Preparing Indian cities for better disaster response

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 10-Point Agenda has been lauded as one of the most diverse set of actions for building disaster risk resilience. Covering almost all aspects of disaster mitigation, it sets out a path for urban local bodies in India to make their cities resilient to disasters and prepare the public for responding to one. Let us understand what it is and how successful it has been in addressing relevant issues.

A report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction ranked India as the world’s third most disaster prone country. Having one of the widest varieties of landscapes, India is consequently also prone to a diverse set of disasters, both natural and man-made. While states in the south and east are prone to cyclones, the north and north-eastern states are prone to landslides. The Kedarnath flood of 2013, caused by cloudburst and heavy rainfall and the overflowing of the Chorabari Lake, led to the death of 5700 people in the region, making it one of the worst natural disasters in India in recent times. Cyclones Amphan and Tauktae also unleashed destruction on the eastern and southern states of India and led to several deaths and displacement of lakhs.
Disasters not only result in loss of life, they also entail financial and economic loss for the people and the country at large. A study by Down to Earth determined that India lost an estimated US$ 232 billion in 2019 due to natural disasters alone, not only in post-disaster rehabilitation efforts but also due to the destruction that the disasters caused.
To top it off, the recent report by the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change has named 12 Indian cities which may be submerged under water by the end of this century due to the adverse effects of climate change. These are striking statistics based on satellite imaging, which reveal the path on which the world treads.
Cities are naturally the most prone to man-made and natural disasters. One of the main reasons for this is their high population density and fast-paced, often unplanned growth. As a result, the chances of man-made disasters are also high in cities, where, in the case of India, infrastructure often does not adhere to the building bye-laws prescribed by the government. This is another reason why cities in India are more prone to disasters.
Keeping in mind the problems that India faces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at the 7th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2016, outlined a 10-Point Agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction with the aim of making disaster risk reduction a priority for Indian cities, reducing human and economic losses and ensuring that a research based method of reducing the effects of disasters is developed.

The 10-Point Agenda

The Prime Minister’s 10-Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction (PM TPADRR) enlists a road map for India on how to prepare for disaster, minimize the destruction caused by them and ensure that post-disaster rehabilitation is inclusive and long-term. Since 2016, the framework of various state disaster management authorities has been strengthened, and central disaster management agencies, along with research institutions, have led the way. The budget allocation for DRR has also increased consistently, marking an increase of nine per cent between the budgets of 2019-20 and 2021-22. However, a mere increase in budget often does not translate into on-ground change. Thus, to track the progress of PM TPADRR, every point in the Agenda must be analysed individually.

Making DRR primary to development

The first point in the Agenda deals with development projects carried out by the government. Prime Minister Modi, with this point, appealed to ensure mainstreaming of DRR in all development projects – airports, roads, canals, hospitals, schools, bridges, etc. Development and disaster are the two sides of the same coin. Planned development can result in DRR, and unplanned development can multiply effects of a disaster. Thus, it is extremely important to ensure that a uniform set of guidelines are compulsorily followed by all development projects, to ensure that they are least prone to disasters.
Since 2016, the government has worked on launching new schemes or reframing old one to ensure mainstreaming of DRR. The Centre’s flagship Smart Cities Mission is one of the biggest examples for this. Through its compulsory checkpoints like land-use mapping, building bye-laws and green area development, Smart Cities have begun their journey to become disaster resilient. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission has also helped in reducing disaster risk in Indian cities by encouraging state transport authorities to switch to CNG buses, which have lower emissions. This not only brings down the pollution in cities but also ensures that the carbon footprint of the city is reduced drastically.

Risk coverage for all

A disaster that strikes a city affects everyone, irrespective of their caste, creed, gender, or wealth. Thus, disaster risk reduction must ensure risk coverage for all. Only when everyone is equally protected from the effects of a disaster can a city be called truly disaster resilient. Although the poor, women and children are at a higher risk and suffer more, multinational corporations, and small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) suffer too.
The Government of India’s Jan Dhan Yojana and the Suraksha Bima Yojana are both examples of how it has tried to make the under-privileged safer in the event of a disaster. Additionally, the strict imposition of the building bye-laws for factories and other installations has also been another way in which the government has tried to ensure risk cover for both SMEs and multinational corporations.

Involvement of women

Women make up the most vulnerable section of society in the event of a disaster. A survey by the National Statistical Office conducted in 2021 revealed that female literacy rate in India stands at 70.3 per cent. This indicates that a considerable part of the country’s female population is at a higher risk of being affected by disasters, often unaware of what can be done to avert it or reduce the destruction caused by it.
We need large numbers of women volunteers, engineers, masons and building artisans to participate in post-disaster reconstruction and promote women self-help groups which can assist in livelihood recovery. There is a need to include women in national and state disaster response forces, and to train elected women representatives at the local level. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to ensure participation of women in the Aapda Mitra program of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Since 2016, NDMA has been implementing the scheme to train volunteers at the grassroots level on the skills required for effective response to disasters and helping those affected. Many states have reported that these Aapda Mitras have come in to be extremely helpful and that their training has helped in quicker response and rehabilitation. Increased participation of women in this scheme, and in the disaster response forces, would help in uplifting their status in society, making them financially independent and socially secure.

Invest in disaster risk mapping

This is another important point of the PM TPADRR which calls for investment in mapping disaster risks in India. This is also an area where cities can lead the way and show how planned investment in disaster mapping can greatly help in building DRR. It must be kept in mind that during the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of smart cities surveilled heat maps and sewage to pin point the possible hotspots of the disease and initiate containment and test-tracking protocols to control the virus spread.
In a similar way, the National Institute of Disaster Management releases a National Disaster Risk Profile which categorises areas across the country based on their vulnerability to natural disasters. This helps the cities prepare better for the upcoming disasters by investing in better technology to reduce disaster response time and destruction.
Since Prime Minister Modi announced the PM TPADRR, the Building Material and Technology Promotion Council has also started releasing the Vulnerability Atlas of India, which is a collation of the existing hazard scenario for the entire country and presents the digitized State/UT-wise Hazard Maps with respect to earthquakes, winds and floods for district-wise identification of vulnerable areas.

Technology for DRME

In a fast-moving world, technology has a big role to play. It is with the help of technology that we communicate instantaneously with each other and travel around the world and beyond it in a short duration of time. While it is not yet possible to accurately predict occurrences of a flood, an earthquake, a cyclone, or a landslide, technology is being used effectively in early warning systems, coordinating relief and rehabilitation measures, and for reaching inhospitable locations to rescue people.
In India, the use of technology for disaster risk management efforts (DRME) has been increasing since the PM’s address at the Asian Ministerial Conference. One of the biggest examples of this could be India’s deal with five other countries, agreeing to set up a constellation of remote sensing satellites to better manage disasters. Big Data, Internet of Things and Blockchain have also given new opportunities to deploy advanced technologies in managing disasters.

Develop a universities’ hub

It is extremely necessary for the youth to understand the importance of DRR and management. Teaching children and making them aware of the possible disasters that may strike them, and the way in which they can keep themselves safe, is an important aspect of building DRR. For this, setting up universities/institutes, and encouraging existing ones to take up different courses related to disaster management is the way to go.
Point 6 of the PM TPADRR speaks about developing a network of universities. In this regard, the NIDM launched the India Universities and Institutions Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (IUIN-DRR), which acts as the focal point of coordination between all universities/institutions training students in the art of disaster management and mitigation. A total of 27 universities and 23 stand-alone institutes are currently a part of this network and are working with one another, with the help of the IUIN-DRR, to better both the quality of their courses and their outreach. This has helped greatly in providing a platform for thousands of aspiring disaster management officials to imbibe new learnings, thereby increasing India’s disaster response force and strengthening its research in the
area too.

Use of mobile, social media

The wonder of the 21st century, social media and mobile technology, has been a boon for facilitating instant communication. This has had a cascading effect on a number of sectors, including DRR and management. With the help of social media, authorities have often been able to reach the worst hit locations for rescue operations. It has also helped in quick and reliable information dissemination regarding a disaster, which further helps other people in potentially dangerous places to evacuate in time.
The active role of NIDM, NDMA and other national and state disaster management authorities on their social media handles has been lauded by many experts. NDMA, for example, used Twitter to keep the public informed of the efforts it is undertaking in relief measures during the Uttarakhand floods. Similarly, the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and the Indian Army also responded to a number of cries for help while carrying out relief activities post-disaster.

Building local capacity

The people working at the grassroots level are the ones who play an essential role in being first responders to a disaster. Their understanding of the local topography and demography of a region proves valuable in disaster response. Often this valuable local knowledge is not incorporated in disaster response and rehabilitation. For improved effectiveness of DRR, it is essential that capacity building is localised.
Particularly in India’s case, where cities are witnessing record-high growth rates, the role of authorities needs to be supplemented. Here, local capacity building comes to play and fills the gap. Recently, All India Institute of Local Self-Government, in collaboration with NIDM and Foundation EMDA Southasia, organised a series of workshops for urban local body officials, informing them of the developments in the DRR and management sphere and making them aware of the need to develop local disaster mitigation plans. The workshops were of much help to the officials in understanding the process and importance of being ready to respond to a disaster.

Learning from the past

One of the only takeaways from a disaster are the lessons learnt. If we treat a calamity as just that, we will never be able to build on our governance, disaster mitigation and resilience efforts. After every disaster, a thorough research must be carried out to understand the underlying causes and how, if a similar disaster strikes again, destruction of property and loss of life can be minimised.
Scientists have, for years, stressed on the importance of mangrove forests in the Sunderbans delta and along Mumbai’s coastlines. The recent Cyclone Amphan, which hit the eastern coastline of India, devastated homes and lives of people. However, according to experts, the mangrove forests of the Sunderbans greatly helped in reducing its effect in West Bengal. They further suggested that had the forests been cared for, the effect could have been reduced further. It must be noted here that India does not lack research, but there must be willingness to learn quickly and then put these learnings into practice. After decades of cyclones, the state governments of both West Bengal and Maharashtra have finally begun restoring the mangrove forests along their respective coastlines. We need to, therefore, augment adaptation to lessons learnt from previous disasters and implement them in our governance models as quickly as possible.

Cohesion in international response

Dialogue and collaboration with international organisations and other countries can also help in reducing the damage caused by disasters. Often, a disaster may affect multiple neighbouring countries. In such a scenario, an active line of communication and coordinated efforts to mitigate the disaster may go a long way.
With the help of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), two villages in the east-Indian state of Odisha – Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district – have been declared tsunami-ready. This certification is given by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UNESCO after judging 11 parameters. By collaborating with UNESCO, the Government of Odisha ensured that the people of these two villages, which were among the worst affected during the 1999 Super Cyclone, were ready to respond in the event of another tsunami or cyclone.
The PM TPADRR has played a revolutionary role in making urban local bodies aware of the need to enhance disaster risk resilience. Much has been done, but a lot more needs to be undertaken if we really want our cities to be disaster resilient. Adherence to building codes, capacity building, awareness drives, and mock drills are just some of the ways in which the urban local bodies can engage with the citizens, making them ready to face the next disaster which could strike their city, eventually aiding in reducing damage caused by them.