Disaster Management
(Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster)
Dr. Aisha Siddekha, Asst. Professor,
Dept. of Chemistry, GFGC, Tumkur
Ph: 9880687850
Mail id: aishasiddekha@hotmail.com
“Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster”
Yes true to the above quote, “Disaster” is an event, natural or manmade creating an intense negative impact on people, property, goods, services, environment, nature. Disasters are classified into two types as natural and manmade. Dictionary says disaster is a “sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes damage or loss of life. It’s an event that has unfortunate consequences”. It can lead to dispairment of society.
Natural disasters include earthquakes, floods, tsunami, volcanic eruptions, draught, landslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, even blizzards, wild fires, heat waves. Recent rains in Kodagu, north Karnataka and landslides Kerala, cyclones in Andhra, Odisha, draught and sudden rains in Maharashtra, are the live examples of natural disasters. Lakhs of people are killed, properties damaged, loss of livelihood, and hampered services are the major effects. These disasters leave an impact on social and economic front and permanently damage the nature.
Rapid growth in population, uncontrolled and irresponsible exploitation of nature which includes deforestation, unplanned industrial growth, non-engineered constructions, are few factors responsible for these natural disasters. Once a beautiful and cool garden city of Bengaluru has now become a concrete jungle, where every time there is a rainfall the people are vulnerable for a flood like situation due to unscientific construction of flyover, underpasses, metro route etc., still in summer people are left high and dry due to water scarcity. These are human instigated disasters or manmade disasters as consequences of technological hazards.
Manmade disasters also include industrial accidents, oil spills; nuclear explosions etc., The names Bhopal gas tragedy and Chernobyl nuclear disaster send a chill in our spines whose consequence are still being felt by the localites. Disaster management is the process of organizing and managing of resources and responsibilities at the time of emergencies. The main purpose being reducing the effects of the event on people and property. It refers to the protection or preserving maximum numbers of lives and reducing damage to property.
Diverse scientific engineering, financial and social process are part of Disaster Management. Government, organizations and individuals are part of Disaster Management. The government has taken steps to reduce the disasters. Development cannot be sustained when these is a disaster mitigation built into the development process. Investing in mitigation is more cost effective than the spending on relief rehabilitation. Example: Rain water harvesting reduces the number of bore wells, which is better than dislocating or providing alternate resource water during draught situation. Protecting water bodies, sensiting people on these issues is the need of the hour unless we realize this today; we will be the sufferers tomorrow. Let’s remember
“WHEN DISASTER STRIKES, THE TIME TO PREPARE HAS PASSED”-STEVEN CYROS