Disaster & it’s Management

By

Rajesh Prasad, IRSE

A THOUGHT……..

• “The biggest lesson from Asia’s

recent troubles is not about

economics, it is about Terror,

Disaster and it’s Management”.

What is Disaster ?

DISASTERS ARE “RARELY ANNOUNCED

- NEVER POSTPONED”.

Anything unusual involving large scale loss and destruction of life and property.

Floods, Cyclones, Earthquakes.

Industrial Mishap, Public Enemy Action.

Rail Accident involving huge loss of life and property.

Disaster defined as per Rly. Bd’s recent letter of Jan ‘09

Railway disaster is a serious train accident or an

untoward event of grave nature either on the railway

premises or arising out of railway activity in that area

due to natural or man made causes that may lead to loss

of many lives and/or grievous injuries to a large number

of people and/or severe disruption of traffic necessitating

large scale help from other Government/Non-

Government and Private organisations.

SOME STATISTICS

• During 1985-2000, the average annual

damage caused by natural disasters has

been estimated to be approximately INR

2700 Mill.

• 1999 Orissa Cyclone claimed 9885 lives &

the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake – 13,805.

Attack on Twin Towers in Sep 2001

9/11

Tsunami in Dec 2004

Rescue Operation in Train Mishap

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

• “----RELIEF WORK WITHOUT METICULOUS

PLANNING, COORDINATION AND TRAINING,

THE SECOND DISASTER”.

• TIME MAGAZINE REPORT AFTER LATUR

EARTHQUKE, SEPT. 1993.

ANALYSIS OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT

• Disaster

• Preparedness Response

• Mitigation Recovery

• Prevention Development

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT

• Cabinet Committee for relief measures and

Secretary Ministry of Agriculture is the convenor.

• National Management Crisis Committee chaired

by the Cabinet Secretary and having Secretaries to

PM, MHA, Defense, Agriculture, DIB, Dir. RAW as

members and gives direction to the Crisis

Management Group.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT

• Crisis Management Group chaired by the Central

Relief Commissioner, having members from the

various ministries meets every six months to review

contingency plans and coordination for disaster

preparedness and relief.

• Disaster management is a state subject and each state

has a committee at various levels with plans. Role of

centre confined to financial, logistic and infrastructure

support.

TYPE OF DISASTER AND NODAL MINISTRY

• Air Accidents

• Civil Strife

• Railway Accidents

• Chemical Disasters

• Biological Disasters

• Nuclear Accidents

• Natural Disasters

• Min. of Civil Aviation

• Min. of Home Affairs

• Min. of Railways

• Min. of Env.& Forests

• Min. of Health

• Dept. of Atomic Energy

• Min. of Agriculture

EXTERNAL AGENCIES

• Armed Forces

• Civil Defense

• NGO (Non Government Organisation)

• Community

• Research and training institutes

INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES

• UNDRO (United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator)• WFP (World Food Programme)• WHO• UNESCO• UNCHS (United Nations Centre for Human Settlements)• UNICEF• ADRC (Asian Disaster Reduction Centre)• ADPC ( Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre)

UNDERSTANDING DISASTERS

• A disaster is the product of a hazard such as an

earthquake, flood, cyclones or rail accidents coinciding

with a vulnerable situation which might include

communities, cities, villages or railway passengers.

• Risk is a measure of the expected losses due to a

hazardous event of a particular magnitude occurring in

a given area over a specific time period.

TOI -11.06.2009

Hero of The Miracle on the Hudson - US Airways Flight 1549 Pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III

What a presence of

mind ??

Landing over River Hudson

Railway accident …….

Accident :

is an occurrence in the working of the

railway which does or may affect the

safety of the railway, its engine, rolling

stock, permanent way and works, fixed

installations, passengers or servant or

which affect the safety of others or which

does or may cause delay to train or loss

to the railway.

Serious accident …….

Accident to a train carrying passengers which

is attended with loss of life or with grievous hurt to a

passenger(s) in the train or with serious damage

to railway property of the value exceeding Rs.25

lacs and any other accident which in the opinion of

the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety requires

the holding of an inquiry by the Commissioner of

Railway Safety shall also be deemed to be a serious

accident.

TRAGEDY STRIKES: Coromandel Express after 14 bogies derailed near Jajpur.

Earthquake in August 2001 in Gujrat

How is the impression about DM of IR toady?

• Excellent• Very good

• Good

• Average

• Poor

The answer may be any thing from Excellent to Poor depending upon the perception of person answering.

I think we agree that what ever it is, There is scope to improve.

We are already heading towards more comfort zone….

Zone of Distress

(Past)

Zone of Comfort

(Present)

20 Years back vis-à-vis Now

In the context of Railways…………….

Distress Zone to Real Comfort Zone

DISASTERS THEREFORE

(a) AFFECT THE DAY TO DAY LIFE OF PEOPLE

(b) LOSS OF RESOURCES

(c) DELAY IN DEVELOPMENT

(d) IMPACT ON INVESTMENT CLIMATE

MAYBE, BECAUSE OF LOSS OF IMAGE

LOSS OF IMAGE

Customers

Public Representative

Public

Example-Loss of public image of Railways

DHAWA BRIDGE - SALIENT DETAILSBRIDGE NO. : 445BETWEEN STATIONS : RAFIGANJ — DEO ROADSECTION : GAYA — MUGHALSARAILOCATION : 508 / 19 – 27SPAN : 3 x 60’ + 1 x 62’ + 1 x 40’SUPERSTRUCTURE : STEEL PLATE GIRDERSSUB-STRUCTURE : BRICK MASONRY IN LIME / CEMENT MORTARYEAR OF CONSTRUCTIONSUB-STRUCTURE : ABUTMENT # 1 , PIER # 1 & 2 – 1900

PIER # 3 & 4 AND ABUTMENT # 2 – 1958-59SPANS # 4 & 5 ADDED IN 1958-59

SUPERSTRUCTURE

: UP & DN Line Girders of Span 1, 2 & 3 – 1925 Span 4 & 5 – 1958-59

SPEED RESTRICTION ON BRIDGE

: NO SPEED RESTRICTION

DERAILMWENT OF 2301 UP HOWRAH-NEW DELHI RAJDHANI EXPRESS ON 9.9.2002 IN GAYA-MUGHALSARAI SECTION

SALIENT DETAILS

POSITION OF DERAILED COACHES OF RAJDHANI EXPRESS AT DHAWA BRIDGE

POSITION OF DERAILED COACHES OF RAJDHANI EXPRESS AT DHAWA BRIDGE AT

SPAN # 1 & 2

DERAILED COACH INFRINGING DN LINE IN SPAN # 3

A VIEW OF DERAILED COACHES AND DAMAGED BRIDGE

OPENED FISH PLATED JOINT AT POINT OF DROP

DAMAGED PIER # 4

• Bridge was sanctioned for timber

renewal.

• Estimate was not vetted and

returned to Executive.

• These papers got leaked.

• FIRs lodged by local authority

against railways.

POINT OF DROP & DAMAGED TRACK IN MUGHALSARAI END APPROACH OF DHAWA

BRIDGE

Who can help and improve the image?

Passengers, Local, Co-workers, Media….

Disaster Management Act 2005 Stipulates :-

1. D. M. Plan.

2. Measures to be taken.

3. Status of preparedness.

4. Roles & Responsibility.

5. Review.

CAG Report extract on D.M. in IR examined by PAC.

• DM Plan of Zonal Rlys. & Divns. NOTNOT Comprehensive. LACKEDLACKED Uniformity.

• DID NOT DID NOT adhere to (i) DM Act 2005 & (ii) Recommendations of HLC.

• Facilities incl. communication & co-ordination WEAKWEAK.

• SPART, ART, ARMV, BD Crane etc. INADEQUATEINADEQUATE.

• Training POORPOOR. Crack Team NOTNOT Formed.

• Assets NOTNOT Renewed timely. Surveillance inadequateinadequate & ineffective.ineffective.

Deficiencies (specific in ER) pointed out by PAC.

• ART speed < 100 KMPh.

• ARTs & ARMVs not located strategically. Provision of ARMVs inadequate.

• DM plan not dovetailed with State. Not available on Railnet.

• Pending compensation case.

• Excessive use of line capacity.

Recommendations of PAC.• Effective coordination with civil authorities, hospitals & other

agencies to leverage their infrastructure.

• No formal arrangement is necessary for the above. Contact details should be available in DM plans.

• In the 2nd phase of on-board staff training, services of private contractors may be harnessed.

• Ensure replacement & rehabilitation of assets, safety aids & other infrastructure.

• Integrated security system to be implemented enhancing existing surveillance system.

• Enhancement of state of preparedness, improvement of response time & effective monitoring of relief equipments.

Video Clips of Corromondal Exp. accident at Jajpur

Video Clips of Rajdhani Exp. accident at Rafiganj

Plane Crash on Hudson river

Civil Defence – role

• Disaster management– Crack team

• Training camps– Periodical

• Mock drills– Annual day

• Interface• Communication

TYPES OF MEDIA

• NEWSPAPERS

• RADIO

• TELEVISION

• NEWS AGENCIES & FOREIGN

CORRESPONDENTS

• MAGAZINES

• INTERNET

MEDIA’S INTEREST IN CRISIS

• Access to the scene and/or timely information that helps reporter describe the scope of the disaster and efforts to cope with it.

• Enough access to those affected for human dimension of the tragedy.

• Timely notification of next-of-kin.

• Timely sharing of emerging facts and developing stories.

• Speculating on the causes and placing the blame.

HANDLING THE MEDIA - Basic rules

• BE FIRST — Primary rule of crisis

communications is to BE FIRST - rather than

simply react to media queries/requests.

• CO-OPERATE WITH THE MEDIA — In times of

crisis, lack of cooperation sends reporters and

editors to seek other sources usually less

knowledgeable and one-sided

He is trying to find out about his relative traveling by Corromondal Express which has derailed near Jajpur……………

WHERE WE STAND

• Timely maintenance of R.S., P. Way & other assets.

• DM Plan of E. Rly. has been uploaded in website.

• DM plans of WB, Bihar & Jharkhand are still under preparation & our plan has to be dovetailed after receipt.

• Fire fighting arrangements.

• ISO certification of Disaster Management system.

Destruction is easier……..Destruction is easier……..

Destruction can take place faster……Destruction can take place faster……

Disasters not announced and never postponed…….Disasters not announced and never postponed…….

Media is very active….We are accountable and it is related to PUBLIC IMAGE…….Media is very active….We are accountable and it is related to PUBLIC IMAGE…….

Enough instruction/guidelines are available to follow…..Enough instruction/guidelines are available to follow…..

Fire and Terror attack- preparedness need review..Fire and Terror attack- preparedness need review..

Mock drill- announced DM drill………….Mock drill- announced DM drill………….

Un-announced Mock drill- effective Un-announced Mock drill- effective

Co-ordination with other departments inside and out –side and NO DEPARTMENTALISMCo-ordination with other departments inside and out –side and NO DEPARTMENTALISM

AFTERTHOUGHT….• “ A GENTLEMAN WHO HAD BEEN VERY UNHAPPY IN

MARRIAGE, MARRIED IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS

WIFE DIED”

• IT WAS SAID “TRIUMPH OF HOPE OVER

EXPERIENCE”

• HOPE WE WILL NOT HAVE DISASTERS AND IF IT IS THERE WE

WILL MANAGE WELL WITH OUR EXPERIENCE..…