Disaster Management

Disaster Management For Mumbai

Introduction “Prevention is better than Cure” is a proverb used in the context of health of an individual. But when prevention is not possible, all steps should be taken to cure the disease as early as possible. Likewise, if a disaster can be prevented, it is well and good. If not, management of disaster at the earliest possible time is of utmost importance so that sufferings of the affected people are minimized. The 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre and the subsequent steps taken by the U.S Government was a lesson in disaster management. In the last few years, Mumbai has experienced quite a few disasters like rain havoc, bomb blasts, etc. Our administrators have failed miserably either in preventing such disasters or in managing the after-effects of these disasters.

Infrastructure disasters:•

Mumbai is a city where the influx of people from all over the country has put tremendous pressure

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on the infrastructure of the city. The geographical positioning of the city is such that the main mode of transportation is train services. But with trains having a capacity of 2800 commuters per train, carrying average commuters of more than 5000, the pressure is equally on the railways as with the common man who travels by these trains. The limited space available for the expansion of the railway tracks, trains running every three minutes, no further expansion of the train services can be made to ease the problems of the commuters. The Government is trying its best to ease the problems of the commuters by widening roads,

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constructing flyovers, metro rails and hovercrafts. Mumbai is a city full of slums. Governments attempts to improve the infrastructure like roads has displaced more people and thus has created more slums. Managing these infrastructure disasters: In an attempt to improve the infrastructure facilities of Mumbai the Government has formed two separate bodies,1)MMRDA, 2)MUIP, but the progress in the implementation is rather slow. We would like to see that before implementing any of these projects, proper rehabilitation of the affected people should be made by educating them about the importance of the project. Settlements on inaccessible roads should be taken up on priority under Slum Improvement Programme (SIP) so as to ensure minimum access roads for fire brigade and ambulances. Wherever, this is not technically feasible, relocation and safe sites for settlements should be undertaken.

There are ten rail sections in Central Railway which get submerged during heavy rains as given below : · Masjid Rly station to Sandhurst Rd · Sewri-Wadala · Matunga Sion · Kurla Station · Guru Tej Bahadur Nagar-Chunabhatti · Mankhurd Station · Vidyavihar-Ghatkopar · Kanjurmarg-Vikhroli · Nahur cabin area · Mulund station In the Western Railway, there are 12 rail sections as given below which get submerged during heavy rains : · Between Dadar and Matunga Rly-Stations · Near Dadar Sewage Purification Centre · Near Elphinstone Rd Rly Station · Between Elphinstone Rd and Lower Parel, Rly-Station · Near Lower Parel Rly-Station · Between Lower Parel and Mahalaxmi Rly-Stations · North side of Mahalaxmi Rly-Station · Southside of Mumbai Central Rly-Station · Below Platform of Mumbai Central Rly-Station · Culvert below Platform of Marine Lines Rly-Station · Between Marine Lines & Churchgate Rly-Station · Charni Rd Rly-Station near Catholic Gymkhana The recent 26/7 deluge of Mumbai has clearly brought out the inadequacies of controlling such floods. The low-lying areas where rainwater may create havoc should identified and steps should be taken to divert these rain water into the sea. Proper arrangement of drainage system specifically for floodwater should be made. The garbage and filth thrown around generally block the sewage and drainage systems during heavy rains. Hence, removal of these garbage and filth everyday should be undertaken. All these dumped garbage should be destroyed at the earliest. People who do not make use of the public dust bin/garbage bins should be penalized heavily. The Singapore model of discipline in public places should be strictly maintained. The smooth movement of the vehicles on the roads during and after heavy rains is another problem. The water on roads, the pot-holes make traffic movement very slow. Proper concretization of important roads and elevation of low-lying roads should be taken up on priority. The railings on bridges and culverts should be strong enough to prevent collapse of the same in case of an accident. In case of roads badly affected by rain and full of pot-holes, concretization of these roads should be taken up, instead of repairing the same every monsoon.

Wherever man-holes are not covered, steps should be taken to cover it immediately or to caution the general public with proper/visible sign boards. Local trains being Mumbai’s lifeline, any disruption of these during heavy rains, makes life very difficult for the commuters. Hence, the places where the tracks get submerged should be guarded against rain water. Every train station should have a medical facilities for emergencies. Landslides Greater Mumbai also faces the risk of Landslides. With pressure on land, many vacant sites on hill slopes or bottoms of hills have turned into inhabited area and thereby become vulnerable to landslides. Most cases of landslides occur during heavy rain associated with high velocity winds. It sometimes results in loss of human lives and damage to structure. The many sites vulnerable to landslides in Mumbai suburban district are essentially located on or near the abandoned quarries and hill ranges. These hillside lands are mainly owned by different authorities like the State/Central Government, BMC or the Maharashtra Housing Board. To avoid the damages due to landslides, a programme of constructing retaining wall should be carried out by the Government. Terrorist attacks: Terrorist attack is a modern day disaster and is very difficult to control. The recent bomb attacks of 7/11 is a example how vulnerable Mumbai is. Inspite of advance intelligence reports, government is unable to guard against such attacks because of the limited security personnel it has. Though it may sound impossible, proper screening of the passengers at each entry points should be made like in airports. To avoid congestion in such entry points, the number of entry points can be increased. Both sides of the tracks should be barricaded to prevent terrorists placing explosives on the tracks. In the event of attacks, proper and immediate medical aid is not available as was seen in the recent bomb attacks. An emergency trauma centre should be established in every third station, so that victims get immediate medical help before being shifted to nearby hospitals. Special Police Force with special training in rescue operations should be stationed at least in major centres. To avoid attacks on the BEST buses, strict instructions should be given to conductors to inspect all suspicious looking objects inside the bus. Traveling passengers should also be advised to inform the conductor of any unattended luggage/baggage. Natural disasters: In addition to these man-made disasters, Mumbai may also suffer from natural disasters like earthquake and flood. Though preventive action cannot be taken, some sort of forecasts can be made from the authorities concerned. Based on the forecasts steps should be taken to evacuate maximum number of people to safer places. The post earthquake or flood management is very important since many a times Government help always comes a little late. Immediate medical attention, food and drinking water supply to the affected people should be maintained. Clearance

of debris in case of earthquake and relocation of residences in case of flood affected people, should be taken up immediately to avoid spreading of an epidemic. In schools and colleges, separate sessions should be taken about the disasters and their management and how citizens themselves can manage till Government help arrives when such disasters occur. Even housing cooperative societies can be issued with instructions about some do’s and dont’s during and after such disasters. All residents should know how to react after a disaster. All residents should have knowledge of disaster management plan and their own responsibilities. The Disaster Management Plan should be translated in different languages and be distributed among people.

Conclusion Disaster management is easier said than done. Unless the citizens are educated and trained in disaster managements, the Government on it’s own cannot be successful. The attacks on World Trade Centre in New York was one of the worst disasters of recent times. But the way the US administration and New York Mayor in particular took control of the situation and the way the rescue and rehabilitation works were conducted, have been appreciated all over the world. Mumbai being an important commercial centre of India, is a target for terrorist attacks. Disaster management is important to infuse a sense of confidence among its citizens. Every citizen has a responsibility of managing such disasters besides the Government efforts in this regard.