*Implementation of Disaster Mgmt Plan yet to begin
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 1: Though many disasters in the shape of earthquakes and floods have rattled many parts of Jammu and Kashmir during past few years, the State has yet not learnt any lesson from such calamities as nothing has been done on ground to reduce the vulnerability to hazards and cope with calamities in effective manner. Even the implementation of Disaster Management Plan, which was unveiled by none else than the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed three months back, has yet not began thereby indicating that concerned authorities are waiting for another disaster to come out of deep slumber.
Following devastating floods of September 2014, the State Government felt the necessity of implementing the directives of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) vis-à-vis establishment of fully equipped Emergency Operation Centre in every district of the State for ensuring coordination in pooling resources and synchronizing the disaster response, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Several discussions were held on opening Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) initially in Srinagar, Jammu, Kargil and Leh districts as was approved by the State Executive Committee headed by Chief Secretary in its meeting held on February 6, 2014.
However, the opening of EOCs, which are considered as foremost step in the disaster management, remained only on the papers with no activity on ground. After hiatus of several months, the Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari again felt the necessity of these Emergency Operation Centres and while chairing a meeting along with Minister for R&B, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on July 15, 2015, he directed the concerned authorities to establish EOCs in Srinagar and Jammu besides other District Headquarters equipped with modern facilities to effectively deal with flood-like situation.
Again on August 10, 2015, the Relief and Rehabilitation Minister while chairing joint meeting of senior officers of National Disaster Management Authority and Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir division, discussed the measures for making functional Emergency Operation Centres as per immediate requirement and equipping them with trained manpower at the divisional and district levels till the EOCs as per national standards are fully established. He even went to the extent of mentioning that funds for establishment of EOCs would be given from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
“However, the Emergency Operation Centres could not be established in any of the district of the State till date as funds required for the same have yet not been released to the district authorities”, sources informed, adding “whenever the district level authorities approached the seniors for release of funds they were asked to utilize the funds from available resources till the funds from SDRF for EOCs are released”.
In response to a question, sources revealed that what to talk of other districts of the State even Jammu and Srinagar districts have been waiting for release of funds for establishment of full-fledged Emergency Operation Centres.
“It is a mockery of the system that on one side the J&K Government is talking much on establishing EOCs on the pattern of Gujarat and on the other side it is not ready to place required funds at the disposal of the concerned authorities at the district level”, sources regretted while disclosing that in Gujarat the Emergency Operation Centres have been established by spending Rs 2 crore each but in J&K even lakhs of rupees are not being released for such centres, which otherwise are considered as foremost step towards disaster management.
Even in the State-level Disaster Management Plan, which was unveiled by the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on July 31, 2015, much thrust has been laid on the establishment of Emergency Operation Centres, sources said. “A full-fledged Emergency Operation Centre is the first priority”, reads the State-level Disaster Management Plan, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
Stating that implementation of State-level Disaster Management Plan has yet not received due attention of the concerned authorities, sources said, “what to talk of establishment of Emergency Operation Centres, even the exercise to prepare modern District Disaster Management Plan has yet not been initiated”.
This is notwithstanding the fact that State-level Disaster Management Plan explicitly states: “The process of developing a disaster management structure cannot stop with the development of State level plans. District Disaster Management Plan that will assist in developing community based disaster risk reduction and deal with disaster management, are essential to complete the structure of the disaster management framework”. Moreover, the preparation of new District Disaster Management Plans is imperative as new factors have come to the fore during the recent disasters and the same have rendered the previous District level Disaster Management Plans as obsolete.
“Even there is no focus on developing human resources and their capacities despite the fact that no Disaster Management Plan at any level will be of value if there is not adequately trained human resources to understand, implement and whenever necessary upgrade the Disaster Management Plan”, sources said, adding “instead of issuing repeated statements and directions the Government must ensure steps on ground otherwise it would be caught unaware during future disasters as the State is vulnerable to different kind of natural calamities”.
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