment. Also, weather warnings should be taken seriously and government officials should focus more on prevention in order to minimise such losses. 
 
A comprehensive Himalayan environment and ecology plan covering all the Indian states concerned should be drawn up and implemented. Experts even advocate an international policy in co-operation with other countries such as China, Nepal and Bhutan. 
 
Uttarakhand today is focusing on rebuilding its infrastructure and preventing further ecological damage. The state has already reconstructed a major part of its roads, bridges and communication infrastructure. However, this should top the priority list now as transport and communication are extremely vital to keep the economy going in this mountain state. 
 
Only last month, the government reopened the Char Dham Yatra for the pilgrims, which can revive the tourism-based economy to some extent, bringing in the badly needed tourist money to the state. The government has also been criticised for the slow pace in rebuilding houses and infrastructure, and thus generating employment. 
 
The state government has come under fire for the irregular disbursal of compensation – Rs 2 lakh for every affected family and Rs 3,000 per month for two years as rental compensation to each of the 3,320 families that lost their houses. An additional compensation of Rs 5 lakh for building a house on the land owned by a family did not help either. That is because the families that lost their homes in the floods found it difficult to prove land ownership as all their belongings had been washed away. In many cases, the land itself no longer exists and it is still unclear where the new dwellings can be built. Understandably, the government will have to reassess and speed up the relief and rehabilitation process for genuine sufferers. 
 
Additionally, the government is taking steps to ensure proper development of watershed areas, water supply and sanitation. Loans to the tune of $121.20 million for a decentralised watershed development project and $24 million for rural sanitation and water supply have been obtained from the World Bank. 
 
Employment issues 
Uttarakhand is now witnessing third highest level of unemployment across the country. The state has a largely rural economy and last year’s dislocation of the tourism industry and loss of homes have increased unemployment and forced many to migrate. 
 
The failure of industrialisation also contributes to unemployment in the state. The government has to first ensure that the rural areas have access to sufficient clean water, land and clean environment. It should also actively support local agriculture and other employment-generating activities. 
 
The government is currently working towards better forest management and planned hydroelectricity management. Two of the country’s major rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna, originate in Uttarakhand and responsible handling of these river projects is not only crucial for the state but for the entire country. 
 
However, Uttarakhand is gradually overcoming the impact of the natural disaster that struck last year and rebuilding itself. But how fast it can be back on the prosperity track is the key question now.

Uttarakhand: Dealing With The Disaster Aftermath In The Abode Of Gods

A massive rescue effort has been planned by the <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian Government</keyword> and is on its way to <keyword id="12266" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nepal">Nepal</keyword>. In a press conference a short while ago, the <keyword id="107430" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="National-Disaster-Management-Authority">National Disaster Management Authority</keyword> said that all possible relief measures are being provided not only to Nepal, but also the affected areas within India, which includes UP, <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword> and <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword>. The death toll has been rising rapidly and Nepal has requested for all possible help from India, it’s closest neighbour. 
 The <keyword id="119446" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="National-Disaster-Response-Force">National Disaster Response Force</keyword> is sending a total of 10 teams to the affected areas in Nepal. Each team consisting of 45 trained personnel will be carrying along with them a cache of relief equipment including cutting and breathing equipment, airlifting bags, stretchers, medicines, satellite phones, other communication devices such as VHF and HF as well as paramedics and doctors. 6 of these teams will be airlifting from Ghaziabad near the National Capital Region, where as the remaining four will leave from Bhatinda today. The NDRF isn’t ruling out sending more teams if required. 
 
In addition, 2 C17 Globemasters have been dispatched to provide further help in the rescue operations in devastated Nepal. 10 Air Force planes have also been sent to Nepal to oversee and help with the rescue operations. M 17 choppers that were sent to Nepal, have however, had to return to India, given they were unable to land because of the bad weather. 
 4 NDRF teams have also been dispatched to Bihar, where the death toll o the Indian side has been the highest, with as many as 22 deaths reported. A total of 34 people have reportedly died so far in India because of the <keyword id="6362774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="earthquake">earthquake</keyword>, from Bihar, West Bengal and UP.

Nepal earthquake: India sending 10 Nation Disaster Response Force
teams to Nepal, more help in the anvil

<keyword id="58585" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDRF">NDRF</keyword> or the <keyword id="119446" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Disaster-Response-Force">National Disaster Response Force</keyword> is an exclusive body formed for the sake of providing expert and dedicated response to a disaster or a threatening disaster situation. The constitutional provision for forming this body has been made via the Disaster Management Act, 2005 section 44–45. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is the authoritative Apex Body for Disaster Management. The Prime Minister of India is the Chairman of the NDMA. Why NDRF? In the federal system of governance found in India, the responsibility of disaster management lies with the State Government. Ministry of Home affairs is the nodal ministry in the central government for managing natural disasters. When the country faces some severe calamity, the central government has the responsibility to provide the necessary assistance and aid to the affected state. This will also include the deployment of Armed Forces, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Central Paramilitary Forces, and the communication, air and other assets that are required and available. Authority and ranks National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is governed by the National Disaster Management Authority. The office of the head of the NDRF is known as Director General. IPS officers are posted in this position on deputation from Indian police organizations. The Director General of NDRF holds the rank on par with the army’s three star general. In addition to the Director General, there are also many Inspector Generals and Deputy IGs in NDRF. As per their ranks, they are allowed to fly flags and also wear army style badges pertaining to their ranks. <keyword id="8020071" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="What-is-NDRF">What is NDRF</keyword> made of? NDRF is composed of 12 battalions. These battalions are organized in the same fashion like the para military forces. In fact they are also managed by persons drawn from the para military forces on deputation. The total strength of personnel in each of the battalions is 1149. Each of the NDRF battalions is capable of undertaking 18 self-contained specialist service. Their team of 45 rescue personnel consists of engineers, electricians, technicians, paramedics, medical professionals and dog squads. In addition to providing assistance during a natural disaster, the NDRF can also handle the crisis situations like a nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological disaster. Deployment The 12 battalions of NDRF are stationed at 12 different locations across the country on the basis of vulnerability profile of different locations in order to cut down the response time required for their deployment. NDMA will carry out the proactive deployment of these forces during a threatening disaster situation in consultation with the state authorities. This period is also called as the preparedness period. Functional parameters National Disaster Management Authority in India works with the objective of building a safer as well as disaster resilient India by way of developing a comprehensive, proactive and technology oriented disaster management strategy. NDRF has proved its efficiency in terms of its appreciable performance during some grave instances of landslides, floods, cyclones, building collapses and many others. The personnel in NDRF are thoroughly trained, re-trained and subjected to mock drills and joint exercises with other bodies to stay prepared to combat any arising disaster situation.

Unknown facts about NDRF

New Delhi, Mar 6 () The government has reconstituted the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) with Union Home Minister Amit Shah as its chairperson and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, among others, as its members.The NPDRR is a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral decision making body on disaster management. In a notification, the home ministry said the functions of the NPDRR will be to review the progress made in the field of disaster management from time to time, appraise the extent and manner in which the disaster management policy has been implemented by the central and state governments, and other agencies concerned, and advise on coordination between the central and state governments.The minister of state in-charge of disaster management in the home ministry and the vice-chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority will be the NPDRR's vice chairpersons.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri are among its members.The minister of each state government and union territory dealing with disaster management, a member of the state disaster management authority, mayors of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, and municipal commissioners of these cities will also be its members.Ten chairpersons of urban local bodies, to be nominated by the urban development ministry, 10 representatives of Panchayat Raj Institutions, to be nominated by the panchayat raj ministry, four Lok Sabha members, two Rajya Sabha members, and the Union home secretary and secretaries of departments concerned will be the NPDRR's ex-officio members, the notification said. The Lok Sabha members will be nominated by the speaker and those from the Rajya Sabha by the chairman. ACB ACB ANBANB

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Uttarakhand: Dealing With The Disaster Aftermath In The Abode Of Gods

Preetam Kaushik

Nepal earthquake: India sending 10 Nation Disaster Response Force teams to Nepal, more help in the anvil

BI India Bureau

Unknown facts about NDRF

BI India Bureau

Govt reconstitutes National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction with Amit Shah as head

PTI

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