PREFACE

The Community Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) approach promotes involvement of the community and
strengthening of their capacities for vulnerability reduction through a decentralized planning process. The Panchayati
Raj bodies, representative body of the people, is the most appropriate institution from village to the district levels
in view of their proximity, universal coverage and enlisting people’s participation on an institutionalized basis. Their
association has the necessary potential of getting people involved in all possible preventive measures so that the
impact of the disasters is mitigated.
It is necessary to sensitize the local communities through them to develop coping mechanism in preparedness and
mitigation measures. This document attempts to capture the multiple dimensions of Community Based Disaster
Preparedness with the purpose of making it informative and educational across a number of stakeholders. The principal
focus in this document lay on relating what the PRI members need to ‘know’ and ‘do’ with respect to their role and
responsibility in disaster management.
The members of the PRI bodies at all levels are expected to be the primary users of this document, while other
sectors like training professionals, field workers, practitioners, journalists and academicians may be able to use it
for reference. NGOs working in the area of disaster management, Government agencies associated with aspects of
disaster mitigation and development planning, local disaster management teams and committees as well as civil
defense training units may also find this document useful.
Keeping in view the long and wide variety of disasters in a country like India, one cannot say that this document
covers all aspects, but it certainly deals with the understanding of the more critical ones and takes into account some
of the best practices in the country.
Hope the document will be found useful by the intended users.

B K Thapliyal, Prof & Head

(Center for Agrarian Studies and Disaster Mitigation)
National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad

i
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The concept of multi-tier and decentralized approach for the capacity building, a wide range of stakeholders on
Disaster Management called for a very systematic approach. Considering this need it was decided to design specific
training programs starting with Training of Trainers for the core trainers, where the focus was on enhancing training
skills and subject knowledge. Training modules were also designed for PRI members and volunteers. The time frame
for the various modules was decided with a balanced approach between learning need and available time. The priority,
however, was given to the aspects of preparedness in all the modules.
Ms. Kalika Mahapatra, Programme Associate, UNDP, under the able leadership of Shri P.K. Jena, Assistant. Country
Director, Orissa provided the opportunity and necessary guidance at every step to take this project forward. Interactions
with Shri Gyanaranjan Dash, Project Coordinator, OSDMA provided a lot of inspiration for putting this document
together with a practical approach.
Many writers, thinkers, academicians, trainers and functionaries of a large number of organizations have contributed
towards this document out of their vision and experience indirectly through innumerable publications on the subject
and directly through the website of UNDP. The references used for this document would indeed run into a long list.
We thankfully acknowledge the contributions.
We hope the manual will be found useful to practitioners of Disaster Management. The material, however, will need
to be updated progressively to keep it fresh and relevant.

Lalatendu Rath,
Author

ii
Foreword
Considering the important role that communities play in reducing vulnerabilities and responding to the early recovery
phase of any disaster, the disaster management framework of India has identified community-based capacity building
as an important element.
Building capabilities of functionaries and community members on the various facets of disaster preparedness and
management was one of the major components of the partnership between the Government of India and the
United Nations Development Programme’s Disaster Risk Management Programme (2002-2009). The programme was
implemented under a multi-donor framework funded by AUSAID, DIPECHO, DFID, EU, Governement of Japan, UNDP,
UNISDR, UN-Trust Fund and USAID.
The programme envisaged people’s participation in identifying specific risks and their own existing capacities to cope
with risk in the context of multi-hazards. Accordingly, the needs of the vulnerable groups were prioritized and plans
were developed for preparedness and response through participation of communities and local self governments.
The programme also developed capabilities of a core group of trainers to cater to the needs of Panchayati Raj
Institution (PRI) members in order to further the provisions of the Disaster Management Act (2005) and the Disaster
Management Policy that promote involvement of PRIs in disaster management.
This PRI Training Module is a step towards laying a strong foundation to make at risk communities more resilient and
proactive when disaster strikes. This would also facilitate institutionalising the efforts taken under the government’s
and UNDP’s Disaster Risk Management Programme through the local government systems.
This training manual will serve as a handy reference for PRIs as well as other organisations working in the field of
disaster management in the capacity building of the communities living in high-risk areas.

Sh. O.Ravi Deirdre Boyd

Joint Secretary (NDM) & Country Director
National Project Director UNDP
Ministry of Home Affairs

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CONTENTS

Preface i

Acknowledgment ii

Foreword iii

Acronyms vi

Chapter-I 1
Overview of Disasters in India

Chapter-II 19
Role of Panchayti Raj Institution
in Disaster Management

Chapter-III 35
Community based Disaster
Preparedness (CBDP)

Chapter-IV 45
Getting prepared for Disasters

Chapter-V 75
Responding to Disasters

iv
Chapter-VI 105
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
after Disasters

Chapter-VII 115
Convergence Coordination and
Linkages

Chapter-VIII 125
Social Inclusiveness in
Disaster Management

Session Plan 135

For the5 - Day ToT Module on Disaster Management
For The Core Trainers

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Acronyms
ANM - Auxiliary Nurse Midwife
AWW - Aanganwadi Worker
APL - Above Poverty Line
BPL - Below Poverty Line
BDO - Block Development Officer
CBDP - Community Based Disaster Preparedness
CBOs - Community Based Organizations
CDMO - Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization
CMG - Crisis Management Group
CRF - Calamity Relief Fund
CWC - Central Water Commission
CDVO - Chief District Veterinary Officer
CSO - Civil Society Organization
DWS - Disaster Warning System
DM - Disaster Management
DMT - Disaster Management Teams
GP - Gram Panchayat
GIC - General Insurance Corporation
IMD - India Meteorological Department
IWDP - Integrated Wasteland Development Program
MIS - Management Information System
NGO - Non-Governmental Organizations
NREGA - National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
NUNV - National United Nations Volunteers
ORS - Oral Rehydration Solution
PRI - Panchayati Raj Institutions
PRA - Participatory Rural Appraisal
PDS - Public Distribution System
PMGSY - Prime Minister’s Grameen Sadak Yojna
PHC - Public Health Commission
R&B - Roads & Bridges
RD - Rural Development
RTO - Road Transport Office
RWS - Radio and Wireless System
RWSS - Rural Water Supply and Sanitation
RCC - Regional Computer Center
SC - Scheduled Caste
ST - Scheduled Tribe
SGRY - Sampoorna Gram Rozgar Yojna
SHG - Self Help Group
SOP - Standard Operating Procedure
SDMC - State Disaster Management Committee
VHF/HF - Very High Frequency/High Frequency
VDMC - Village Disaster Management Committee
VCA - Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment
VLW - Village Level Workers
ZP - Zila Parishad

vi
CHAPTER 1

Overview
Of
Disasters
In
India

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8
Chapter 1
OVERVIEW OF DISASTERS IN INDIA
Overview of the Chapter
 Country and Climate
 History of Disasters in India
 Anatomy and Types of Disasters
 Consequences of Disasters
 Initiatives in Preparedness & Mitigation Measures
 Forecasting and Warning

COUNTRY & CLIMATE

India, a large country with a geographical area of 3.28 million sq km, has a tropical and subtropical climate and is
bounded in the north by the Himalayan mountain ranges. The wide Indo-Gangetic plain lies between the Himalayas
in the north and the Deccan Plateau that occupies most parts of the southern peninsular India. The Western and the
Eastern Ghats constitute long mountain ranges, running along the west and the east coast of the peninsula. These
Ghats leave narrow stretches of coastal plains along the Arabian Sea on the west and wider plains on the Bay of
Bengal coast on the east. The country receives an annual precipitation of 400 million hectare meters, 73 percent of
which is received between June and September.
The heavy concentration of rainfall within a span of three months in most of the areas causes heavy run-off and high
floods. Non-availability of moisture over most parts of the year, particularly in the arid and semi-arid regions, renders
68 percent of the land-mass vulnerable to drought. The tectonic plates of Indian subcontinent make it vulnerable to
frequent disturbances of earthquake.
The Asia Pacific Region faces over 60% of the world’s natural disasters. India, on account of its geographical position, climate
and geological setting, has had from time immemorial, a fair share of these disasters. There is hardly a year when some part
of the country or other does not face the spectra of drought, due to the failure of monsoons in vulnerable areas. One or
two cyclones strike the peninsular region of the country every year. Similarly, floods are a regular feature of the eastern India
where Himalayan Rivers inundate large parts of its catchments area uprooting people, disrupting livelihood and damaging
infrastructure. The fragility of the Himalayan mountain ranges is a continuing source of concern of their high vulnerability to
earthquakes, landslides and avalanches. The earthquakes in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have demonstrated that the
areas considered comparatively safe earlier are really not so.
India, a large country with a geographical area of 3.28 million sq km, has a tropical and subtropical climate and is
bounded in the north by the Himalayan mountain ranges. The wide Indo-Gangetic plain lies between the Himalayas
in the north and the Deccan Plateau that occupies most parts of the southern peninsular India. The western and the
Eastern Ghats constitute long mountain ranges, running along the west and the east coast of the peninsula. These
Ghats leave narrow stretches of coastal plains along the Arabian Sea on the west and wider plains on the Bay of
Bengal coast on the east. The country receives an annual precipitation of 400 million hectare metres, 73 percent of
which is received between June and September.
The heavy concentration of rainfall within a span of three months in most of the areas causes heavy run-off and high
floods. Non-availability of moisture over most parts of the year, particularly in the arid and semi-arid regions, renders
68 percent of the land-mass vulnerable to drought. The tectonic plates of Indian subcontinent make it vulnerable to
frequent disturbances of earthquake.
The Asia Pacific Region faces over 60% of the world’s natural disasters. India, on account of its geographical position,
climate and geological setting, has had from time immemorial, a fair share of these disasters. There is hardly a year when
some part of the country or other does not face the spectra of drought, due to the failure of monsoons in vulnerable
areas. One or two cyclones strike the peninsular region of the country every year. Similarly, floods are a regular feature
of the eastern India where Himalayan Rivers inundate large part of its catchment area uprooting people, disrupting
livelihood and damaging infrastructure. The fragility of the Himalayan mountain ranges is a continuing source of
concern of their high vulnerability to earthquakes, landslides and avalanches. The earthquakes in Maharashtra and
Madhya Pradesh have demonstrated that the areas considered comparatively safe earlier are really not so.

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HISTORY OF DISASTERS IN INDIA
The unique geo-climate conditions of the Indian sub-continent make this region among the most vulnerable to natural
disasters in the world. Disasters occur with amazing frequency and while the community at large has adapted itself to
these regular occurrences, the economic and social costs continue to mount year after year.
Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides are regular phenomena in India. Out of the total geographical
area of 33 lakh sq. km, about 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million
hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and about 68% of the area is susceptible
to drought. Of the 35 States/Union Territories in the country, 22 are disaster prone.
Among all the disasters that occur in the country, river floods are the most frequent and often the most devastating.
The cause for flood is chiefly the peculiarities of rainfall in the country, out of the total annual rainfall in the country,
75% is concentrated over short monsoon season of three to four months. As
a result there is a heavy discharge from the rivers during this period causing
widespread floods. As much as 40 million hectare of land in the country has
been identified as flood prone and an average of 18.6 million hectare of land is
flooded annually. Floods are caused mainly in the Ganga-Bramhaputra-Meghna
basin that carries 40% of the nation’s total river flow.
Earthquakes are considered to be one of the most dangerous and destructive
natural hazards. The impact of this phenomenon is sudden with little or no
warning, making it just impossible to predict or make preparations against
damages and collapses of buildings and other man-made structures. About
50-60% of total area of the country is vulnerable to seismic activity of varying
intensities.
Drought is a perennial feature in some states of India. About 16% of the
country’s total area is drought prone and approximately 50 million people are
annually affected by droughts. In fact drought is a significant environmental
problem too as it is caused by less than average rainfall over a long period of time. In India about 68% of total sown
area of the country is drought prone. Most of the drought prone areas identified by Govt. of India lay in the arid, semi
arid and sub-humid areas of the country.
India has a very long coast line of 8041 km which is exposed to tropical cyclone arising in the bay of the Bengal and
Arabian Sea. The Indian Ocean is one of the six major cyclone —prone regions of the world. In India cyclones occur
usually between April and May, and also between October and December. The eastern coast line is more prone to
cyclones as about 80% of the total cyclones generated in the region hit there.

Some of the major events of natural disasters in recent past:

Disasters Year Place of Event Events and Impact

Flood Sept 1982 Orissa Severe Floods– Break down of Dalei Ghai
1993 Punjab 359 lives lost
May-Oct 1994 Kerala Severe damages
Aug 2000 West Bengal Severe damages
July 2002 Andhra Pradesh Severe damages
July 2001 Orissa Severe damages
July 2002 Assam, Bihar & WB Severe damages
Aug 2003 Orissa Severe damages
July 2008 Bihar Devastating flood in Kosi river
Aug 2008 Orissa Devastating floods in major parts of the state
Cyclone May 1990 Andhra Pradesh 962 lives lost
Dec 1993 Tamilnadu, 61 lives lost

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 Disasters Year Place of Event Events and Impact
Dec 1996 Andhra Pradesh 971 lives lost
June 1998 Gujarat, 3500 lives lost
Oct 1999 Orissa Super Cyclone, 10000 lives lost
Earthquake Oct 1991 Uttarkashi, 200 lives lost
Sept 1993 Latur, 9475 lives lost
Mar 1995 Chamoli 100 lives lost
May 1997 Jabalpur, 39 lives lost
Jan 2001 Gujarat, more than 20000 lives lost
Heat Wave May-June 1995 Uttar Pradesh 566 lives lost
May-June 1998 Orrisa, 2000 lives lost
May-June 1999 Orrisa, 20 lives lost
Cloud Brust Aug 2002 Uttranchal

ANATOMY AND TYPES OF DISASTERS

What is a Disaster?
Any sudden, severe, unexpected and fortuitous happening causing great damage to life and/ or property can be
described as a calamity or a disaster. Disaster is an impulsive event causing widespread devastation to life and
property. The damage caused by disasters is immeasurable and varies with varieties with the geographical location,
climate and type of earth surface.

NATURAL DISASTERS
A natural disaster is an event of nature, which causes sudden disruption to the normal life of a society and causes
damage to property and lives, to such an extent that normal social and economic mechanisms available to the society
are inadequate to restore normalcy. Viewed in this manner, the majority of natural disasters, which cause widespread
damage and disruption in India, are drought, flood, cyclone and earthquakes.

FLOODS
Of the annual rainfall, 75 percent is concentrated over four months of monsoon (June - September) and as a result
almost all the rivers carry heavy discharge during this period. The flood hazards compounded by the problems of
sediment deposition, drainage congestion and synchronization of river floods
with sea tides in the coastal plains. The rivers originating in the Himalayas also
carry a lot of sediment and cause erosion of the banks in the upper reaches
and over-topping in the lower segments. The most flood prone areas are the
Brahmaputra and the basins in the Indo-Gangetic plains. The other flood prone
areas are the north-west region of the west flowing rivers like Narmada and
Tapi, the Central India and the Deccan region with major east flowing rivers
like Mahanadi, Krishna and Cavery. While the area liable to floods is 40 million
hectares, the average area affected by floods annually is about 8 million hectares.
The annual average cropped area affected is approximately 3.7 million hectares.

DROUGHT
As much as 73.7 percent of the annual aggregate precipitation of 400 million hectare
metres is received during the south-west Monsoon period, June to September. Due to
erratic behaviour of monsoon, both low (less than 750 mm) and medium (750-1125
mm) rainfall regions, which constitute 68 percent of the total areas, are vulnerable to
periodical droughts. The analysis of 100 years of rainfall behaviour reveals that the
frequency of occurrence of below normal rainfall in arid, semi-arid and sub-humid
areas is 54-57 percent, while severe and rare droughts occur once every 8-9 years in
arid and semi-arid zones. In semi-arid and arid climatic zones, about 50 percent of the

11
severe droughts cover generally 76 percent of the area. In this region, rare droughts of most severe intensity occurred
on an average once in 32 years and almost every third year was drought year.

CYCLONE
India has a long coast line of 8,000 kms. On an average, about five to six tropical
cyclones from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea every year, out of which two or
three may be severe. There are two distinct cyclone seasons: pre-monsoon (May-
June) and post-monsoon (October-November). Analysis of cyclone events during the
past 100 years reveals that as against 117 cyclones of varied intensities formed in the
Arabian Sea, 442 cyclones were formed in the Bay of Bengal, which proves that it is
four times more prone to occurrences of Cyclone compared to the former.
The impact of these cyclones is confined to the coastal districts, the maximum
destruction being within 100 km. from the centre of the cyclones and on either side
of the storm track. The principal dangers from a cyclone are gales and strong winds, torrential rain and high tidal
waves (also known as ‘storm surges’). Most casualties are caused by coastal inundation by tidal waves and storm
surges. The worst devastation takes place when and where the peak surge occurs at the time of the high tide.

EARTHQUAKE
Earthquake is a series of underground shock waves and movements on the earth’s
surface. It is caused by natural processes wresting the earth’s crust. It is found where
one of the earth’s plates is moving against another and building up so much tension
that the rock cracks. The sudden cracks and the movement of the rocks send out
shock waves (P-Waves and S-Waves) making the ground shake violently. The severity
of an earthquake is measured on the Richter scale.

Earthquake Severity
Richter Magnitudes Earthquake Effects
Less than 3.5 Generally not felt, but recorded.
3.5-5.4 Often felt, but rarely causes damage.
Under 6.0 At most slight damage to well-designed buildings. Can cause major damage to poorly
constructed Buildings over small regions.
6.1-6.9 Can be destructive in areas up to about 100 kilometers across where people live.
7.0-7.9 Major earthquake. Can cause serious damage over larger areas.
8 or greater Great earthquake. Can cause serious damage in areas several hundred kilometers
across.

The Himalayan mountain ranges are considered to be the world’s youngest fold mountain ranges. The subterranean
Himalayan are, therefore, geologically very active. The Himalayan frontal arc, flanked by the Arakan Yoma belt in
the east and the Chaman fault in the west constitute one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Four
earthquakes exceeded the magnitude of 8 in the Richter scale in the history of last sixty years; these are the Assam
earthquakes of 1950 and 1987, the Kangra earthquake of 1905 and the Bihar-Nepal earthquake of 1935. The peninsular
part of India comprises stable continental crust regions which are considered stable as they are far away from the
tectonic activity of the boundaries. Although these regions were considered seismically least active, an earthquake
that occurred in Latur in Maharashtra on September 30, 1993 of magnitude 6.4 in the Richter scale caused substantial
loss of lives and damage to infrastructure.

LANDSLIDES
The Himalayan, the north-east hill ranges and the Western Ghats experience considerable
landslide activities of varying intensities. The rocks and the debris carried by the rivers like
Kosi originating in the Himalayas cause enormous landslides in the valleys. The seismic
activity in the Himalayan region also results in considerable landslide movement. The heavy
monsoon rainfall, often in association with cyclonic disturbances, results in Considerable
landslide activity on the slopes of the Western Ghats.

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TSUNAMI
A tsunami (pronounced as su-na-mi) is a series of waves created when a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly
displaced. Earthquakes, mass movements above or below water, some volcanic
eruptions and other underwater explosions, landslides, underwater earthquakes,
large asteroid impacts and detonation of nuclear weapons at sea all have the
potential to generate a tsunami. Due to the immense volumes of water and energy
involved, the effects of tsunami can be devastating. Since meteorites are small, they
will not generate tsunami.
Some meteorological storm conditions—deep depressions causing cyclones,
hurricanes—can generate a storm surge which can be several meters above normal
tide levels. This is due to the low atmospheric pressure within the centre of the
depression. As these storm surges come ashore the surge can resemble a tsunami,
inundating vast areas of land. These are not tsunami. Such a storm surge inundated
Burma (Myanmar) in May 2008.
As the tsunami approaches the coast and the waters become shallow, the wave is compressed due to wave shoaling
and its forward travel slows below 80 km/h (50 mph). Its wavelength diminishes to less than 20 km (12 miles) and its
amplitude grows enormously, producing a distinctly visible wave. Since the wave still has a wavelength on the order
of several km (a few miles), the tsunami may take minutes to ramp up to full height, with victims seeing a massive
deluge of rising ocean rather than a cataclysmic wall of water. Open bays and coastlines adjacent to very deep water
may shape the tsunami further into a step-like wave with a steep breaking front.
There is often no advance warning of an approaching tsunami. However, since earthquakes are often a cause of
tsunami, any earthquake occurring near a body of water may generate a tsunami if it occurs at shallow depth, is of
moderate or high magnitude, and the water volume and depth is sufficient.
Sensors on the equipment constantly monitor the pressure of the overlying water A tsunami cannot be prevented
or precisely predicted—even if the right magnitude of an earthquake occurs in the right location. Geologists,
Oceanographers and Seismologist analyse each earthquake and based upon many factors may or may not issue a
tsunami warning. However, there are some warning signs of an impending tsunami, and there are many systems
being developed and in use to reduce the damage from tsunami. One of the most important systems that is used and
constantly monitored are bottom pressure sensors. These are anchored and attached to buoys.

AVALANCHES
Avalanches constitute a major hazard in the higher reaches of the Himalayas. Heavy loss of life and property has
been reported due to avalanches. Parts of the Himalayas receive snowfall round the year and adventure sports are in
abundance in such locations. Severe snow avalanches are observed during and after snowfalls in Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and the Hills of Western Uttar Pradesh. The population of about 20,000 in Nubra and Shyok valley
and mountaineers and trekkers faces avalanche hazard on account of steep fall of 3000 to 5000 metres over a distance
of 10 to 30 kilo metres.

CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is any long-term significant change in the “average weather” of a region or the earth as a whole.
Average weather may include average temperature, precipitation and wind patterns. It involves changes in the
variability or average state of the atmosphere over durations ranging from decades to millions of years. These changes
can be caused by dynamic processes on earth, external forces including variations in sunlight intensity, and more
recently by human activities.
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, and is a chaotic non-linear
dynamical system. On the other hand, climate — the average state of weather —
is fairly stable and predictable. Climate includes the average temperature, amount
of precipitation, days of sunlight, and other variables that might be measured at
any given site. However, there are also changes within the earth’s environment
that can affect the climate.
In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, the term
“climate change” usually refers to changes in modern climate like ‘global

13
warming’. Climate changes reflect variations within the Earth’s Global Warming
atmosphere, processes in other parts of the Earth such as oceans Global warming is the slow heating of our earth,
and ice caps, and the effects of human activity. The external factors until it finally becomes too hot to live on. More and
that can shape climate include such processes as variations in solar more heat would be trapped in the earth and the
temperature of places all over the world will rise.
radiation, the Earth’s orbit, and greenhouse gas concentrations.
Green House Effect
Current studies indicate that radiative forcing by greenhouse gases When the sun’s rays enter the earth or escape back to
is the primary cause of global warming. Greenhouse gases are also outer space, some of it is reflected and some of the
important in understanding Earth’s climate history. The greenhouse heat energy is absorbed and trapped by the green
house gases in the earth’s atmosphere. This process of
effect, which is the warming produced as greenhouse gases trap heat, trapping heat is called the green house effect.
plays a key role in regulating Earth’s temperature.

CATEGORY OF CALAMITIES
Calamities fall into two major categories: ‘natural’ and ‘manmade’. Natural calamities include cyclones, floods, droughts,
earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and forest fires etc. These can be further divided into ‘major’ and ‘minor’
disasters. Cyclones, floods, earthquakes, storms, etc. are generally regarded as major catastrophes while droughts,
forest fires etc. are considered minor catastrophes, in view of their impact and loss potential.
In view of this, the disasters can be classified as follows:

Major natural disasters Minor natural disasters

Flood Cold wave
Cyclone Snowfall
Drought Thunderstorm
Earthquake
Sunstroke
Major man-made disaster Minor man-made disasters
Setting of fire Road and train accidents
Epidemic Accidents during festivals
Deforestation Food poisoning
Pollution due to prawn culture Death due to spurious/ excessive drink
Chemical Pollution Industrial disaster/ crisis
Rehabilitation
Acid rain
Riots and War
Environmental Pollution

NATURAL DISASTERS AND THEIR MAIN CHARACTERISTICS

The disasters can also be categorized under two other methods:
(i) On the basis of nature and causative factors such as natural and manmade disasters; and
(ii) Occurrence time such as slow-on setting and quick on setting disasters.
The slow-onset disasters are those which take some time to create their impact
and thus provide sufficient response time. The quick-onset disasters occur so
quickly that there is very little time to respond and in some cases they just
occur without providing any response time. Some of the quick-onset disasters
can be predicted and thus forecasting and early warning could be passed on to
the people in the threat zone, while in some cases early warning is not possible.
Thus the quick-onset disasters can be further divided into two subcategories:
(i) Those which can be predicted with greater precision and provide some
response time; and,
(ii) Those which cannot be predicted with precision and occur suddenly surprising every one and provide no response
time.

14
Table give below provides the classification of various types of natural disasters.

SLOW ONSET QUICK ONSET

PREDICTABLE UN-PREDICTABLE OR SUDDEN

Drought Cyclone Earthquake
Famine Flood Land Slides
Typhoon Avalanches
Heat or cold wave Tsunami

Keeping in view the nature, type and pattern of occurrence, the approach to and process of managing natural disasters
also vary to a great extent. Till recently, the disaster management was limited to Crisis Management or like fire fighting
operations. However, now there is greater realization that disaster management should be a broader approach which
includes short and long term disaster mitigation activities besides preparedness, risk and relief operations. In other
words, disaster management is a process of counter disaster activities which includes short and long term preventive
and protective measures to mitigate the effects of disasters and help in better preparedness to mitigate and minimize
loses both human and material, caused by the disasters.

CONSEQUENCES OF DISASTERS
Disasters influence the socio-economic, political, cultural and mental states of the affected area. Generally a disaster
completely disturbs the normal day to day life in the concerned area. It negatively influences the emergency systems
and the regular life process deteriorates. Fundamental needs like food, shelter, health etc are affected. A large number
of lives are lost and affected by various disasters every year. An average annual damage due to various disasters has
been conservatively estimated to be around 3000 million rupees. In addition to the direct human costs and economic
destruction (of houses, factories, social infrastructure etc.), calamities result in reduction in the level of economic
activity, family income, and in the outbreak of diseases as well as increase in social costs, which indirectly affect the
economy. It also results in loss of resources as well as slowing down of development programs.
Consequences of calamities, which include ravaged habitations, ruined infrastructure, homelessness and environmental
problems put additional pressure on the countries’ socioeconomic systems. The aftermath of a calamity is all the more
devastating for countries going through period of transaction. Usually, their institutions are fragile and they have little
experience in coping with calamities on their own.
The disasters like the super cyclone in Orissa in 1999 and Earthquake in
Gujarat in 2001 are in the living memory of the nation. In Orissa super
cyclone around 10,000 people lost their lives and the loss to the economy
was to the extent of Rs 7000 crores. In Gujarat earthquake the loss of lives
was around 19000 and loss to the economy is above 14,000 crores.
Social, economic and health related consequences of natural calamities
can be summarized as follows:
Legend:
- Direct Consequences
- Secondary Consequences

S.No. Consequences Natural Calamities

Earth Drought /
Cyclone Flood Fire
Quake Famine

1. Loss of life X X X X
2. Injury X X X X X

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 S.No. Consequences Natural Calamities

3. Epidemiological threat X X
4. Loss of crops X X X
5. Loss of housing X X X X
6. Damage to infrastructure X X X X
7. Disruption of communications X X X X
8. Disruption of transport X X X X
9. Panic X X X X
10. Looting X X X X
11. Breakdown of social order X X X
12. Short-term migrations X X
13. Permanent migration #
14. Loss of Industrial production X X X X #
15. Loss of Business X X X X #
16 Disruptions of marketing systems X X X X #

INITIATIVES IN PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

Need for reducing risk
Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in disaster occurrences costing human and economic losses.
This is due to the ever increasing vulnerabilities of people to natural disasters. The need is felt to reduce disaster
risks by improving capabilities of people and ensuring preparedness, mitigation and response planning processes
at various levels. The objective is to look at the entire cycle of disaster management in reducing risk and linking
it to developmental planning process. In the past, disasters were viewed as isolated events, responded to by the
Governments and various agencies without taking into account the social and economic causes and long term
implications of these events. In short, disasters were considered as emergencies.
The recent disasters and its socio-economic impact on the country at large, and in particular the communities has
underscored the need to adopt a multi dimensional approach involving diverse scientific, engineering, financial and
social processes to reduce vulnerability in multi-hazard prone areas. In view of this, the Government of India has
brought about a paradigm shift in its approach to disaster management. The change is from “relief and emergency
response” to a balanced approach covering all phases of the Disaster Management Cycle. This approach acknowledges
disaster management as a part of the development process, and investments in mitigation are perceived to be much
more cost effective than relief and rehabilitation expenditure. In this regard, Government of India has taken various
initiatives in area of disaster preparedness, mitigation and response through networking of various institutions,
institutional capacity building, and policy interventions at all levels.

Recent Initiatives
India, besides evolving effective post-disaster management operations, has also formulated and implemented pre-
disaster mitigation programs and sectoral development programs to reduce the impact of disasters as well as reduce
the socio-economic vulnerabilities. The reconstruction programs in the aftermath of disasters such as cyclones and
earthquakes are also aimed at building disaster resistant structures to withstand the impact of natural hazards in the
future.

PARTICIPATION OF THE COMMUNITY

Community participation and community ownership in disaster risk reduction is one of the key factors in reducing
vulnerabilities of people and minimizing the loss. The Government of India’s focus on Community Based Disaster
Preparedness (CBDP) approach promotes community involvement and strengthening of their capacities for vulnerability

16
reduction through decentralised planning process. This document deals with the concept, component and some of
the best practices.

FORECASTING AND WARNING

India have over the years developed, upgraded and modernised the monitoring, forecasting and warning systems to
deal with cyclones, floods, droughts and earthquakes.

CYCLONE
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is responsible for cyclone tracking and warning
to the concerned user agencies. Cyclone tracking is done through INSAT Satellite and 10
cyclone detection radars. Warning is issued to cover ports, fisheries, and aviation departments.
The warning system provides for a cyclone alert of 48 hours, and a cyclone warning of 24
hours. There is a special Disaster Warning System (DWS) for dissemination of cyclone warning
through INSAT Satellite to designated addresses at isolated places in local languages.

FLOODS
The Central Water Commission (CWC) has a flood forecasting system covering 62 major rivers in 13 states with 157
stations for transmission of flood warning on real time basis. The forecasts are issued with an accuracy of up to 95
percent. There are also 55 hydro-meteorological stations in the 62 river basins.
VHF/HF wireless communication system is used for data collection with microcomputers at the forecasting centers.
Hydrological models are increasingly used for inflow and flood forecasting and the forecasts are communicated to the
administrative and the engineering departments for dissemination.

DROUGHTS
The IMD has divided the entire country into 35 meteorological sub-divisions. It issues weekly bulletins on rainfall
indicating normal, excess and deficient levels and also the percentages of departure from the normal. The CWC
monitors the levels of 60 major reservoirs with weekly reports of reservoir levels and
corresponding capacity for the previous year and the average of the previous 10
years. Similar monitoring of smaller reservoirs by the Irrigation Departments of State
Governments give advance warnings of hydrological droughts with below average
stream flows, cessation of stream flows and decrease in soil moisture and groundwater
levels.
Based on the input from IMD and CWC on the rainfall behaviour and the water levels
in the reservoirs respectively and the information on crop situations received from the
local sources, the National Crop Weather Watch Group monitors the drought conditions. Remote sensing techniques
also used for monitoring drought conditions based on vegetative and moisture index status.

EARTHQUAKE
On the basis of past earthquakes of magnitude 5 and above and intensities ranging from V to IX superimposed on
the magnitude information and also drawing upon tectonic features in the near past, Earthquake Zonation maps have
been prepared. IMD operates a network of 36 seismic monitoring stations.

-----------------------------------------------------------
(A number of disasters have been discussed under “Safety Tips for a few Disasters”, which is placed in the Annexure)

17
18
 CHAPTER 2

Role Of
Panchayati Raj
Institution
In
Disaster
Management

19
20
Chapter 2
ROLE OF PANCHAYATI RAJ INSTITUTION IN DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
Overview of the Chapter
 Introduction
 Modes of Disaster management
 Role of three-tier PRI bodies in DM
 Role of Panchayat in Planning and Capacity Building
 Role of Panchayat in Managing Information
 General issues related to Disaster Management
 Issues related to PRI Role in DM
 Preparedness of the PRI members
 Financial provisions for Disaster Management

INTRODUCTION
Disasters like Floods, Cyclones, Droughts and Earthquakes are increasing in India due to environmental degradation,
deforestation, increasing population, nuclear explosions and air pollutions, etc. There is also worldwide concern to
mitigate the growing incidence of disaster and their toll on human life, property and environment. In India floods
affect 11.2 percent of the land and drought account for 28 percent of the land, cyclones along 7516 km vulnerable
coastline and earthquakes covering 57 percent of the land are other major disasters that occur quite often.
Natural Disasters cannot be prevented, but their impact on the lives and the socio-economic aspects of the people
can be reduced to a considerable extent. In the past, people have countered the effects of the disasters with their
own efforts and have overcome the trauma of the calamity. While the Government has the role to help its people in
distress, the people themselves have greater responsibility to withstand together to face such eventualities and help
the Government to help themselves in this process, rather fully depending on it. No state-level administration will be
able to meet the requirements of communities, unless communities come forward to solve their own problems.

Role of PRI bodies

The PRI is a statutory body elected by the local people through a well defined democratic process with specific
responsibilities and duties. The elected members are accountable to the people of the ward, rural community, block
and the district.
Keeping the above in view, the PRI, the representative body of the
people, is the most appropriate institution from village to the district
level in view of its proximity, universal coverage and enlisting people’s
participation on an institutionalized basis. Their close involvement will go
a long way in getting people prepared for countering natural disasters as
well as involve them in all possible preventive and protective activities
so that the impact of the disasters are mitigated and the people are
able to save their lives and property. The PRIs can act as catalysts to
social mobilization process and tap the traditional wisdom of the local
communities to complement the modern practices in disaster mitigation
efforts. Besides PRIs will also provide a base for integration of various concerns of the community with that of the
NGOs and CBOs which are engaged in various developmental activities at the grassroots level.
Hence there is a need to define the role of PRls in Disaster Management and sensitise local communities through
them to develop coping mechanism in preparedness and mitigation measures of disaster to minimize its destructive
effect on life and property at local level. The proposed national workshop will therefore address the relevant issues
relating to role of Panchayats in disaster and providing a forum to discuss and evolve strategies to manage crisis
situations effectively by these institutions.

21
The disaster management cycle requires massive efforts in all its aspects like prevention, mitigation, preparedness,
response, restoration, rehabilitation reconstruction work. These include addressing situations like lack of coordination
at all levels in the restoration and relief work, non-involvement of the people, over dependency on government,
inadequate relief and restoration work, lack of awareness among people regarding potential danger of cyclones and
other disasters, lack of knowledge on availability of funds and resources etc,. Thus, the entire preparedness with regard
to meeting emergencies like cyclone, flood and drought etc., calls for a constructive role and greater commitment on
the part of the PRIs.
Nuapada, Orissa
Driven by draught, a lot of people migrate out of Nuapada district in Orissa for temporary alternate livelihood
elsewhere. Shri Sujit Kumar Sahu, a local resident, formed a front called “Makarkheda” and took various initiatives
to check this practice with the help of others. His good work earned him a reputation and he was elected as the
Sarpanch from Boirbhadi, very near to Nuapada town, during the election held in 2007.
PARDA, a local NGO, which had been working on DRM program in that GP, got in touch with Shri Sahu. As a
result of this partnership a long term draught mitigation strategy emerged in the shape of the village DM plan.
The problems and issues were analysed threadbare and greater emphasis was laid on implementation of NREGA
for the benefit of the migrant poor. A pond was cleaned up and used for pisciculture. A few other long term
development activities aimed at stabilizing livelihood were embarked upon under the inspiring leadership of Shri
Sahu.

Need for involving the PRI Bodies

In general, if the local bodies like Panchayats are not consulted for preparedness-planning, relief and rehabilitation
work, it leads to absence of transparency and accountability in the mitigation efforts. The whole approach towards
rehabilitation work may end up being ‘top down’ in nature. As the relief and restoration efforts involve investment
of hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees, there should be satisfaction of having utilised them properly and
efficiently. Activities like distributing immediate relief in the form of money, food grains, medical care, cloths, tents,
vessels drinking water and other necessities, activities of restoration, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts of
damaged villages and towns can be implemented better with the involvement of local bodies.
There is a view that local bodies like Panchayats should be encouraged and empowered to manage the local affairs with
the available local resources. The elected leaders and officials of Panchayats should be trained to develop capabilities
to handle crisis situation in preparedness, warning, rescue, relief, medical assistance, damage assessment, counseling,
water and sanitation and rehabilitation operations. It is felt that in biggest disasters the role assigned to Panchayats
was meager in handling the problems of various types at the grassroots level.
The 73rd Constitution Amendment (1992) heralded a new phase in the
country’s quest for a democratic decentralized set-up; more so, in matters
pertaining to devolution of powers, functions, functionaries and finances.
One of the objectives of Panchayati Raj (PR) is to promote popular
participation through an institutional framework. The articles 243(G) of
the Constitution visualises Panchayats as institutions of self-government.
It subjects to extent of devolution and powers and functions to the will
of the state legislatures, it also outlines the role of Panchayats in respect
of development, planning and implementation of programs of economic
development and social justice. A comprehensive list covering 29 subjects
which are mostly related to development has also been provided in the
Eleventh Schedule to the constitution.
The success of this depends upon adequate devolution of powers, functions, personnel and finances on these bodies,
which is yet to make significant progress. Mostly the disaster activities of restoration, rehabilitation and reconstruction
fall within the ambit of these development activities. Hence there is an imperative need to involve local bodies in
disaster management.

How PRI bodies can lead

It must be conceded that wherever it has strong roots, PRI has played a crucial role in mobilizing people in various
situations of crisis. However, it is a fact that it is difficult to pre empt disasters and also to predict their magnitude.
But the impact of disasters on people living in vulnerable areas and losses to their property can be minimized by a

22
pro-active role played by PRIs at the grassroots level. Apart from great organizing skills, it may call for courage and
leading from the front.
Sambalpur, Orissa
In the wee hours of 19th August 2007, when people were in deep sleep, the Laharanga Nullah of Garposh GP in
Bamra block of Sambalpur swelled up due to heavy rain and resulted in a flash flood. As flood water rushed into
the houses, Sarpanch, Shri Banthu Nayak raised alarm and organised rescue measures on an emergent footing.
He personally ran about from house to house and facilitated evacuation of the people to safer places. His bravery
and dedicated effort could save life and property of about 25 families
The PRI members can play a role of leadership in Disaster Management at all stages. Right from the preparatory stage
up to the handling of the long term development activities for risk reduction, PRI can lead in several ways. A broad
outline may include activities like:

Pre-Disaster
 Organising awareness campaign and promoting community education on disaster preparedness
 Articulation of community need for developing preparedness plan through community involvement and Panchayat
ownership
 Identifying the resource gaps both physical and manpower and replenish the same through capacity building
 Establishing synergy with local agencies including NGOs/ CBOs
 Dovetailing Risk Reduction into various development programs of
national and state governments
 Encouraging people to insure assets and livestock
 Establishing convergence with local institutional structures created
for implementing education, health, livelihood, social justice and so
on.
 Activating the DM Plans with the participation of the community
 Formation of Task forces and their capacity building

During Disaster
 Arranging emergency communication through available resources
 Evacuation to temporary shelter and running relief camps
 Supplementing rescue and relief efforts in coordinating different agencies
 Monitoring of Relief distribution
 Safe disposal of carcass and arranging safe drinking water and sanitation

Post Disaster
 Damage assessment particularly assisting in identifying victims for compensation and its distribution
 Formulating rehabilitation and reconstruction plan of houses and other local infrastructures
 Enforce minimum specification for safe reconstruction
 Supervise and monitor long term reconstruction and mitigation projects
 Mobilising special funds to use disaster resistant construction technology in vulnerable areas
These have been discussed in greater detail in the subsequent chapters in this manual.

MODES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Disaster Management in a broad framework covers all aspects of preventive and protective measures, preparedness
and systematic organization of rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations to mitigate the impact of disasters on the
human beings and all socio-economic aspects of the disaster-prone areas. The whole process of disaster management
can be divided into three broad phases and each phase has a number of inter-related activities:
I. Preparedness

23
II. Response
III. Rehabilitation and reconstruction

I. Preparedness Phase
Preparedness for an eventuality of the occurrence of a disaster helps its mitigation to a large extent. Therefore this is
a continuous phase, when a number of activities are in place. These could include awareness generation, identification
of vulnerable groups, identification of resources and assets, household preparation, formation of various task forces
and their capacity building and developing a disaster management plan etc. This needs a sustained effort on the part
of the community.

II. Response Phase

This has two sub-phases;
 Early-warning and
 Post-warning.

Early- warning:
This phase begins with Early Warning System. In cases where the disasters are predictable, such as Drought, Floods
and Cyclone, as soon as there is indication of the on-set of a disaster, early warning is issued to keep people alert.
The warnings continue till the actual impact. The interval at which warnings are issued depends on the type of the
disaster. In the case of drought, the intervals for warning could be a week to a month but for Floods and Cyclones,
it could be just every half-an-hour.
Other activities at this phase include preparation for evacuation, arrangements for food and drinking water, medical
support and other basic needs and operationalising all communication and warning systems.

Post- warning:
This is perhaps the most crucial phase and needs high alertness. The earlier preparedness helps a lot during this phase
in reducing risk and damage and taking mitigation actions. This includes activities like Control room management,
shelter management, inter-agency coordination, search, rescue and medical aid, public health measures, sanitation and
hygiene, damage assessment, relief distribution, disposal of carcass and mobilization of resources and their optimal
utilization.

III. Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Phase

After the impact of a natural disaster, particularly those which are devastating in nature leave behind a large scale
destruction such as loss of lives, damage to houses and properties, crops, livestock and the physical infrastructure.
Thus the activities to be attended in this phase are as follows:
 Provision of temporary shelters for those who have lost their houses completely, till construction of permanent
housing is completed.
 Providing minimum household utility goods for all those who lost every thing.
 Provision of food and clothing.
 Making alternate arrangements for drinking water if the existing facility has been completely damaged.
 Restoration of road, transport, electricity and communication (where minor repairs are needed and temporary
arrangements in the case of those need reconstruction, which takes long time).
 Salvaging the losses incurred due to damage to the crops and plantations.
 Arrangements for distribution of seeds, fertilizers and other inputs in initiating the process of agricultural activities.
 De-silting of agricultural fields, irrigation tanks, canals etc.
 Restoration of health and educational facilities, if the damage is repairable or making temporary alternative
arrangements.
 Distribution of ex-gratia for the dead and compensation for the losses (wherever applicable).

ROLE OF THE THREE --TIER PRI BODIES IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

The major role of the Panchayati Raj Bodies in respect of disaster management is in the preparedness planning and

24
its implementation during the impact and post- impact phase as this is the most crucial period for the people facing
the disaster. The village people are the most vulnerable for disasters and therefore the Village Panchayats have to play
a major role in association with the higher level bodies of PRIs as well as with the Government agencies.
The involvement of Panchayats is also necessary as this alone can provide quick response and also make people
to withstand the threat of the disasters and minimize their dependence on Government response for rescue and
relief operation at the time of any crisis. The most important tasks to be performed by the Village, Block and the
District Panchayats along with the government machinery at the respective levels during the three phases of disaster
management are listed hereunder:

Phase – I
Tasks to be performed by 3- tier Panchayat bodies for Preparedness planning

Gram Panchayats Block/ Panchayat Samitis Zilla Parishads

1 Convening meetings of ward Supervise preparedness of the Gram Before the onset of monsoon (May) and
members to ensure proper Panchayats. likely periods of cyclone (May- June &
information regarding the Oct-Nov), the District Collector should
warning signals reached the have a meeting of all District Heads
people through all media of the Sectoral, Departments and the
modes. Members of the Z P for preparedness.
2 Updating information on Consolidate village wise information All the concerned departments,
Civic amenities Population on items listed under GP specially Roads & Buildings, Major and
Government and Panchayat Minor Irrigation, PDS, Communication
properties Housing and Police , Revenue Electricity, etc., to take
cattle/ livestock population up necessary repair and maintenance
and related works for preparedness to
counter Flood& Cyclone Disasters.
3 Selection of location for Stock taking with respect to To organize ‘Task Force’ at District, Block
shifting people/ livestock to and the Village levels.
 Primary health Centers,
safer places
preparedness of medical staff,
medicines, etc.
 Arrangements for transport
to assist Gram Panchayats for
evacuation
 Keep Cyclone shelters/ safer
buildings like schools in ready condition
for temporary shelter for the people
 Arrangements for establishing relief
and rehabilitation centers and materials
required thereof
 Arrangements for supply and
storage of food and other items of basic
necessities

4 Special arrangements Engineering staff at the Block I Mandal To identify and enlist NGOs who
evacuation of handicapped, level should repair drainage/canal/ are useful in extending help during
children and expectant roads etc. disasters
mothers
5 Medical sanitation Contacting Ex-army / Security forces Check the inventories of items required
requirements relief camps personal / volunteers to organize a task at a short notice for rescue and relief
force to assist people in emergency operations during the impact of
disasters.

25
Phase – I
Tasks to be performed by 3- tier Panchayat bodies for Preparedness planning

6 Arrangements disconnecting Procure and keep rescue materials At the first warning, call the meeting
lines during winds/gales including boats ready of the Crisis Management Group and
alert all concerned at Block and Village
levels.
7 Stocking food grains, drinking Function as link between the district All the members of the Crisis
water and other necessities and village level counter disaster Management Group (CMG) should be
activities asked to keep their personnel in full
preparedness, at all levels down the
line
8 The District Collector should be the
Leader of the CMG and establish
a control room which should be
managed by senior officers round the
clock during the crisis.
PHASE - II
Tasks to be performed by Panchayats for rescue and relief before and during the impact of disasters
1 At the on-set warning With the final warning of cyclone, In the event of on-set of a cyclone /
of a disaster, the Gram flood disasters, identify the villages flood disaster monitor the situation,
Panchayat Leaders, with the likely to be affected and send teams identify the Blocks and villages most
help of District and Block of Task Forces/ Volunteers to the likely to be affected and issue warnings
Level officers should start villages to supervise counter disaster at close intervals to all concerned.
preparations for countering measures.
Disaster. Establishment of
temporary shelters relief
camps should start
immediately.
2 With the final warning, Arrange transport facilities to evacuate Activate control room and keep full
operations for the evacuation people from villages likely to be watch on the situations
of people and the livestock affected and help GPs to shelter them
should start so that all are in temporary relief camps
at safer places before the
disaster strikes.
3 Along with evacuation of Arrange for emergency Arrange emergency communication
people and livestock, storage communication facility through Police system with the help of Police Wireless
of food and water for the wireless! Ham Radio, etc. / Ham Radio, etc.
people and the livestock
should be made.
4 The Volunteers and the task Arrange and assist GPs to establish Activate CMG and put them on job for
forces should be kept in temporary shelters/ relief camps. assisting Block and Village Panchayats
full readiness to take rescue for taking counter disaster measures.
operation at the shortest
notice.
5 Medical and other relief Arrange for the supply and transport Arrange transport for the evacuation of
teams from the district and of necessary food and other items to the people and livestock
Block may be asked to take relief camps in adequate quantities
position at strategic points
and coordinate with the
village volunteers / task
forces

26
Phase – I
Tasks to be performed by 3- tier Panchayat bodies for Preparedness planning

6 Veterinary aid teams for Supervise the rescue and relief Arrange for temporary emergency
taking care of livestock and activities along with District Level shelters/ relief camps and supply and
removal and disposal of officers. transport of all essential food and non
carcasses and measures for - food items to relief camps
protecting animals from any
probable epidemic
7 After the impact manage Inform the CMG in case specific help Requisitioning of the assistance of the
the relief centers to provide for rescue and relief operation is Armed Forces if the need arises.
food, water, medical aid and required from the Police and Security
other necessary services to forces including Army, Navy and Air
the affected people. Force.
8 Disposal of dead bodies and Assist the Armed forces in rescue and Monitoring of the rescue and relief
measures to prevent any relief operations operations at the village level
epidemic with the help of
medical teams.
9 Assessment of dead persons, Supervise the rescue and relief Assisting the Block and village
livestock, and damage to operations and coordinate with Panchayats in mobilising task forces/
houses and properties of various agencies like Task forces, NGOs Volunteers/ NGOs for rescue and relief
individuals, agriculture, etc. and Volunteers engaged in rescue and operations
relief operations
10 Assessment of the damage Maintain minute to minute information
to the public properties, on the situation during and immediately
infrastructure and after the impact and keep ready to
community assets. meet any specific emergency

PHASE - III
Reconstruction and long term planning

1 Assist in the identification of Assist in Planning and Implementation Planning and Implementation of
the victims of the disaster of Rehabilitation of affected people; Rehabilitation of affected people, repair
and eligible for various types Repair and reconstruction of damaged and reconstruction of damaged houses,
of compensations and assist house, physical infrastructure etc and physical infrastructure, etc and return
in the distribution return to normal economic activities to normal economic activities including
including farming etc farming etc
2 Formulate reconstruction Assist GP Panchayats in identification Compensation for loss of lives, properties
plan for individual houses, of persons eligible for different types of individuals should also begin
community and Govt. of compensation and its distribution.
buildings, roads and other
physical infrastructure within
the jurisdiction of the GP
with the assistance of the
technical departments from
block and district levels
3 Enforce minimum code or Based on hazard and vulnerability Mapping of hazard and vulnerability
specifications for the prepare village and block level should be initiated, if it is not available
construction of individual mitigation plan and consolidate and detailed maps should be prepared for
houses, community and integrate into block plan each block and district and should be
Government buildings, placed in both district and blocks
roads and other physical
infrastructure.

27
 Phase – I
Tasks to be performed by 3- tier Panchayat bodies for Preparedness planning

4 Help district and block level Assist and execute repair and The repair and reconstruction activities
organizations in organizing reconstruction activities should be integrated with a long term
awareness camps for mitigation planning so that the quality
management and mitigation of the reconstruction and repair is in
of disasters and ensure the consonance with the specifications
participation of the villagers provided for disaster resistant
structures
5 Organize village level Task Assist for enforcing the specified code The long term mitigation plan should
Force/ Volunteers and train or specification for the construction integrate normal development plan
them in counter disaster of houses and buildings, roads and in such manner that protective and
measures. other physical infrastructure preventive measures against the
disasters adhered in the implementation
of all development projects under each
and every sector
6 Assist block and district Assist in the formulation of long term Special funding should be made
level agencies in all mitigation planning and its integration available for the construction of physical
activities related to disaster with the development plan of the infrastructure to include disaster
management and mitigation block and the district resistant technologies particularly in the
construction of houses, roads, electric
transmission lines, drinking water
facilities, culverts, telecommunication,
irrigation canals, tanks and reservoirs
etc for the sections which are most
vulnerable
7 Assist block and district level Provide technical assistance to the Supervise all construction and
agencies in the supervision GP for identifying preventive and development activities
and the monitoring of protective measures required for
the reconstruction and countering disasters, planning for
development projects within them and help in the execution of
the village such projects.
8 Encourage village people to Supervise and monitor all projects
use insurance cover for all implemented by the GPs and block
their assets/ lives and other Panchayats relating to reconstruction
aspects. This should be made and long term mitigation of disasters
mandatory for all those who
can afford and also take
Govt. help for others who
can partially / not afford it.

ROLE OF PANCHAYAT IN PLANNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING

Community-based disaster preparedness (CBDP) approaches are increasingly important elements of vulnerability
reduction and disaster management strategies. They are associated with a policy trend that values the knowledge and
capacities of local people and builds on local resources, including social capital. CBDP may be instrumental not only in
formulating local coping and adaptation strategies, but also in situating them within wider development planning.
Sambalpur, Orissa
Chandimal GP in Kuchinda block of Sambalpur district is prone to flood from the river, ‘Bheden’. In order to prepare
the community for dealing with the disaster, the block administration organised a series of training programs in
2007 for the orientation of VDM teams as well as PRI members, with the help of trainers from ROPE, a local NGO.
With the initiatives of the Sarpanch a large number of volunteers including many female volunteers participated in
these programs, where gender-mainstreaming was also emphasised. A DM program was developed subsequently

28
 by the community with large participation of women under the guidance of ROPE.
A mock drill was conducted by them, where all villagers participated actively in a mock drill along with the DMT
members trained in the block program earlier.
Panchayats have a very important role to play in both preparedness and mitigation in mobilizing and organizing
the people as well as facilitate their capacity building. Communities should be motivated to make their own short
term and long – term DM plans for Disaster Mitigation for which Panchayat bodies need to lead from the front in
building their capacities through regular training in this field. A sustained effort in this direction will not only reduce
the dependency of the people on the Govt. but also help mobilize sizeable resources locally to counter disasters and
reduce the burden of the Govt. to a great extent.
(Capacity building has been discussed in greater detail in Chapter III)

ROLE OF PANCHAYAT IN MANAGING INFORMATION

Collection, analysis and dissemination are the three phases of managing information. This would not only help in
predicting natural disasters, but also help communities plan their agricultural activities.

Collection
Authentic information plays a vital role at the time of need like the disasters. Panchayats
should make an attempt to collect information from all relevant sources. In addition, they
should make an attempt to check its authenticity and validity before passing it on to the
community. Some of the sources from which Panchayats could collect information may be
Radio, Television, Govt. sources, District Disaster Mitigation Cell and from Newspapers and
News Agencies.

Analysis
Panchayats can form a committee of responsible persons who have access to the sources
mentioned above so that they can get the right information at right time In this respect, some
of the senior citizens of the local communities should be made members of this committee, so that they can help in
identifying certain local geographical indicators, which would enable people to predict future climatic conditions.

Dissemination
Panchayat functionaries can disseminate the information to the people in several ways. This can be done through
notice boards, radio, TV, telephone, appropriate signals, word of mouth, volunteers of DMT teams as well as through
the local NGOs.

ISSUES IN ROLE OF PRI IN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT

The role of Panchayats is important in view of their proximity to the local community, universal coverage and enlisting
people’s participation on an institutionalised basis. It is possible to ensure accountability and transparency through
the institution of Gram Sabha.
Hence there is an emphasis to involve Panchayats in Disaster Management and sensitize local communities through
them to develop coping mechanism in preparedness and mitigation measures to minimise its destructive effect on
life and property at local level. In the event of a disaster all people in its impact zone are affected but the poor and
vulnerable (disabled, widow, orphans and children) people suffer the most, as their ability to absorb losses is low. The
specific benefits of community participation accrue from involving people in their own development, as can be seen
from the following considerations:
 People can be sources of useful ideas, such as those from indigenous technical knowledge and skills;
 People can help adopt technical inputs emanating from outside in order to assimilate various innovations which
can be more pertinent under local conditions;
 User groups can set an example to others by testing new knowledge, skills, techniques they have gained, besides
institutional interventions formulated by government and;
 Also, the communities and people can participate in decision-making process with regard to implementation of
development schemes, which are pertinent to disaster reduction measures. And thus, people’s voices and choices
can be more appropriately reflected in development programs and the commitment of the implementing
functionaries like leaders, officials and NGOs can be reinforced further.

29
A few more issues need to be considered:
 PRIs need to be trained to evolve a community based disaster preparedness and management plan
 PRls need to involve/elicit the support or cooperation of other existing formal/informal local organisations in the
management of disaster relief and rehabilitation activities
 Based on the mapping of local institutions the PRI need to develop a strategy to orient them on disaster
preparedness.
 In social mobilization process, effort should be made to synergize how the local institutions which are found
to be better suited as catalysts, be effectively involved to tap the traditional wisdom of the local communities, to
complement the modern practices in the disaster mitigation efforts
 Given the hierarchical nature of bureaucracy (a component of the delivery system) making the officials exclusively
responsible for disaster management may not promote participatory approaches.
 Therefore, a synergic approach involving elected representatives along with civil society initiatives like NGOs
and CBOs, would provide a broad-based framework for disaster reduction and mitigation. How this process can
meaningfully be operationalised should be a core issue.
 Develop community based monitoring system to ensure effective operationalisation of disaster mitigation
strategies at local level.
 Work out partnership mode of participation between PRIs and line departments and other local organisations so
that the productivity of the institutional capital (i.e., resources) be maximised and the Disaster Management can
be more effective
 There is a greater need for evolving Management Information System (MIS) to address various components of
disaster management (especially planning, preparedness, relief, etc) with the involvement of PRIs. How the
networking of local institutions including PRIs and Line Departments should be developed so that MIS can be
evolved and utilised with the total participation of the stakeholders.
 Develop an inclusive approach as far as gender and vulnerability are concerned so that the delivery system is
sensitive to the needs of all groups, by involving them in the disaster management and preparedness process.
Keeping in view of the importance of the subject of Disaster Management and the role of various agencies and
local bodies, it is felt necessary to delineate the role of different organisations for suggesting improvements in the
existing coordination mechanism. This would also facilitate convergence of their efforts for effective implementation of
rehabilitation and restoration measures to re-build the economy in the aftermath of a large scale devastation caused
by natural disasters.

PREPAREDNESS OF THE PRI MEMBERS

As already discussed, a disaster brings in a very critical situation in the community. As the leaders of people the PRI
members need to take responsibilities and act, for which they need to be prepared with the right kind of knowledge,
skill and attitude. The basic three aspects, therefore, are:
I. What they need to do
II. What they need to know, and
III What attitude they must possess
First of all it is necessary to take note of some of their ‘must-do’ activities.

I. What the PRI members need to ‘DO’

Before a disaster
 Getting to understand the vulnerability of the area and the people
 Facilitation of Disaster Management Plans.
 Resource Mobilization
 Building Capacity of self as well as Team members
 Establishing linkages with other stakeholders
 Involving the DMC and DMTs
 Involvement of women in DM activities
 Inclusion of Disaster Management in the agenda of all meetings

30
During a disaster
 Involvement in ‘response’ activities
 Monitoring activities at all levels
 Management of Control Room
 Disbursement of compensation
 Maintaining coordination with related agencies

After a disaster
 Rehabilitation activities
 Maintaining social structures and infrastructures
 Evaluation & Documentation
 Integrating development programs with mitigation of disasters

II. What the PRI members need to ‘KNOW’

In order to carry out the aforementioned tasks the members need to gain a good knowledge about the following aspects:
 Concept of DM
 Approaches to capacity building
 Their own roles and responsibilities in DM
 All DM norms/ acts / schemes
 DMP(Process / operations / follow ups)
 Preparedness / awareness
 Technological knowledge / skills
 Process of coordination
 Knowing the stake holders
 DM initiatives taken at all levels
 Convergence & linkages
 Leadership skills
 Methods and approaches to creating dedicated volunteers
 Code of conduct

III. What ‘ATTITUDE’ the PRI members need to display

One’s inner attitude towards a task or a person or towards one’s own role counts a lot for the successful execution
of a responsibility. This aspect is even more vital in a responsibility connected to the public domain like Disaster
Management. Some of these attitudes could be enumerated as:
 Positive disposition towards preparedness activities
 Cognition of local coping mechanism
 Political neutrality
 No blame game and no passing the buck
 Need-based decision making on stakeholders
 Gender equity
 Social service above self
 Ownership of responsibilities
 Openness to learning
 Optimal utilization of resources
 Prioritization of activities
 Never-say-die attitude

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 Koraput, Orissa
Nilakantha Nayak, Sarpanch of Kusumi GP in the Kotpad block of Koraput has led from the front in taking initiatives
for preparation of village DM plan by involving the community members. He has formed various DM teams and
motivated them to work for the community. Under his leadership they have spread awareness among the people
about early warning information and have prepared them for dealing with emergent situations.

Some more Guidelines

Panchayats must adhere to the following principles during relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in order
to protect the rights and dignity of each and every victim of a disaster. Relief, they should remember, must be treated
as a right rather than as charity.
 Humanitarian imperatives come first.
 Aid should be given regardless of race, creed, nationality, caste and religion.
 Aid priorities must be calculated on the basis of need alone.
 Aid should not be used for a particular political or religious purpose.
 Respect must be shown towards culture and customs.
 Disaster response should build on local capacities.
 Beneficiaries should be involved in the management of relief programs.
 Relief must aim at reducing future vulnerability.
 Honesty, transparency and accountability must be emphasized.
 The dignity of victims must be respected
 Attention should be paid to the issue of gender equity.
 The needs of the children, disabled and stigmatized groups should be addressed on priority.
 All activities should be guided by the principle of inclusiveness.
 Coordination amongst various actors, who come forward to support the disaster affected population, should be
maintained.

FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR CALAMITY RELIEF

RESOURCES AND FUNDING OF DISASTERS
In India, natural disasters of one type or the other continue to strike relentlessly and there is increase in the magnitude,
complexity, frequency and economic impact. In the event of natural disasters, the State Governments are responsible
for rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations. The Central Government’s role is supportive in terms of physical
and financial resources and complementary measures. Nevertheless, availability of adequate funds for meeting the
expenditure on natural calamities is a very critical requirement.
So far as the practice of providing disaster relief fund is concerned, the guiding principles of disasters relief were framed
in 1893 which contained detailed instructions for each phase of calamity, the sources of funds and rates of different
items. The District Collectors were authorised to withdraw money in ‘circumstances of emergency’ without waiting for
formal sanction and to spend it on the prevention of loss of life and property due to disasters like floods, cyclones,
earthquakes, fires, etc. This practice continued for a long time till a provision was made in the Indian Constitution.
Under Treasury Rule (TR) - 27, the District Collector is empowered to draw money required for emergency relief
without the formal sanction of the government.

Resources for Calamities

The scheme of funding calamity relief is governed by the guidelines laid down by the successive Finance Commissions
constituted under provision of the Constitution. The Second Finance Commission was the first to use the terms ‘margin
money scheme’. Under the scheme, the revenue needs of each States is assessed and allocated as margin money for
meeting the expenditure on natural calamities. A specified sum ranging from Rs 10 to 100 lakh was kept in separate
fund and the annual balance was to be invested in readily encashable securities.
The contribution of the Central Government in the calamity relief expenditure of the states included a share in margin
money, advance plan assistance in the form of grants and loans, and Special Central assistance as grants and loans, etc.
To obtain the Central assistance, the procedure was that each state was required to submit a detailed memorandum on
damages to life and property after a particular disaster, and the fund requirement for rescue, relief and rehabilitation.

32
Subsequently, a team of experts was deputed by the Government of India to visit the affected State. It was observed
that the purpose of the visit of the Central team was to put a ‘ceiling’ on the sum in excess of the ‘margin money’
rather than to provide an estimate. The contribution of the Centre, however, would be limited to sharing of the
difference between the ceiling and the ‘margin money’. The quantum of ‘margin money’ was determined on the basis
of State’s average expenditure for the past several years on disaster relief.
In point of fact, this arrangement continued up to the Eighth Finance Commission. The Seventh Finance Commission
made some changes by including the expenditure on the repair of a disaster damaged public works in the margin
money. The Central and State Governments in the ratio of 3:1 shared the excess expenditure. Furthermore, the Eighth
Finance Commission increased the quantum of margin money and also included the expenditure on restoration of
public works. However, the size of the margin money increased gradually from Rs 6.15 crore per annum (Second
Finance Commission) to Rs 240.75 crore per annum (Eighth Finance Commission).
A radical departure was made by the Ninth Finance Commission (NFC) from the existing practice by granting greater
autonomy, accountable and responsibility on the States. It created a separate autonomous Calamity Relief Fund (CRF)
for each State. While recommending the Constitution of CRF, the Commission observed certain deficiencies in the
existing practice. It was pointed out that it was intended to encourage the State to present inflated claims with a view
to get higher Central assistance. Moreover, to reduce the procedural delays in sanctioning, releasing and carrying out
the actual relief work, the concentrated State could draw funds from CRF as and when the need arose.
The contribution of the Centre and the State was in the ratio of 75:25. The size of the CRF for each State was arrived
at on the basis of the average of actual expenditure for the past decade. Most importantly, the change suggested
by the NFC was that the entire contribution to the State would be in the form of grants. In addition, the State could
withdraw from the CRF on a pro data basis and the unspent amount would roll over into the next plan allocation of
the State. The total amount calculated for all States was Rs 804 crore per year.
The Tenth Finance Commission (TFC) favoured the continuation of the scheme of CRF with some modifications. While
working out the size of the fund, the Commission took into account the average of the aggregate of ceilings of
expenditure for the years 1983-84 to 1989-90 and the amount of CRF for the years 1990-91 to 1992-93. The amount
worked out for all States for the period of 1995-2000 was Rs 6304.27 crore. The TFC created an additional fund called
National Fund for Calamity Relief (NFCR), in addition to the CRF, with a corpus of Rs 700 crore shared between the
Centre and the State Governments in the ratio of 75:25. The NFCR will be operated by the Ministry of Agriculture,
Government of India. This fund will be utilised for ‘calamity of rare severity’. The Commission, however, did not provide
a definition of ‘calamity of rare severity’, which has created practical problems in declaring a calamity of rare severity.
In accordance with the Terms of Reference, the Eleventh Finance Commission (EFC) has taken a comprehensive
view while reviewing the scheme of Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) and made radical recommendations The EFC has
recommended continuation of CRF should be used for making the expenditure for providing immediate relief to the
victims of cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood and hailstorm. The Commission has further recommended that
the CRF would call for financial assistance to the affected States over and above what is available in the CRF or other
plan/non-plan source.
The Commission has suggested for augmenting the resources of the Central Government by recouping through
levying a special surcharge on Central Taxes. The amount collected from such surcharge/cess should be kept in a
separate fund created in the public account of the Central Government and the Center’s contribution would be Rs
500 crore as the initial core amount.
By and large, the recommendations of the EEC on Calamity Relief Expenditure been accepted by the government as
per the Action Taken Report of the government.

Other Financial Resources for Calamity Relief

In addition to the outflows from the CRF, substantial budgetary resources
are invested annually by both the Central and the State Governments mainly
on structural measures (engineering and non-engineering). The State Flood
Control Departments and the Central Water Commission also provide funds
for structural projects such as dams and reservoirs, dykes and embankment,
drainage and river training. Considerable amounts are also spent on publicity
on disaster awareness, communications, training and warning systems for
floods, cyclones, tidal waves, etc. Data on such budgetary allocation for these
purposes are not easily available for estimates.

33
Besides, after the occurrence of disaster events, remission of land revenues and interest components of agricultural
loans are granted, along with the rescheduling of all such loans. These measures are not usually included in the
expenditure statements of disaster relief funds.
The Central Government has introduced an Insurance Scheme for Crop Losses during disasters to compensate farmers
from the year 1996. This scheme is available to farmers who are availing of crop loans from the Banks, including
Cooperative and Seasonal Rural Banks and other Financial Institutions.
Resources are also provided by International Agencies for disaster prevention and mitigation on a project to project
basis. The United Nations is at the vanguard among the agencies providing funding for various types of disasters
management activities.
However, the integration of Village Disaster Mitigation Plan with the long term development plan of the area can be
made possible by tapping funds from following sources:
 Plan Funds from Sectoral Departments of the State Government
 Funds available under various centrally sponsored rural development programs/schemes, such as Integrated
Wasteland Development Program (IWDP), Sampoorna Gram Rojgar Yojna (SGRY), National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (NREGA), Prime Minister’s Grameen Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation
Program etc.
 Local Resource Mobilisation
 Funding from Central Budget for disaster management.

-----------------------------------------------------------
(The Calamity Relief Fund or CRF Norms have been placed in the Annexure)

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 CHAPTER 3
Community
Based
Disaster
Preparedness
(CBDP)

35
36
CHAPTER III
COMMUNITY BASED DISASTER PREPAREDNESS (CBDP)
Overview of the chapter
 Concept of CBDP
 Community Based Disaster Preparedness – Scope and Activities
 Process of CBDP
 Components of CBDP
Mapping exercises
Disaster management Teams
Community Contingency Fund
 Overall Guideline for developing a CBDP Plan

THE CONCEPT OF CBDP

INTRODUCTION
Increasing frequency and intensity of disasters in India, including some major disasters experienced in the recent
past in Orissa and Gujarat, has made people at the highest policy level to realize the gravity of the problem and
prompted a change in approach with more emphasis placed on pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation. This entails
a corresponding shift in focus away from conventional fire-fighting approach to disaster management towards the
local-level initiatives involving a range of stakeholders.
Though the responsibility of Disaster Management is vested with the Central and State governments, it is difficult for
them to deal effectively all the aspects of the disaster management according to the needs of the affected people. In
many cases, where the disaster affected area and population is large, the reach of the government machinery is not
adequate and considerable loss of life and property occurs due to lack of timely response. It has been the experience
during recent major disasters that where local communities as well as the local governments took initiative, the
process of rescue, relief and rehabilitation was smooth and effective, where as in other areas the Government and
Non-government Agencies had to face enormous problems.
The High Powered Committee on Disaster Management has, in its draft policy, stated the importance of the Community
Based Disaster Management and the involvement of the local governments, Municipalities and the Panchayati Raj
Institutions.

INVOLVEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY

In the present day every individual is vulnerable and is threatened by the natural and man made disasters, which
are growing in number and variety. In other words, every individual is required to be aware and also have minimum
capacity to counter such crisis. This implies that entire population of a settlement or a village forms a community and
has to be involved in its safeguard in the event of a crisis which has potential to affect all or majority of them.
While it is not possible to reach every individual to develop his/ her capacity to counter the disasters, it is possible to
approach the groups, formal or informal, to achieve the task of creating awareness and developing minimum capacity
to cope up with the disaster. In other words, the community based disaster management has to start at community
level through the groups of people to reach out to each family level. The first response to the natural hazards comes
from immediate neighborhood and spreads into many settlements in the community; while the government and
other organizations take some time to reach them.

COMMUNITY BASED DISASTER PREPAREDNESS - SCOPE AND ACTIVITIES

The community based disaster preparedness (CBDP) is a process to capacitate communities to prevent, mitigate
and cope with disasters effectively. The process is designed, managed and owned by the communities. Others
(Government agencies, public and private corporate bodies, NGOs, International agencies / donors etc.) play the role
of facilitators.
The Disaster Preparedness process embraces measures that enable governments, communities and individuals to
respond rapidly to disaster situations to cope with them effectively. Preparedness includes the formulation of viable

37
emergency plans, effective warning systems, maintenance of inventories and the training of personnel. It may also
embrace search and rescue measures as well as evacuation plans for areas
that may be at ‘risk’ from a recurring disaster. Preparedness planning needs
to be supported by appropriate rules and regulations with clear allocation of
responsibilities and budgetary provisions.
The PRIs through the institution of Gram Sabha and Village Committee on
Disaster Management can establish link with the community, CBOs and other
players in the field and facilitate and regulate the activities of the community
based disaster preparedness. The PRls can act as catalyst to social mobilization
process and tap the traditional wisdom of the local communities to complement
the modern practices in disaster mitigation efforts. There could be committees on
disaster management activities at various levels of PRIs. The District Planning Committee and the Disaster Management
Committee of the district can integrate the development plan with the Disaster Management plan.

PROCESS OF CBDP
The process of preparation of CBDP plans through a participatory process, institutionalisation of risk management as
well as linking it to the overall developmental planning process could be ensured only with capacity enhancement
of the stakeholders.
Simultaneously, there is a need to create large- scale awareness about various options of development process which
reduces risks. These cannot be a one-time activity.
In order to ensure ownership by the community and to ensure reflection of local conditions and sensitiveness,
preparation of CBDP will have to be through a participatory approach. Community based organizations and the NGOs
who have been working with communities are to be identified to facilitate a PRA exercise. The process followed is
briefed as follows:

Awareness Campaign
A massive awareness campaign is necessary to motivate the community in preparation of the disaster management
plans. These campaigns are carried out through various means like rallies, street plays, competitions in schools,
distribution of IEC materials, wall paintings on do’s and don’ts for various hazards, etc. Meetings with key persons of
a village such as the village head, health worker, school teachers, elected representatives and members of the youth
clubs and women also motivate the villagers to carry forward these plans for a safer living.

Training of Gram Panchayat / Block Members

In several states of India, Gram Panchayat is the intermediary administrative unit between block and village level,
which has a vital link for disaster management activities. It is the responsibility of the Gram Panchayat Disaster
Management Committee to supervise and guide the community in this process. Similarly block is the administrative
unit that executes all developmental programs in the rural areas, and has a very good linkage with the upper level
of administration. Therefore, both levels of functionaries are very important to ensure risk reduction as a part of the
development program. The district level master trainers are responsible to train the functionaries of GP and blocks
before initiation of the activities at the village level.

Identification of Village Volunteers and Training

One of the major objectives of CBDP process is to develop a cadre of trained human resources at community level to
carry out all disaster management and mitigation initiatives. An innovative method is used in this program to train
at least two persons as disaster management volunteers who, after being trained are supporting the community in
development of the village disaster management plan. These volunteers are selected by the representatives of local
self-government, block functionaries and CBOs. Most of the volunteers are from local youth clubs, women self help
groups or from CBOs and belong to the same community.

Training of PRl Members

The three tier Panchayati Raj system (peoples’ representatives) existing in India has laid down responsibilities of
elected local government officials at various levels. To mainstream CBDP, it is suggested to involve PRIs in the process
to address the vulnerability reduction initiatives through the developmental program because they are responsible
for the local area’s development. All PRIs are oriented by the master trainers on disaster risk management initiatives

38
and encouraged to be involved to reduce the disaster impact. These oriented PRIs would help the trained volunteers
and community on disaster preparedness and management. They are vital players in the disaster reduction program
and help to sustain the same.

Sensitization Meetings at Village & Community Level

Village sensitisation meetings are organized with help of the representative of local self-Govt, trained volunteers, local
NGOs etc. for the implementation of disaster preparedness and mitigation initiatives. In some villages the communities
are ready for disaster management planning and other activities in one meeting or in some places they require more
efforts.

Specialized Training of DMTs

Each of the DMTs comprises groups of women and men volunteers and is assigned with a specific task to discharge.
Specialized training is provided on search and rescue, first aid, trauma counseling and water & sanitation teams for
skills up gradation. All DMTs are linked with existing govt. service providers for continuous training. Some of the
training institutions have been strengthened for regular training of DMTs at various levels.

Women’s Participation in Community Based Disaster Preparedness

Women, children and old age people are the most vulnerable groups in any emergency situation and need special
attention and support. While preparing the preparedness and response plan of a village, equal opportunity is given to
women groups to participate in the preparedness and mitigation initiatives of the village. Women are encouraged to
be the members of shelter management, search & rescue and first aid and water and sanitation DMTs. Special trainings
such as swimming, first aid etc. are organized to enhance the skills of women DMTs to perform their duties better
during the time of an emergency. In formation of DMC and DMTs, efforts should be made to ensure at least one third
membership for women to improve the local level planning and response process.

COMPONENTS OF CBDP
 Disaster Management Committee
 Review and analysis of past disasters
 Seasonality Calendar of disasters
 Mapping exercises
 Disaster Mitigation teams(DMTs)
 Mock Drill
 Identification of Hazard Specific Mitigation Activities
 Community Contingency Fund

Disaster Management Committee:

Village Disaster Management Committee (VDMC) is formed in each village and it is responsible for initiating disaster
preparedness activities. It consists of local elected representatives, grass root level government - functionaries, local
NGOs, CBOs, members of youth groups such as the National Service Scheme (NSS) and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan
(NYKS), women groups and youth club members etc. The size of VDMC is based on the population and need of the
villagers. The head of the VDMC takes a lead in mobilizing the community for the preparation of the CBDP plans.

Review & Analysis of Past Disasters:

It refers to prioritizing disasters based on its frequency and analysis of the estimated losses. This can be carried out by
taking the help of elderly people of the village. The villagers analyze the losses that they had incurred during various
disasters and learn the best practices carried out. This is an important activity as it forms the basis for preparedness
and mitigation plans.

Seasonality Calendar of Disasters:

While analyzing the past experiences pertaining to various natural disasters, communities develop the seasonality calendar
based on the occurrence of disaster events. In the calendar below prepared by the community show the month of occurrence
of the disaster and month for preparedness and mock drill.

39
 Disasters Jan. Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep. Oct Nov Dec

Flood
Cyclone
Household fire
Drought
Forest fire

Mapping Exercises:
One of the most important activities of the CBDP is the mapping of risk, vulnerabilities and capacities of the Village
by the community itself; because it is a very simple and cost effective tool to collect ground level data. This is done
through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercise. Before the mapping exercise starts, the community members first
discuss among themselves, about the experience of previous disasters they have faced or the disasters they may face
in future. It aims to provide a pictorial base to the planning
process especially for the semi — literate populace and
ensures maximum community involvement across gender,
caste and other divides. It has also been found to be very
effective in raising awareness among the community
and thereby enhancing participation of the community
in problem identification. The maps generate awareness
among the community about the avenues for smooth
evacuation during a disaster. The strategy adopted is to
use locally available resources rather than depending on
the external agencies for help and support. The villagers/
community members are encouraged to draw the maps on the ground using locally available materials such as stone,
sand and various colour powders for different items and indicators. The maps drawn need not be to scale. The types
of maps are as follows:

Resource map:
Resource mapping focuses on identifying locally available assets and resources that can be utilized for building the
capacities of the community during and after disasters. Apart from infrastructure and funds, this could be individuals
with specific skills, local institutions and people’s knowledge as all these have the capacity to create awareness and
bring about changes in the community. A resource map is therefore not limited to a map depicting the available
resources alone, but also its distribution, access and utilisation within the village.

Risk and vulnerability map:

In the vulnerability map the community members have to identify the hazards that the village is prone to and the
possible areas that could be affected. They also demarcate the low lying areas, areas near the water bodies such as
the sea and river, direction of wind, etc. Through this mapping exercise the community members identify the location
of groups at risk and the assets that require protection from various hazards.

Safe and alternate route map:

In a similar exercise, the villagers identify safe areas such as strong houses/ buildings, raised platforms etc. These act
as a shelter place for the people in the event of an evacuation. It would be useful to identify the alternate approach
routes which could be used during the time of an emergency.

Disaster Management Teams:

A number of village level Disaster Management Teams (DMTs)/ Task Forces are formed to outline coordinated response
during crisis situations. DMTs have sectoral focus such as early warning, shelter management, evacuation & rescue,
medical and first aid, water and sanitation, carcass disposal, counseling, damage assessment and relief and coordination.
Based on a needs assessment of the teams, specialised training could be provided to the members. DMT members
would be linked to the existing service providers for continuous training and discharging of their responsibilities
effectively.

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 Nuapada, Orissa
Satyabadi Mahapatra served for five years from 2002 to 2007 as the Sarpanch of Kothakusanga GP under Nimapada
block of Puri in Orissa. The initiatives taken by him during this period for disaster mitigation are indeed very
inspiring.
 He facilitated the formation of Disaster Mitigation Teams and arranged their capacity building.
 He not only facilitated the preparation of Village DM plans in all the 10 revenue villages, but also
regularly got them updated involving the ward members, VDMC volunteers, SHGs and local NGOs
during the occasions of Pallisabha.
 He regularly celebrated the Orissa Disaster Preparedness Day on 29th October every year and used the
occasion to hold several activities as well as to generate awareness among the people.
 During the floods of 2003 and 2006 he would reach out to the flood affected people and closely
coordinate the rescue and relief activities using the DMT members.

Mock Drill:
Mock drill is an integral part of the village CBDP plan, as it is a preparedness drill to keep the community alert.
Keeping this in view, mock drills are organised in all villages to activate the DMTs and modification of the DM plan
based on the gaps identified during such exercises. Basically this is a simulation exercise, which if practised several
times, would help in improving the cohesiveness of the community during an emergency.
The community’s preparedness could be enhanced through mock drill exercise organised once in six months as per
the seasonality calendar of natural disaster events that is likely to occur.

Identification of Hazard Specific Mitigation Activities :

While developing the CBDP, the villagers would develop a mitigation plan for each hazard for long term planning. These
could be coastal belt plantation, cyclone shelters in cyclone prone areas, improved drainage system in low lying areas,
raising the platform of the community hall or school building etc. All mitigation plans would be forwarded to higher
authorities for financial provision. It helps the community to minimize the loss, and prevents the impact of various natural
disasters. All community mitigation plans are consolidated at Gram Panchayat (GP) level and become the part of the
respective GP developmental plan. The mitigation plans would eventually be funded under the on-going development
programs in the district, for which the District Magistrate/ Collector is the nodal officer. Disaster management committee
at the District level and the State Steering Committee (a mechanism established at the State headquarters level) could
play a major role in ensuring this.

Community Contingency Fund (CCF):

Availability of resources for various activities to be carried out at different phases of the cycle is very crucial. To meet
this contingency, each household in the village would be motivated to contribute resources which could be in the form
of funds and/ or food grains.) is collected and kept as the Community Contingency Fund or village emergency fund.
In the annual meeting they decide how to use this fund as per the need and developmental plan of the village.

Contingency Fund in a village in Uttarkashi

In the hills of Uttarkashi people consider disasters as ‘Devi Apada’. One of the concerns is that the funds which
come under CRF norms for execution of work are enjoyed by a few influential people. Again the victims of disasters
get the meager relief at a very late stage and sometimes they don’t even know if their village got the money
under CRF norms. The procedure for getting relief is also very lengthy and it involves a lot of functionaries from
Patwaris to the Higher Officials.
Initiative:
Keeping this in mind a small initiative was undertaken in the District. Under the training of Disaster Management
Intervention Team (DMIT) at the Bhatwari Tehsil the members were motivated to have their own DM fund. An
amount of Rs.10/- was collected on the spot from each of the team members. It was decided to open a joint
account at Post office or Bank with the Gram Pradhan and Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari, known as Panchayat
Mantri, as the joint signatories. It was decided that in case there was a need to use this fund, an open meeting
of the villagers along with Panchayat representatives would be called and the work to be executed would be
discussed and decided there. The minutes of the meeting would be recorded in the Gram Sabha Register.

41
 It was decided to collect Rs.10/- from each and every household of the village against the amount of two bidis a
person smokes almost daily spending nearly Rs 11/-. It was also decided that the details of the collection would
be displayed in the Panchayat Office to maintain transparency.
Problem:
Villagers were not convinced about this idea; they cited that earlier many schemes had been launched in the
villages especially the SHGs, where half the amount was deposited by the Govt.; but members did not deposit
their contribution regularly.
Solution:
The women promptly came forward to solve the problem; they promised that they would save the money from
their household budgets and would deposit regularly, as this would be their own fund.
People’s participation:
In the village of Didsari of Tehsil Bhatwari the fund was deposited in the Bank as per the agreed plan. The fund
was initiated with a modest amount of Rs 60/-; but the total amount swelled to Rs 500/- very soon.
Path ahead:
A training program on Disaster management was conducted for the newly elected Panchayat representatives from
21st to 28 December 2008 including the Gram Pradhans and BDC members. When the example of Didsari was
shared with them they all felt motivated and promised to follow the path in their respective Gram Sabhas.
Truly said, “A journey of thousand miles starts with a single step.”

Overall Guideline for developing a CBDP Plan

Following is an overall view at creating a CBDP plan. It takes into account some basic steps to be followed. A set of
questions have been suggested at every step, which are expected to lead the initiative logically towards community
involvement as well as to arrive at a systematically constructed DM plan.

Sl No. Activity Questions to ask

1 Setting aims of the Plan  What should be included in the aims and objectives?
 Who will do it?

2 Preparing community profile  Which parameters are to be mapped in the profile?

 Are any structured formats available?
 Who is going to do it?

3 Assessment of the Community  What are the risks and vulnerabilities in the community?
 What are the weaknesses and strengths?
 What are the community resources?
 How to prepare community maps?

4 Warning Systems  What kinds of warning systems are going to be used?

 Who operates them?
 Who does what when warnings are received?

5 Evacuation Procedures  Who authorises evacuation and when?

 What routes are to be followed?
 Who will look after those people in the community who need
special assistance ?

42
Sl No. Activity Questions to ask

6 Emergency Shelters  What buildings have been chosen for this purpose (e.g. shelter
home, schools etc)?
 What equipments are available there and who is responsible
for their failsafe operation?
 Who will manage the shelters and how?
7 Search and Rescue  Who is responsible?
 What equipment is available and where is it?
8 Damage/ Needs Assessment—Initial  Who is responsible?
and On-going  How will it be done?
 Is there a report format available?
9 Road Cleaning/ Debris Clearing  Who is responsible?
 What equipment is available and where is it?
10 Communication  How will our community be in contact with the outside world
after a disaster?
 What other means are available?
11 Law and Order/ Security  Who is responsible?
12 Transport  Who is responsible for arranging transport in an emergency?
 What vehicles are available and where are they?
 What arrangements can be made with the owners before a
disaster?
13 Repair of Community Services  Who is responsible?
(Water, Electricity, Phones)
14 Health  Who will coordinate First Aid assistance?
 What clinics, equipment and supplies are available?
 Who are the trained First Aid personnel in the community and
what will be their roles?
15 Personal Support for thos Affected  Who has experience of training?
by Disasters  Who will coordinate this assistance?
16 Welfare  What will be done to provide shelter, food and clothing for
those in need?
17 Relief Supplies  Who will identify the most needy and how will it be done?
 How can emergency supplies be obtained after a disaster?
 Who will be responsible for obtaining and distributing them?
18 Outside Assistance  What is available?
 How are requests made?
 Who is responsible for making requests?
19 Testing the Community Plan  How will this be done?
 How will a mock drill be conducted?
20 Revision and Updating of the  How often will this be done?
Community Plan  How will it be done and who will be involved?
21 Making the Community Aware of  How will this be done?
the Plan  How will community members give their input to the Plan?
 Who is responsible?

43
Sl No. Activity Questions to ask

22 Risk Reduction (Mitigation)  How will these be identified?

Activities  Who will carry out these activities?
 How will any such programme be funded?
23 Documents  Community maps, VCA details, contact names and addresses,
list of people responsible for particular activities, damage/
needs assessment report form, etc.

-----------------------------------------------------------

44
CHAPTER 4

Getting
Prepared
For
Disasters

45
46
Chapter – IV
GETTING PREPARED FOR DISASTERS
Overview of the Chapter
Understanding Disaster Preparedness
Preparedness and Mitigation Measures
Promotion of a culture of preparedness
Awareness Generation
Formation of Disaster Management Committee & Teams
Disaster management Teams at the apex level (Block and District)
Capacity Building of the teams and the community
 Training of DMC and DMTs
 Mock Drill
 Search and Rescue Operations
 Understanding warning/ de-warning messages
 Household preparedness
 First Aid
 Handling Communications equipment
 Trauma Counseling
Development of Disaster Management Plans
 DM plans at Pallisabha & Gramsabha
 Components for consideration
 Key Areas
 PRA
 Village Profile analysis
 Risk assessment
 Identification of resources and assets
 Developing village maps for DM
 Integration of DM in development planning
 Inter-agency Coordination
Information management
Activity Calendar for DM preparedness
An overall guideline for DM preparedness

UNDERSTANDING DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Preparedness is the means by which anticipated adverse effects of extreme events can be reduced and new
opportunities seized. While preparedness represents an advance action based on past experience and anticipated
outcomes, coping strategies represent actual measures taken once the event has occurred. However, both the terms
sometimes overlap.
When poor people get exposed to disasters, they become vulnerable to income losses and loss of well-being. Poor
people respond to the risk exposure through diversification of assets and sources of income and various types of self
insurance (buffer stocks, savings) and informal insurance (networks of mutual support), all intended to reduce the risk
and soften its impact.
Therefore preparedness is the most important aspect of counter-disaster measures and its absence has a direct bearing
on the extent of the damage, loss of lives and property and hardship faced by the people in the event of a calamity.
This chapter is devoted to a discussion on the various aspects of disaster preparedness.

47
Preparedness would broadly consist of the following:
 General awareness among people about the nature and intensity of the impact and resultant damages,
losses and hardship caused by different types of natural calamities.
 Knowledge of the counter measures required by the local community as well as the assistance available from
various Government as well as Non-Government agencies in the event of a natural calamity.
 Formation and training of Disaster Mitigation Committees and Teams of volunteers
 Development of Disaster Management Plans
 Mock drill on search and rescue operations
 Understanding of warning/ de-warning messages
 Household preparation
 First Aid
 Information management
 Inter-agency coordination

PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

Community-based disaster preparedness
(Discussed in Chapter III)

Coping Mechanisms
Coping strategies may be understood as how an individual or a community responds to change in environmental
or socio economic conditions and its consequences. An approach towards developing a coping mechanism towards
disasters would include the following steps:
1. Establish an information base by determining:
 What hazards can affect the given area?
 Who and what will be most at risk due to the given situation?
 What are the main reasons for their vulnerability toward the given hazards?
 What resources and capabilities are available for effective response actions during Disaster occurrence.
2. Identify and implement programs on vulnerability reduction and public
education and train the vulnerable local population in disaster prone areas.
3. Consider ways to reduce risks associated with local hazard phenomena. Often
these may be a combination of traditional and modern methods.
4. Become familiar with how local people engage in disaster preparedness and
then design ways to support them with their efforts. Do the same with regard
to response preparedness.
5. Mobilise and train volunteers for effective response actions.
6. Plan for the rapid acquisition of necessary relief supplies and equipment
for use in emergency situation and maintain stock. Investigate options for the delivery of relief supplies to distant
or inaccessible areas.
7. Establish reliable and appropriate communication lines between responsible local authorities and local
organisations as well as with the District Authorities. These communication lines are essential for proper
coordination of disaster response actions.

PROMOTION OF A CULTURE OF PREPAREDNESS

Disaster preparedness at its best can be seen as a culture in a society that involves a continuous and integrated
process resulting from a wide range of activities and resources rather than just a distinct sectoral activity by itself. It
requires the contributions of many different areas—ranging from training and logistics, to health care to institutional
development. Viewed from this broad perspective, disaster preparedness encompasses the following objectives:

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 Strengthening community-based disaster preparedness for the community.
 Increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of disaster emergency response mechanisms at the GP,
Block and District levels.
 Developing activities that are useful for both addressing everyday risks that communities face and for
responding to disaster situations—for example, health, first aid or social welfare programs that have
components useful for disaster reduction and response.
A sound and systematic approach towards development of a culture of disaster preparedness in a vulnerable
society would include a number of steps as described earlier.

AWARENESS GENERATION
Generating Community Awareness for Disaster Mitigation
Community disaster awareness initiatives are required to inform and train local populations about how to prepare for
natural disasters and emergencies. This can reduce a population’s vulnerability to specific hazards. These initiatives
need not require large financial outlays; nor do they require the work of a great number of people. What is required
is a DM communication strategy that is planned properly and timed well to integrate with other local and community
development strategies.
It has been seen that people’s interest in disaster preparedness fades away if there is a lapse of a long time between
disaster-events. People tend to allocate lesser importance to disasters till they are hit by the next event. Therefore,
disaster awareness activities will have the greatest impact only if the aspects of preparedness is kept alive in the
public mind; This can be done best if it can be integrated into broader program strategies; such as community health
care, drinking water initiative, sanitation concerns such as waste water and solid waste disposal, rural employment
guarantee scheme and community based first aid program.

Communication for awareness generation may generally relate to the following themes:
 The potential disasters, emergencies and hazards specific to a region, and their effects
 Low-cost measures local populations can take to prevent and prepare for disasters and emergencies
 Measures the government and official emergency and disaster managers are taking to prevent, prepare for and
respond to disasters
 Official disaster public warning and information systems, evacuation
routes, temporary shelters and how and when this information will
becommunicated

The communication may have to contain information on:

 The human and physical elements that are most vulnerable or most-at-
risk
 Actions to prevent and prepare for a potential disaster
 Safety and survival actions to take when the disaster is occurring
 Safety, survival and recovery actions to take after the disaster has occurred
 Official sources to contact for additional information

FORMATION OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE & TEAMS

There is a wide range of tasks that needs to be taken care of before during and after a disaster It is not possible to
accomplish the same by a single person or even a small group of persons It is necessary to involve as many members
of the community as possible to take up these responsibilities. A clear cut assignment of roles and responsibilities
would bring about the required understanding of who is to do what.

Selection criteria
As far as nomination of volunteers to various committees is concerned, the local community knows who has what
skill or capabilities among them; therefore, they know best about the suitability of particular persons for specific
responsibilities. However, the following may be considered as a basis of selection of the volunteers. The teams should
include:

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 A healthy mix of youth and the elderly
 Persons with broader outlook and voluntary spirit
 People having previous experience of disasters
 Representation from among the vulnerable and marginalized groups
 Women
 Persons with special knowledge and skill required in DM activities
 Persons with good contact in and around the community

1. Village Disaster Management Committee (VDMC):

Role & Responsibilities:
The President would preside over all meetings and be responsible for overall management.
All the Task Force Members would be directly managed by him.
The committee would be responsible for :
 Developing the Village Disaster Mitigation Plan
 Maintaining peace during operations.
 Maintaining all accounts of the committee.
 Keeping contact with Block Administration and other related agencies.
 Assisting the various team members in performing their responsibilities.
 Trying to wipe out bottlenecks/ lacunas in the contingency plan.
In addition, the roles and responsibilities of VDMC will include the following:
 Check the household preparedness before any disaster-situation and teach the villagers to reinforce the roof and
wall wind and flood water. Strengthening of safe shelters should be attended to before monsoon season, latest
by end of May.
 Keep some temporary shelter materials in the village for emergency purpose and identify the safe shelter
for keeping the evacuees. Coordinate with the owner of the houses for use as safe shelter during the time of the
disaster.
 DMT members should be trained and help the community in the time of emergency. DMT members should watch
the situation and keep contact with the villagers for any eventuality.
 VDMC would have link with GP and Block for information and support in terms of relief and search and rescue.
 VDMC would ensure the effective functioning of the all DMTs in the villages and update the information in the
VDMP and other information.
 VDMC would have linkages with local PHC for medicine and up gradation of their skill. Help the medical unit
for their ongoing work in rural areas. They should ensure the availability of common medicine in the village. They
should also ensure that villagers are familiar with the practice of disinfection of flood water and use of ORS.
 VDMC should ensure necessary preparations by respective DMTs. For example, they should ensure that the Water
and sanitation Team establishes linkages with RWSS for bleaching powder, repair of tube wells and tanks.
 Keep some dry food, either collect from each house hold or purchase from the market. DMT should coordinate
with block and gram Panchayat for relief materials. Pre-position of food stock should be ensured in the village by
VDMC members along with relief DMT members.
 Keep all vulnerable groups confident to face the disaster and keep everyone ready for rescue, food, drink and
safe shelters.
Nuapada, Orissa
In order to mitigate drought in the poor villages of the Palsipani block in Nuapada district, the community
came forward under the GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk Management Program to prepare a community-based disaster
management plan. As part of the initiative the villagers formed teams to support drought mitigation efforts
and identified locations for constructing water-harvesting structures. This community-based initiative resulted in
bringing “greenery” back to the village.

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2. Warning Team
Role & Responsibilities:

Pre Disaster Situation:

 Listen to the news and warnings disseminated thru AIR/ DD carefully.
 Inform VDMC and other Team members.
 Check Siren, Drum, Cycle, lists, Red Flags and other equipments/ materials required to disseminate warnings in
the community well in advance.
 Recheck and confirm warnings from Block Administration/ PS/ GP Office. Keep contacts over telephone/ VHF with
Block Control Room.
During Disaster Situation:
 The warning team would warn the houses/ persons those who have been identified as most vulnerable and put
red flags on houses, required to be evacuated immediately after the warning.
 The team would inform the community the velocity/ movement/ direction of the immediate threat so that people
can be evacuated as quickly as possible.
 Keep listening to news
Post Disaster Situation:
 The team, before informing community regarding weakening of the threat, would get it checked from, if possible,
Block Control Room/ PS and act accordingly.
 Inform villagers the steps they need to take in the aftermath of a disaster.
 Inform Block/ GP Control room

3. Rescue & Evacuation Team

Role & Responsibilities:

Pre:
 Keep all lists ready. Specially the name of vulnerable people, fishermen, sick and ailing, children and women.
 Check and keep all equipments/ materials required to evacuate and rescue villagers ready, such as cycle, bullock
cart, rickshaw, boats etc. If any shortfall is found, it should immediately be arranged/replaced or repaired.
 For better transportation, bad roads or block roads should be repaired with the help of responsible Govt
agencies.
 Dwellers of thatched / weak houses may be advised on how to retrofit their houses using locally available
resources.
 Mound to be arranged to evacuate domestic animals with fodder.
 Farmers/people may be advised to set their domestic animals free.
During:
 Warn/prevent fisherman/farmers to venture outside during emergency.
 Help the evacuees to get in to their respective shelters with minimum belongings.
 Rush to the spot if any casualty informed, if require take the help of First Aid team
 Arrange shifting of acute cases to the PHC.
 Advice evacuees to maintain peace and sanitation during staying in the shelters.
 Keep vigil not allow any one to go out during fatal time.
 If possible, try to find out missing persons within the community.
Post:
 Try to arrange vehicle/boat to shift acute cases to the nearest hospital
 Clean roads/garbage in order to establish proper transportation/movement
 Help the people to go back their homes

51
 Establish contact to the out side agencies who would like to help the needy
 Help other Task Force groups

4. Shelter Management Team

Role & Responsibilities:

Pre:
 Check well in advance the identified shelters in the community. Emphasis should be given to see whether the
doors, windows, electrification, latrine, water tank etc are in order.
 Arrange dry ration, water, medicines, candle, kerosene, utensils for at least one week, out of village contingency
fund.
 The team would make necessary arrangements to keep proper health and sanitation during their staying.
 Temporary latrines to be made separately for men and women.
 Special arrangement should be made for pregnant women and ailing patients.
During:
 Ensure that people come to shelters with some food/ water/ candle/ match box and other day to day requirements
at least for three days
 Register the name of the evacuees. If any one found missing inform the Search and Rescue Team immediately
 Make special arrangements for pregnant women and ailing persons
 The team should strictly maintain health/ hygiene in the shelter
 Evacuees may be asked to use their own foodstuff first. Emphasis to be given to given on the use of safe drinking
water.
 Emphasis should be given to maintain peace in the shelters. People should be especially motivated and persuaded
not to pay any heed to rumors.
 The team may arrange activities (Bhajan/ Kirtan etc) to divert the attention of the panicked people.
 A transistor radio should be in use in order to know the current situation of the possible threat as well as its
departure to avoid confusions.
Post:
 Provide all kind of support to the people so as to help them go back to their homes
 Arrange/ collect relief items from other sources to maintain buffer stock
 Maintain cleanliness inside and outside the shelter
 Make necessary arrangement to have community feast
 Make necessary arrangements to repair, if any, shelters immediately after the event is over
 Support other teams
 Submit expenditure report, if any, to VDMC

5. Vigilance/ patrolling Team

Role & Responsibilities:
 Give confidence/ assurance to the people not to worry about their belongings/ property and help the people
shift to safer places
 Taking care of the community property
 Guard the property of the evacuated people from miscreants

6. Sanitation Team
Role & Responsibilities:

Pre:
 Collect disinfectants from nearest PHC/ ANM

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 Collect kerosene/petrol/fire wood to destroy decomposed bodies in advance
 Ensure regular disinfections of tube wells by RWS & S Dept.
 Take measures to protect water sources from polluting due to flood
 Arrange/ use lime to purify pond/ well etc
 Arrange temporary latrines near cyclone shelter with adequate disinfectants
 Keep the sewerage system clean
During:
 Ensure proper sanitation near shelters
 Arrange/ ensure evacuees take boiled/purified water for drinking
 Inform/demonstrate how to use chlorine/halogen tabs for drinking water
 Use disinfectants in the wells/tube wells
 Ensure that the water reserved by shelter management team is safe enough to use.
Post:
 Use disinfectants to keep the community out of spreading epidemics
 Help Rescue Team to clean garbage.
 Help the Carcass Disposal Team to destroy dead bodies of animals.
 Use disinfectants in those areas for better hygiene.
 In case of human dead bodies take the permission of the concerned/ authorized government department.
 Document and should keep photographs of the deceased person for identification in the future.
 Make the community aware regarding the use of disinfectants for drinking water and ensure that people follow it.
 Arrange to keep the sewerage system clean.

7. First Aid Team

Role & Responsibilities:

Pre:
 Recheck the list of pregnant women, children, ailing, old and disabled and make necessary arrangement
 Ensure that the First box contains medicines, bandage, plaster, sterilized blade, needle, scissor, chlorine tablets,
halogen tablets, pen balm, ointment ,clean cotton, ORS packets, Dettol etc
 Explain/demonstrate people on how to use disinfectants/water purifier to get purified water and maintain good
hygiene
 Instruct Rescue Team to take special care for the pregnant mother and the sick and ailing
During:
 Take immediate step to address sick and injured. If possible try to shift the victims to the nearest PHC before
it is too late.
 Try to accompany rescue team in getting the victims/ sick and ailing safely to the shelter
 Make special arrangement for the pregnant women
 Instruct evacuees to take proper food and drinking water
 Motivate them not to get panicked
Post:
 Try to reach the spot immediately to save life of a victim and make proper arrangement to shift the patient to a
hospital.
 Help the Govt Para-medical staff
 Support government or external (NGO) medical team to attend to the patients. Inform about serious cases.
 Take proper care not to allow epidemic spread inside the community. If noticed, inform Block/ UPHC immediately

53
 with accurate information regarding the number and symptoms of the patients.

8. Carcass Disposal Team

Role & Responsibilities:
 Arrange fuel, firewood, bleaching powder etc well in advance
 Select a particular place to cremate decomposed bodies.
 Collect the dead bodies. Identify them before cremation.
 For the domestic animals, it is advised to do the cremation with the
knowledge of the owner.
 Record the number of the insured animal. Communicate VAS
 In case of human dead bodies it is advised to keep record/ photograph
and before cremating, the team should inform UPHC- MO/ PS
 Sprinkle bleaching powder on the areas where the dead bodies were found.

9. Damage assessment Team

Role & Responsibilities:
 Check all the lists and make necessary updating
 Make an authentic list of all the damaged lives, domestic animals, houses, boats, family belongings, community
infrastructures, trees, livelihood assets etc
 Support the RI/ Sarapanch/ Govt functionaries to assess the damage
 Inform NGOs and other charitable organisations to carry out rehabilitation program.
 Help the families to get compensation without any hassle.

10. Counseling Team

Role & Responsibilities:
 Help the victims deal with their traumatic situations.
 Listen patiently the statement / talks made by victims/ families, who have lost their nearest and dearest/
domestic animal/ livelihood and giving them strength and confidence.
 Inform about the rehabilitation program meant for them by different organizations
 Inform/ ensure govt. aid for the victims
 Help them get involved in the post rehabilitation program directly in order to revive them into normal
situation.

11. Relief Team

Role & Responsibilities:

Pre:
 Arrange stock of dry food, water, baby food, medicine, fuel and other necessary items according to the population
before hand to face any kind of eventuality
 Support/ help Block functionaries to stock foodstuff in the specified places.
 Arrange materials for providing temporary shelter, such as bamboo sticks, rope, polythene sheets, cutter, Shaw,
straw etc
 Store fodder and medicines for the domestic animals
 Estimate and arrange dry food requirements for the specified shelters at least for the first three days.
During:
 Store required amount of relief materials in the specified shelters.
 Make individual family card for the evacuees to distribute dry food ration properly.
 Distribute the food stuff and proper care should be taken to see that no individual is left out.
 The team member should inform the leader about any shortfall or additional requirements.

54
 Maintain peace.
 Help Govt/ Non-Govt orgnisations to distribute relief without any hassle.
Post:
 Arrange Govt/ Non-Govt relief and help them to make proper distribution
 Give proper beneficiary list to the external relief teams/ organizations
 Ensure that the Damage Assessment Team make proper report and submit it as quickly as possible to the
different organizations to avail adequate benefit to the victims.
 Arrange food and other assistance for the people who need more support from the community.

12. Team for Coordination/ Rehabilitation/ Linkages

Role & Responsibilities:
 Make necessary arrangement to avail compensation from the Government agencies for the victims who
have suffered full/ partial damage includes life/ livestock/ livelihood
 Create atmosphere to carry out Govt/ Non-Govt rehabilitation programs.
 Support the victims to rebuilt /retrofit their houses
 Make necessary arrangements including food and temporary shelter for the people who have still not recovered
from the damage
 Organise free kitchen centers
 Organise/support Governement/Non Government organisation to carry out Food For Work programs
 Inform community about various welfare schemes run by government
 Help the victims to get insurance compensation
Assam
During the 2003 floods in the Dhemaji district of Assam the local community participated in relief and response
activities in the affected villages. Relief kits consisting of a tarpaulin, hand pump, utensils and buckets were
distributed to individuals and communities. The kits are still made available during a disaster as well as normal
times. This initiative supported by the district administration and effective community participation has ensured
sustainable community preparedness.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT TEAMS AT THE APEX LEVELS

In order to streamline the coordination of multi-level activities, it is necessary to formulate Disaster Management
teams at the levels of the Block and the District, usually nominated by suitable body/ authority as per a general
guideline suggested as under:

Block Disaster Management Committee

1. Chairperson, Panchayat Samiti
2. Vice-Chairperson of the Panchayat Samiti
3. MLA/ MLAs, or their representative(s)
4. Key Departmental Officials at the Block level
5. Two Sarpanch and two PS members, including one woman in each
category
6. Representative from the Coordinating Agency of Block NGO cell
7. One local NGO engaged in Disaster Mitigation in Block area
8. Asst. Engineer of the Block
9. Tahasildar/ Addl. Tahasildar
10. BDO, as the Member-Convenor

55
District Disaster Management Committee
1. Collector, as the Chairman
2. Chairperson, Zilla Parishad
3. Addl. Dist. Magistrate in-charge of emergency
4. Project Director, DRDA
5. SP
6. Key Dist. level Officers
7. Sub-Collector(s)
8. Representative of District Coordinating Agency of NGOs
9. Two NGOs engaged in Disaster Mitigation activities in the district
10. Dist. Project Officer (NUNV)
11. District Emergency Officer as member-Convenor

CAPACITY BUILDING OF THE TEAMS AND THE COMMUNITY

Capacity building would mean the facilitation of a target group to acquire a set of pre-designed knowledge, skill
and attitude, which would result in their changed behaviour to tide over the identified deficiencies. A systematic
approach to capacity building would therefore begin with analyzing the areas of shortfall from desired behaviour of
the target group under a certain situation. This analysis would then lead to a designed input which would fulfill that
gap resulting in the capacity building of the target group and help them move towards a desired behaviour.
Having formed the various task forces or the DM teams, it is now necessary to enable them fulfill their desired tasks.
Quite often people would not know the nature of tasks to be performed by them including their methods and
processes. Only their enthusiasm is not enough; they must systematically learn the knowledge and skill required and
must develop the right attitude for carrying out the assigned tasks in an effective manner.
Generally speaking, capacity building may be achieved through various initiatives, either singularly or in combination
of the following:
 Training
 Talk by experts
 Observation
 Discussion
 Learning from sources like newspaper, TV & Radio
 Cultural events
 Friendly interaction
 Exposure visit
 Practice or learning by working
 Demonstrations
 Understanding and adopting desired behaviour
 Getting familiar with new technology
 From experience
In order to build up the capacity of a community for disaster mitigation, a number of interventions are necessary.
These are discussed hereunder.

TRAINING
A training program is a well designed input for a specific target group to achieve a pre determined set of objectives.
There are a number of target groups as far as disaster mitigation is concerned and accordingly a number of training
programs are also available. However, they have a lot of similarity in approach.

56
Training programs meant for Disaster Mitigation will include a combination of several inputs. The programs are expected
to impart the necessary knowledge, skill and attitudes to the target groups in order to enable them to discharge their
assigned responsibilities satisfactorily. The program design would include the following themes:
 Training of DMC and DMTs on their roles and responsibilities
 Mock drill on search and rescue operations
 Understanding warning/ de-warning messages
 Household preparedness
 First Aid
 Handling Communications equipment
 Trauma Counseling
 Managing a control room
(Also see Annexures)

MOCK DRILL
Public education
Public awareness must be an important part in disaster preparedness. The aim of public awareness programs is to
promote an informed, alert and self-reliant community, capable of playing its full part in support of and in co-operation
with the agencies and teams responsible for disaster management activities.
An essential part of a disaster preparedness plan is the education of those who may be threatened by a disaster.
Although television, radio and printed media can never replace the impact of direct instruction, sensitively designed
and disseminated messages can provide a useful supplement to the overall process.

Rehearsals, simulation training and plan review

The only way to know if a plan can work is to implement it, evaluate it and revise it
as appropriate. As the preparedness plan is being developed, and upon completion,
it is important to test its major elements by conducting a run-through of a simulation
exercise. This may, however, be attempted only after the training of the DM teams is
complete, so that an exercise of this nature would give the volunteers an opportunity
to practice what they would have learnt in the training program. This will enhance
their effectiveness as well as confidence.
Rehearsals or mock drills invariably expose gaps that otherwise remain overlooked.
Emergency response rehearsals and trainings test the plan’s assumptions and procedures.
Mock drills will expose both the strengths and weaknesses in a preparedness plan and
they also help review the plan and keep it fresh by following it up with discussions on
updating and modifying it with necessary improvements.
Rehearsals might simulate search and rescue operations, first aid provision, response or needs assessment, coordination
meetings between major organisational players and population leaders, relief transport and logistics, and many other
aspects of an emergency response.
Mock drills are most effective when they are system-wide and engage as many of the disaster response players as
possible. Ideally this exercise should include CBOs, Government agencies, NGOs and other groups and organisations
that would be involved in a disaster response.
Bhadrak, Orissa
Tihidi block in Bhadrak district is a flood prone area owing to river Salandi. The first concern of Harekrushna Jena,
elected in 2007 as the Sarpanch of Baro GP, was to reduce the disaster risk. For this he undertook a DM planning
process, where he involved a wide cross section of people including the ward members, ANM, AWW, VLW, teachers
and other local leaders. He took the help of a local NGO, ‘Ma Mangala Seva Sanstha’. The village development
committee was revitalized and water & sanitation plans also followed in all the five villages.
The exercise was followed up by a training of the task force members. Sri Jena implored the trainers to make sure
that all participants were trained perfectly and attained good skill. The resource persons of the NGO cooperated

57
 whole heartedly in the initiative.
Shri Jena did not limit his efforts to his GP alone; he associated with other GPs and helped them in activities like
village meetings, preparation of DM plan as well as task force training etc.
He had realized the importance of mock drill, which he had conducted in all five villages. The good results of the
same were visible during the next season of floods, when their skill of rescue and evacuation was put to useful
test. He kept the task force highly motivated and also managed the relief efficiently.
Subsequent to the flood the rehabilitation activities taken up by Shri Jena were also noteworthy. He mobilized
manpower and resources to repair the village roads, cleaning of debris and unwanted vegetation from ponds and
cleaning of the school premises etc.
Shri Jena, a tireless young man of 54, believes the mission of his life lay in serving the people.

Search and Rescue Operations

(Discussed in Chapter V)

Understanding warning/ de-warning messages

Early warning systems
The purpose of early warning systems is to detect, forecast, and when necessary, issue alerts related to impending
hazards. In order to fulfill a risk reduction function, however, early warning needs to be supported by information
about the actual and potential risks that a hazard poses, as well as the measures people can take to prepare for and
mitigate its impacts. Early warning system needs to be communicated in such a way that facilitates decision making
and timely action of response organisations and vulnerable groups. Early action information comes from a number of
sources: e.g. meteorological offices, Ministries of Health and Agriculture, local and indigenous sources, media sources
and increasingly from internet sources.
All too often, those who need to heed early warning alerts have little faith
in the warnings. This may be due to a human inclination to ignore what
appears inconvenient at the time, to a general misunderstanding of the
warning’s message or to frustration with yet another false alarm. When
developing public early warning systems, planners must account for the
public’s perceptions of warnings, their experience related to reacting to
warnings in the past, and general public beliefs and attitudes regarding
disasters and public early warnings.
Even though government is ultimately responsible for issuing timely public
warnings, PRI can play a supporting role by helping raise local awareness of
the hazards to which a community is exposed and assist local organisations
and vulnerable populations with interpreting early warning information and taking appropriate and timely action to
minimise loss and damage.

Traditional and Modern early warning signs

For Cyclone:
 The sound like thunder in the sea.
 The cloud movement towards northern side.
 Birds in large groups flying from south to north.
 Barking of dogs without provocation during the day or night time may indicate a cyclone approaching.
 Modern weather forecasting by satellite can detect the formation of cyclones.
For Floods:
 Heavy rainfall in the flood prone areas.
 River flooding can be detected through the monitoring stations established in upper reaches of the river or
stream systems.
 Landslide in the hilly areas.

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Warning forecast of heavy rain and cyclone through Indigenous signs:
 Flying of black thunder bird
 Birds moving from sea to land in non-season (East to West)
 Star inside the circle around moon
 Lightning in the sea in a horizontal direction
 The western sky looking red at the time of sunset
 A black line on the sky from north to west direction

Developing all communication and warning systems

Community early warning system:
 Formation of Community Emergency Committee and plan.
 Develop traditional early warning systems to inform the community of likelihood of occurrence of the disaster.
The warning signal should be disaster specific.
 Familiarity of the community with the early warning signs is to be developed prior to the disasters during mock
drills and village meetings.
 Disseminate the warning signals to the community by people who are responsible for the same.
 Develop radio-based early warning system.
 Ensure that every one in the community comes to know about the early warning at the earliest possible, without
losing time.
 Inform all necessary agencies with relevant details
 Inform all DM team members

The Traditional Warning Communication Tools

 Various items producing piercing sound are used to propagate a warning in the community. This may include
items like the Cconch shell, metallic bell, drums and ‘Dholak’ etc. Flags of different colours or numbers may also be
used for different indications.

Household preparedness
Introduction
Devastating events such as floods, cyclones, fire cause concern about the degree of emergency preparedness in
individual households. As observed, most households do not have a contingency plan for such a situation. Households
without children seem to be the least prepared for a disaster. The majority of people do not have a specific place to
meet in case of an emergency as has been recommended by government and non government agencies.

Consequences of major disasters

Disasters affect individuals and households as well as organizations and communities. Some of the most common
effects include:
 A breakdown in communication systems;
 Injury, illness or death;
 A decrease in the capability of emergency services to respond;
 A loss of utility and other community services; and
 A limited supply of basic provisions such as food, water, fuel and shelter.
The basic approach to household preparedness
 Work with your family to plan for emergencies.
 Practice your responses and be “prepared to stay” or “prepared to go”
when the time comes. Remember to stay informed with the latest
emergency news.
 Remember, your efforts now could make all the difference when it counts later.

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 Learn about the basic decisions you and your family should be prepared to make in case of an emergency.

Three necessary steps

 Prepare a plan
 Make an emergency survival kit
 Be informed
Household Emergency Plan:
Household Emergency Plan is the first step in preparing the family for an emergency or disaster. The following is a
list of activities that can help:
 It helps if there is a friend or a relation out of the vulnerable area at a far off place. Not only can the family move
there in an emergency, the person may also be the link between family members if they are separated from each
other in an emergency.
 If you have pets or domestic animals, make arrangements for their care. Identify a shelter to which you can take
them in case of emergency.
 Determine the best escape routes from your home.
 Document important information in a log book stored safely, known to the family members.
Preparing a Household Survival Kit
A Household Survival Kit is a necessary part of the Household Emergency Plan. The kit should be well stocked and
accessible to all household members. Many of the items on the list are inexpensive and most households already have
them. The kit should contain the following:
 Simple bed rolls
 Candles, matches or a lighter.
 Some cash
 Clothing and footwear.
 First-aid kit and necessary medicines (check expiry dates)
 Flashlight and batteries (Tape the end of the batteries so they do not rub together and lose energy)
 Dry food
 Toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, soap, comb, brush and sanitary napkins.
 Drinking water
 Battery-operated or solar-powered radio, spare batteries, fully charged cell phone and/ or a Ham radio.
 Playing cards, games and books for entertainment/ self-engagement.
 Easy-to-carry packing of the kit in case your family needs to evacuate.
Be informed
 The best protection is to know what to do during an emergency.
 Members of the household must be in touch with a volunteer or local representative, who has the first line
information.
 Households must get familiar with the warning signs.
 In case of an emergency or warning, members must pay proper heed to the message circulated by the concerned
DM team members.
 Although to ‘stay back’ or to ‘leave home’ is a personal decision, it is advisable to abide by the decision of the
community.
 It may be the responsibility of a volunteer to keep every household informed; but the prime responsibility belongs
to the household. The same cannot be absolved under any circumstance.
 The household must learn about the route, shelter, relief, medical help and drinking water etc.
First Aid
Basic knowledge about First Aid should be included in the capacity building plan of the community. A specific set of

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volunteers should be chosen for this and trained thoroughly on the subject.
(Please see Annexure for details)

Handling Communication Equipments

In situations of disaster communication is of prime importance. A host of electronic instruments are available to
fulfill different kinds of needs of communication. With the advent of technology, many improvements are always
taking place. However, certain basic instruments are still very useful and the identified volunteers should be trained
thoroughly about the use and upkeep of these equipments.
The various equipments used for the purpose of communication include:
 Telephone
 Cell phone
 TV
 Radio
 Computer with internet connection
 LCD projector
 Overhead projector
 Microphone
 Amplifier and speakers
 VCD player
 Camera (Still & Video)
 Tape recorder

Trauma Counseling
Psycho-social care of the Disaster affected
As a result of the disasters the life of the affected people gets destabilized to a great extent. They not only lose their
beloved family members and their hard earned property, but many lose their livelihood and even mental composure.
The affected persons undergo multiple feelings of frustration, anxiety, depression and anger. It is therefore necessary
to do the capacity building of identified volunteers/ health personnel in the skill of trauma counseling.
(Please see Annexure for details)

DEVELOPMENT OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLANS

The Concept
The concept of preparedness planning is very important for those involved in disaster management. During an
actual emergency, quick and effective action is required. This action often depends on having made and implemented
preparedness plans. If appropriate action is not taken or if the response is delayed, lives may be needlessly lost.
In a preliminary plan, even though the details of a disaster remain uncertain, you can identify emergency shelter
sites, plan and publicise evacuation routes, identify emergency water sources, determine chains of command and
communication procedures, train response personnel and educate people about what to do in case of an emergency.
All of these measures will go a long way to improving the quality, timing and effectiveness of the response to a
disaster.
Disaster preparedness planning involves identifying organisational resources, determining roles and responsibilities,
developing policies and procedures and planning preparedness activities aimed at ensuring timely disaster preparation
and effective emergency response. The actual planning process is preliminary in nature and is performed in a state of
uncertainty until an actual emergency or disaster occurs. The aim of preparedness planning is to identify assignments
and specific activities covering organisational and technical issues to ensure that response systems function successfully
in the event of a disaster. The ultimate objective is not to write a plan but to stimulate on-going interaction between
parties, which may result in written, usable agreements. The written plan is an instrument, but not the main goal of
the planning process.

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Disaster Mitigation Planning at Palli Sabha and Gram Sabha
Palli Sabhas and Gram Sabhas are important instruments in the hands of people, which help them participate in
decision-making processes. The sanctity and legitimacy of these bodies can be maintained, if each and every member
actively participates in these meetings.
The 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Constitution of India give people of India in rural and urban areas an important
role to play in local self governance. All the development programs and the list of beneficiaries get finalized in these
two meetings. Panchayats must take care that all the members participate in these two meetings, and that business
here is transacted in a transparent manner.
Besides, any activities related to relief, rehabilitation or development initiatives
are also finalized at these two meetings. This makes the forum very important
as they set the development agenda for the people. Keeping in mind the
regularity of occurrence of disasters in some states like Orissa, Andhra Pradesh
and Bihar, all the Panchayats must formulate disaster-mitigation plans at the
village level, which may then be integrated at the GP level. Some Panchayats
have initiated this in the form of micro-planning, where all the villagers have
been ranked according to their well-being taking various socio-economic
conditions into account. This has been done in a participatory manner, and
the list helps one identify poor and vulnerable people who need to be supported.
Initiating such planning processes and documenting of these would facilitate quick implementation of relief,
rehabilitation and development programs. The PRA methods can be suitably followed to arrive at a DM plan for the
village or the area.

The components for consideration in the planning process

The components which need attention for a Community Based Disaster Preparedness are as follows:

Assessment of probable needs

Another aspect of preparedness planning is planning for probable needs during an emergency. Based on previous
disasters, planners should compile a list of likely needs and available resources. If planners anticipate a gap between
needs and resources, they should identify, in advance, ways to reduce that gap.

Activating emergency notification and disaster response systems

The plan should define ways to provide the population with emergency warnings. In addition to providing the public
with notification of the impending disaster, there must also be a system for initiating a disaster response in case of
an emergency. Who and how is early warning being monitored and communicated?

Emergency needs assessment

Effective response operations are practically impossible without a precise emergency or disaster situation assessment
and a thorough evaluation of required humanitarian and other relief. To be effective, assessment work should be
well planned and organised before it is carried out. In most cases, a comprehensive needs assessment should be
conducted immediately after an emergency and updated thereafter. Normally people assessing emergency needs and
damages should receive training and should agree on the standards being used. When planning for an emergency
needs assessment, identify:
 Who is responsible for the assessment and when is it going to be conducted? Normally, multi-functional and
multi-sectoral teams should conduct assessments.
 What information is required at each stage of the emergency?
 How and where research teams will be formed and trained?
 What standards are being used to indicate the severity of the emergency?
The minimum humanitarian standards in disaster response developed by the Sphere Project can assist organisations
in prioritising information collection needs and planning an appropriate level of response. The Sphere Project includes
information on the following sectors:
 Water supply and sanitation
 Nutrition

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 Food aid
 Shelter and site planning
 Health services

Resource mobilisation and allocation

Responding to an emergency and implementing the preparedness plan will require resources. The preparedness plan,
therefore, should consider:
 What resources are already available and in what quantities?
 Which staff and volunteers can be shifted over from other programs during times of emergency?
 What resources will be needed that we don’t have?
 Plans for procuring the resources that are not currently available.
Communication between agencies
Sharing and exchanging information among representatives of various agencies is crucial during emergencies. To
ensure clear and effective communication in an emergency the plan should specify how communication will take
place and via what mediums (e.g. mail, e-mail, radio, telephone, in person, etc.)
If radio communication will be used, it is important to designate the radio frequency in the preparedness plan. This
way, responding agencies will use the correct radio frequencies in the event of an emergency. The plan should also
specify who will have (and maintain) the equipment and who will have access to a radio.

Rescue and medical assistance for the affected

Major emergencies and disasters often result in deaths and injuries. The disaster preparedness plan should outline:
 Who will be responsible for organising search and rescue operations?
 How to dispose off dead bodies?
 Who will deliver first aid?
 What distribution and registration systems will be used?
 Who will be responsible for medical evacuations and hospitalisation?

KEY AREAS
While planning for DM the following key areas must be kept in view for taking necessary steps in time:

Water and sanitation

Often in an emergency, there is a lack of safe drinking water, which may cause serious health problems. Since people
can live without food longer than water, a supply of clean drinking water is a priority in an emergency. Sanitation
includes provision of safe water; disposal of human excreta, wastewater and garbage; insect and rodent control; safe
food handling; and site drainage. The plan should include provisions for water and sanitation during an emergency.
For water, specify:
The policy regarding use of water resources.
 What infrastructure and technical capacities exist?
 Who is responsible for the water system?
 Whether a supply/distribution system is in place
 Measures to take in winter, summer or drought or in case of water source contamination
 Equipment that is required and whether there is a need for water tanks (if local water sources are not available)

For sanitation, specify:

 Who is responsible (public divisions or private sector)
 Whether training programs on sanitation should be conducted
 The level of planning for sanitation activities

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Food and nutrition
Food provision is aimed at meeting the needs of an affected population during an emergency. The preparedness plan
should define, calculate and stipulate how food will be provided in emergencies of differing intensities and impacts.
During the preparedness stage, the following questions should be answered:
 Who is responsible for assessment of food supply needs and coordination of this part of the response
operation?
 What food is available locally, in the region, in the country? What are the capacities of and prices in local
markets?
 What foodstuffs traditionally used /acceptable to the population are likely to be affected?
 What are the caloric requirements for various climates (for example, in cold high mountain climates)?
 What basic needs should be met for small children?
 What food distribution systems have been used in the area? How could they be used in an emergency?
 Will the unaffected population close to the emergency site also be provided with food? (This issue arises
when the unaffected population is also exposed and vulnerable, even in normal conditions.)
 Who is responsible for communications with the government and international food donors (for example,
the World Food Program), NGOs and other agencies?
 What are the food storage requirements? What storage capacities are available?

Logistics and transport

Emergency response operations require transport of humanitarian aid, personnel and equipment to the disaster site.
Therefore, logistics and transport issues are crucial to a successful response. The following aspects of logistics and
transport should be considered in planning:
 Define normal aid delivery routes to anticipated disaster areas and affected populations
 Define seaports and airports to be used.
 Determine available storage sites.
 Specify transportation modes (road, railway, air) and issues such as availability and cost.
 Define availability of fuel and garages. Clarify limitations.
 Define and establish cooperation with the government office or ministry responsible for customs clearance
on road, sea and airports; reach agreement with appropriate governmental structures to ensure privileged
conditions for import of humanitarian aid.
 Identify the spare parts that may be needed for vehicles; make all preliminary arrangements.
 Define the probable impact of weather on logistics work
 Define and conduct training for personnel or divisions responsible for logistics in an emergency.

Other domestic needs

The plan should include details on how basic needs related to shelter, water and food should be met. Other essential
items that should be included in the plan include soap for hygiene purposes and disease prevention, blankets, utensils,
water tanks, and matches. Since situations may vary, the list of essentials should be compiled based on the anticipated
needs of the population likely to be affected. The plan should reflect the following issues:
 The items that will be needed and available
 Storage requirements—what are the local storage capacities?
 Available reserves of blankets, water tanks, fuel for food preparation, stoves, utensils and clothing
 Whether a distribution system is in place
 Who is responsible for management of these supplies and needs assessment

Health and nutrition

Access to safe water, good sanitary condition of dwellings and proper nutrition help avoid diseases. These issues should
be addressed before launching medical programs. The following health and nutrition issues should be considered in
planning:

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 Who is responsible for health and nutrition needs?
 What is the local health care structure and how does it function during emergencies?
 Where can vaccinations for infectious diseases (e.g. measles) be conducted?
 What are the main supplementary feeding requirements (children, pregnant and lactating women) or special
feeding programs that may be necessary?
 Which governmental or non-governmental agencies are responsible for health care, disease prevention and public
health campaigns?
 Is health protection/ nutrition different in different seasons? In what way? What special measures should be
considered during a seasonal emergency?
 How can the problem of overcrowding be solved? How will the problem reflect on health care before and after
an emergency?
 What measures should be taken for different population groups (children, pregnant women, etc.)?
 What medication and medical equipment is available? What might be needed? Is an additional supply of these
items needed?
 Are storage capacities available? If not, what should be done?

Shelter
In some cases urgent shelter provision is needed for those whose houses have been destroyed or are unsafe. Urgent
repair work; provision of tents and tarpaulins for temporary shelter; or sheltering homeless people in public buildings,
like schools, may be required. The following shelter issues should be considered in planning:
 Who is responsible for management and needs assessment related to shelter?
 What is the state policy with regard to sheltering an affected population?
 Which governmental structure is in charge of coordinating this work?
 Have sites been identified for possible large-scale emergency shelter needs?
 How will sites be identified? What difficulties are there related to land ownership? What potential problems
may occur with the local community?
 What difficulties may arise in winter/ summer/ rain?
 What types of assistance will those who are hosted by relatives or friends need?
 How will the terrain affect shelter requirements?
 Are construction materials available locally?
 Are supplies of tents, construction materials and plastic sheets needed?

Search and reunification of families

One of the priority tasks in many relief operations is to quickly initiate a search for missing people and reunite lost
family members. The family is the basic social unit in most societies and plays a key role in meeting needs and solving
community problems. Agencies responsible for search and reunification of families should consider the following
issues in their work:
 Who is responsible for managing search and reunification activities?
 What methods or approaches will be used to carry out these activities?
 What communication methods will be used to reunite family members?
 What other agencies and governmental structures are responsible for these operations?
 What level of coordination with these structures is required?
 At which stage of response should search operations be started?
 How will the affected population learn about this service?
 Who will work in the search service?
 What methods and forms are required to make this service more effective (e.g. information/ registration
cards, inquiries, etc.)?

Protection and security

Preparedness plans should identify who is responsible for protection and security. In addition, the plan should identify

65
the actions to take to ensure the protection of the affected population and their belongings as well as the safety of
the emergency responders. Normally, this will be the responsibility of the local law and order authorities.

PRA- PARTICIPATORY RURAL APPRAISAL

PRA was developed in 1970s and 1980s in response to the perceived
problems and issues of the local people in context of developmental
need. PRA can be defined as an approach and method for learning
about rural life and condition for, with and by the rural people.
This is a tool use to carry out the Village Disaster Management
Planning at the community level. It enables local people to make
their own appraisal, analysis and plans. It uses group animation and
exercise to facilitate information sharing, analysis and sharing among
stakeholders.
This tool would help the Gram Panchayat DMC in preparing the Multi-hazard Gram Panchayat Disaster Preparedness
and Mitigation Plans.
(Please see Annexure for details on PRA)

Village Profile analysis

The analysis prior to making the DM plan needs to be done very systematically, for which a few structured formats
are suggested hereunder:

Village Profile:

Sl No Parameter Details

1 Date of preparation of Community

Contingency Plan
2 Village
3 Revenue Village
4 GP
5 Block
6 Accessibility/ road connectivity
Demographic Details:
Households
SC ST OBC GEN TOTAL Total
APL BPL APL BPL APL BPL APL BPL APL BPL Households

Population
SC ST OBC GEN TOTAL
M F M F M F M F M F

Topographical Details:
Total Geographical area
Agricultural Land Forest Land Grazing land

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Availability of Mountain / Mounds/ Kuda:
Sl. No. Type of High land Distance from Hamlet/ Remarks
village

Cropping Pattern
Agriculture seasons Major crops Yield rate Remarks

Land Holding (No. of Households)

Landless Marginal farmers Small Farmers Big Farmers Share croppers

Livelihood details
Type of Occupation Number of Persons engaged No. of Households engaged

Infrastructure
Sl No Educational
Police Station/ Outpost

Institutions
Name of the Village

Cottage Industries
Livestock Centers
Cyclone Shelters

Godown/ Stores

Temples (Pucca)
Pucca Buildings
PDS Outlets

Post Offices

Dispensary

Industries
College
CHC

PHC

ME
UP

HS

Infrastructure Details
Sl. Type of Infrastructure Yes / No Distance from a Type of Tel. No.
No. reference point in construction
the village

Types of Infrastructure may include

GP Head quarter
Schools
Community center
Temple
Electrical installations
Telephone connectivity
PDS Outlet

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 Grocery Shop
Post Office
Police Station/ Outpost
Health Facilities (PHC, Health Sub-Center, ANM, AWW)
TV/ Radio/ VHF
Road Connectivity
Livestock centers

Risk / Vulnerability Assessment

Risk/ Vulnerability:
Human risk or vulnerability is the relative lack of capacity of a person or social group to anticipate, cope with, resist,
and recover from the impact of a hazard. Vulnerability has two components: exposure to hazards and difficulty in
coping with and recovering from them (due to lack of resources). Since human vulnerability is inversely related to the
concept of human capacity, that concept also merits a discussion.

Structural or physical vulnerability

It is the extent to which a structure or service is likely to be damaged or disrupted by a hazard event. A building is
said to be vulnerable to earthquake tremors if its construction lacks elements which would resist the effects of such
tremors.

Factors affecting human vulnerability

Before developing risk reduction programmes, it is important to understand some of the major factors which make a
population vulnerable. These factors include:
 Poverty
 Increased population density
 Rapid urbanisation
 Changes in way of life
 Environmental degradation
 Lack of awareness and information
 Civil disturbances
 War
These factors are frequently interrelated. For example, poverty often results in people migrating to urban areas in
search of work. Limited resources and opportunities in urban areas result in people settling in unsafe locations and
can also produce tensions leading to civil unrest.

Approach towards hazard, risk and vulnerability assessments

All planning and implementation of disaster preparedness measures should be based on an assessment and
prioritisation of the hazards and risks that people face, as well as their ability or inability to cope with and withstand
the effects of those hazards. This assessment should:
 Identify the characteristics, frequency and potential severity of the hazards a community faces
 Identify the particular geographical areas and communities that are most susceptible and vulnerable to those
hazards
 Identify the main sectors of a community (population, infrastructure, housing, services, etc.) that would be affected
by a specific type of hazard and anticipate how they might be affected
 Assess the ability of those sectors to withstand and cope with the effects of hazardous phenomena

Hazard analysis by the community (example of check lists)

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History of Disasters (last 20 years)
Sl No Hazard Year of Type of Losses (in %)
type occurrence
Human Bovine Crop Houses Infrastructure

Seasonality of Hazards
Sl
No. Months
Hazard type
Jan- March Apr- June July- Sept Oct- Dec

Risk assessment by the community

Sl No Risk Groups Names

Risk Prone Infrastructure and Assets

Sl.No Type of assets/ infrastructure Nos. Remarks

Risk Prone Infrastructure and Assets

Sl.No Type of assets/ infrastructure Nos. Remarks

Some of the risk prone assets may include:

 Livestock (Cattle, Poultry birds, Goats/sheep, Animal farms etc)
 Valuable documents of individual and community ( Educational Certificates/ Photo Identity Card/ PDS Ration
Card/ Ban Passbook/ Land records/ Insurance Papers/ Telephone & Electricity Bill/ Bill and Guarantee Cards
of Valuable Items etc.)
 Crop / trees/ orchards/ forest (Paddy, Cereals, Ground Nut, Vegetable/ Mango, Guava, Tick, Bamboo etc)
 Agricultural implements
 Modern equipments/ machines (All types of agriculture equipments like Pump sets, Fans, Groundnut Grinder etc)
Who is at risk? What is at risk?

• Elderly people • Family valuable documents

• Disabled people • Houses and weak structure
• Children and pregnant women • Cattle and livestock
• Sick and ailing people • Livelihood assets such as boats, nets, stores of dry
• Widows and single women fishes
• Fishermen at sea • Pump sets & other installation
• Families living near the sea • Looms and such property
• Shrimp seed farmers • Standing crops, horticulture, trees and plantation
• Families living in thatched houses • Village water sources to the sea
• Other such groups

Vulnerability mapping by the community

In this mapping process the Gram Panchayat Disaster Management Committee is to identify various parameters
which it finds vulnerable. This may include points like:

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 People who are vulnerable to different kinds of disasters
 Areas that get inundated with water with different water level
 Weak embankments
 Houses and weak structures
 Standing crops, horticulture trees and plantation
 Village water Sources
 Drinking Water Facilities
 Cluster of households that may get affected by fire
 Roads

Who are vulnerable?

 Old persons unable to walk /move (on his/ her own)
 Physically and mentally challenged persons
 Pregnant women
 Lactating mothers
 Children under the age of five
 Single person households
What is vulnerable?
 Habitation in low-lying area/ riverbank/ seashore
 Households living by sea shore/ river bank / creek side
 Households living in low lying areas usually submerged
 Weak bridges / embankments – the place where the bridge is weak
 Weak, narrow, low height and eroded embankments
 Thatched houses made of mud and straw
 Roads in the low lying area likely to be submerged / muddy
 Area having no road link – access is through bunds of cropland
 Water sources getting affected – tube wells usually submerged (past
experience)

Example of check lists for vulnerability mapping

Inhabitants
Sl. No. Type of house No. of Households Remarks

Distance of the village from dangerous risk points:

Sl. No. Danger/risk Points Distance from the village Remarks

1. Sea
2. River
3. Weak embankments

Identification of resources and assets

Assessment of capacity in the community
Capacity Assessment is a participatory process involving community residents and designed to determine what they
can do during times of crisis in order that :
 The destructive effects of a hazard may be reduced, and
 The sustainability of their livelihood may be secured. To identify the capacities of the community the following

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 must be discussed:
 Resources: What resources are available to assist the community at the time
of need like for evacuation and transportation, safe shelter, relief, rehabilitation,
reconstruction etc.
 Location: Where are the resources and the capable persons of the community
situated?
 Size: How many capable persons live there and how close together or scattered
do they live and what are the capacities of the resources available?
 Infrastructure: What infrastructures can be available e.g. roads, bridges, Water bodies, boats, power supplies and
buildings etc?
 Community Capabilities: How prepared is the community with its own skills and resources available to cope with,
resist and recover from the impact of a hazard.

Res ource mapping by the community

The GP DMC may identify those resources it has directly or indirectly at its disposal, which may be of help during a
crisis. These may include several aspects like:
 Safe shelters (Pucca Houses, Community Centers)
 Elevated up lands, High Land (mounds)
 Alternate route for safe evacuation
 Safe Primary Health Centers
 Safe drinking water sources
 Water Bodies
 Agricultural land
 Forest and Grazing land
 Roads
 Telephones
 Post Office and other structures
 School and College buildings
 Godowns (both Government and Private)
 Dealers of Dry food, kerosene etc
 Tent house (Generators, tarpaulins, utensils required in case of community cooking)
 Anganwadi Centers
 VHF/ HAM Stations
 Pump sets & other installations
 Looms and such properties
 Industries and factories
 Livelihood assets such as boats & nets
 Fire stations, Police stations

Example of check lists for mapping resources

Identified Safe shelter Places

Sl Type of shelter Rooms Capacity Ownership details Remarks

No.

Village Organizations

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 Sl Type of Organization No. of Members Remarks
No.

Resource Inventory
Resource Type Details Owner’s name Nos. Remarks

Example of Resource Inventory

 Transportation and Communication (Bullock Cart, Tractor, Trekker, Trolley, Rickshaw, Four wheelers, Two Wheelers,
Boat, Important Telephone Numbers )
 Containers (Tankers, Overhead tankers, Jerry cane, Big vessels)
 Cleaning/ cutting equipments (Spades, Shovel, Saw, Rope, Knife, Axe etc)
 Other resources (Gen set, Pump set, Hurricanes, Petromax, ,Gas light, Solar light, Emergency Light)
 Temporary Shelter (Tents, Tarpaulins, Bamboo, Polythene)

Alternative/ Safe Routes

Sl Name of the route Remark
No.

Resource mobilisation
PRI bodies should develop strategies and procedures for mobilising and acquiring emergency funds, supplies and
equipment in the event of a disaster. A preparedness plan should spell out the policies for acquisition and disbursement
of funds, use of outside equipment and services, and emergency funding strategies. Well before a disaster occurs, PRI
bodies should establish procedures for activating the appeals process for requesting funding support from various
sources.

Developing village maps for DM

(Please see PRA in Annexure)

Integration of DM in development planning

Earlier in this document, it has been stated that disaster preparedness is a goal rather than a specialised programme.
Thus, it is the result of many activities across a range of sectors including emergency response, primary health care,
institutional development, community-based first aid, and local capacity building. This means that disaster preparedness
needs to be treated as a continuous and integrated process involving both relief and development.
Since disaster preparedness depends on shared goals and activities across sectors, it is important that the concept be
integrated into all on-going projects like Govt.’s schemes on Health, Education, Drinking water or Sanitation programs
and nutrition initiatives. This provides a useful connection between the local initiatives for disaster preparedness and
developmental planning at District, State or National level institutional structure and their ongoing service provision
activities.
(Discussed in greater detail in Chapter VI)
Ralegaon
Ralegaon, located in the drought prone district of Ahmednagar, was facing recurring droughts for many years
leading to soil-erosion and scarcity of water. Under the leadership of Anna Hazare, community based water
management was initiated. Which resulted in the community’s drinking water needs being met? After addressing
this problem, the community started working together to mitigate the effects of the drought and eradicate rural
poverty through an integrated approach to development.

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Inter-agency Coordination
In the process of formulating and updating specific aims and objectives, The DM Committee should communicate
with and coordinate their plans with those of government agencies and non-governmental organisations involved in
disaster response. This will improve planning, reduce duplication of efforts, make plans more realistic and increase the
overall effectiveness of disaster response.
Through direct coordination, agencies can clearly divide responsibility for different operations and plan their actions
accordingly. Similarly, members of different teams may develop necessary contact and coordination with representatives
of various external agencies working in the area in similar sectors (e.g. health, shelter, sanitation, first aid, nutrition etc).
Joint development and updating of preparedness plans can serve as the basis for coordination among agencies.
A preparedness plan should include a list of names of people and organisations along with their contact numbers and
addresses. This should include people responsible for:
 Activating the response services
 Managing external relations and aid appeals from other sources, including governmental, international and public
funds
 Communicating with the media
 Coordinating and liaising with other agencies and services
 Managing administrative work
When creating a preparedness plan each agency should also identify the activities it will be responsible for and its
anticipated level of involvement in the event of an emergency. An agency should also determine where, within the
agency, responsibility for each function will reside.
If two groups will perform similar functions, it is important to clarify the distinct and overlapping roles of each. For
instance, while Fire brigade and Civil Defence service are responsible for search and rescue operations, an NGO may
play an auxiliary role for the same function.
A person with fairly good contact with the Govt. and media sectors should be identified to communicate and share
information with the media. Other response team members should refer all communication and public relations issues
to this particular person.

Information management
Disaster preparedness and response depend on gathering, analysing and acting on timely and accurate information
before (hazard and early warning information), during (disaster needs assessment) and after disasters (progress of
post-disaster recovery). This requires that GP DM planners pre-determine what information they need, how it will be
collected, who will collect it, who will analyse it and how it will be integrated into a timely decision-making process.
If the DM teams are to respond to disasters in a timely fashion, they will need to develop procedures and mechanisms for
obtaining, analysing and responding to early warning information related to hazard detection, forecasting and alerts.
Once a disaster strikes, the DM teams must conduct initial assessments and take timely steps about critical and
immediate life-saving needs. Disaster needs assessments should develop a picture of where people are, what condition
they are in, what they are doing, what their needs and resources are, and what services are still available to them
After an initial assessment, more in-depth needs assessments should collect information related to critical sectors and
technical areas of concern.

Activity Calendar for DM Preparedness

A lot of activities are necessary to be planned and followed up closely throughout the year. It is advisable to create a
month-wise calendar for all planned activities and share it across the community. It will also keep the teams responsible
for those activities in readiness. An example is appended here under:

Month Activities

January • Talk to all DMT members and checking of preparedness level

• Check the household preparedness

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Month Activities

February • Awareness campaign – on do’s and don’ts for various disasters

• Discussion in Gram Sabha on various disaster management activities
March • With help of DMT members checking of drainage system and its maintenance
April • Preparation for mock drills and coordination with service providers for support during mock
drills
May • Mock drill
June • Updating of village DM plan
July • Education on water and sanitation and water born diseases
• Supporting women SHGs for stock of food materials
August • Keeping track on rainfall and flood water and making alert to all DMT members
• Checking of safe shelters and coordination with school teachers
• Touch with BDO for stock of relief items and polythene
September • Monitoring the flood situation and keeping in touch with all vulnerable families
• Stock piling of dry food and fuel
• Touch with service providers and Gram Panchayat and Block
• Coordination with NGOs for support

October • Monitoring the flood situation and keeping in touch with all vulnerable families
November • Preparation for mock drills and coordination with service providers for support during mock
drills
December • Mock drill and activate the DMTs

-----------------------------------------------------------

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 CHAPTER 5

Responding
To
Disasters

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76
Chapter-V
RESPONDING TO DISASTERS (Rescue and Relief)
Overview of the Chapter
Early Warning Response
 Activating emergency notification and disaster response systems
 Preparation for Evacuation
 Arrangements for basic necessities
 Getting all the teams ready
 Coordination with various agencies
Rescue and Relief Operations
 Understanding Rescue and Relief operations
 Role of PRI in key areas of Rescue and Relief
 Disaster Response at different levels
 Warning Dissemination
 Failsafe Communication
 Rescue Measures
 Coordination Center/ Control Room Management
 Relief Storage and Distribution System
 Shelter Management
 Emergency Relief and free kitchen operation
 Household, Village and Shelter level Security
 Inter-agency Coordination
 Search & Rescue
 Public Health Measures
 First Aid
 Basic Minimum standards
 Damage and Needs Assessment
 Monitoring & Evaluation
 Documentation

EARLY WARNING RESPONSE

Activating emergency notification and disaster response systems
As soon as the first intimation of a disaster trickles in, the response-plan should be activated. It must start with
activation of the warning system thereby providing the population with emergency warnings. In addition to providing
the public with notification of the impending disaster, the system for initiating the entire mechanism for disaster
response is to be set in motion.
The warning team has to take the lead in everyone involved at the right time. The Coordination Centre must be
operationalised to initiate all necessary actions.
“Proactive Sarpanch made the difference in flood response”
Limbdi taluka is situated 35 km away from Surendranagar district on the NH - 8. Geographically it was very difficult
& disaster prone area; some of its part fall in Earthquake zone III & IV, all the 60 villages are affected by both
drought and flood. With poor local resources the Taluka is economically and socially vulnerable. Considering the
hazard and vulnerability profile of the area, a DRM programme is being implemented in Limbdi Taluka.

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 Hadala is one of the flood prone villages of Limbdi taluka which is situated 40 km from the Taluka place Limbdi.
The area known as “Bhal” and Hadala village situated in a low line area in this region. During monsoon the area
receives water from Bhogavo river and Sabarmati river. Due to poor drainage, sometimes the excess water gets
stagnated for three to four months. During the monsoon period, Hadala is always cut off from the taluka place.
Outside the village, approximately 3 to 4 ft. water flows on causeway and some areas surrounding the village get
drowned in waist deep water affecting the normal life of the people.
On 1st July ’07 it rained 18” in just five hours in the late night, flooding the entire Limbdi Taluka. Sarpanch Mrs.
Jayaben Mer received the message from the Taluka Control Room, Limbdi about the emerging flood situation in
Hadala and adjacent villages. Mrs. Jayaben had been well trained in Disaster management in the PRI orientation
program. She immediately called a VDMC emergency meeting. She asked the ‘Early warning and Communication’
team members to disseminate warning through “Bungiyo” dhol (local warning system) and supervised the smooth
evacuation of people to the higher lands with the help of S & R DMTs. But everybody was not lucky. At the early
morning Mr. Somkumar Shukla (PSO, Limbdi), who coordinated situation from Taluka Control Room, flashed a
warning about some people having been trapped in the flood waters.
At 15.00 hrs they received the message that 23 villagers were trapped in flood water in Hadala and Fedra while
coming on “Chakda”, a local transport vehicle. They immediately passed the message and briefed about situation
to local administration at taluka control room. But it was very difficult to reach the spot for rescue work. However,
due to the timely communication made by Jayaben and her team the local Administration arranged Helicopter
and airlifted 5 people and the remaining 18 people could be rescued by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
Rescue team.
In this whole critical situation, Mrs. Jayaben (Sarpanch) played a vital role with the help of Trained DMT members
and the other elected PRI Members in taking protective action as well as establishing communication between
local administration and rescue operation teams.
Finally no casualty occurred and rescue work was completed. Next even the upper reaches of the village was
flooded with incessant rainfall. In coordination with the Taluka Control Room, she asked the village community not
to venture outside to avoid getting trapped in the flood water. As a result no untoward incident took place. After
the flood, they planned and purchased a boat with the village people’s contribution for effective flood response.

Preparation for Evacuation

(Discussed in detail later in this Chapter)

Arrangement for basic necessities

Action is to be taken forthwith for getting the basic necessities ready to meet the impending crisis. This must include,
among other things, arrangements for the following:
 Rescue
 Provisioning for medical care
 Water and Sanitation
 Medical Help
 Logistics and Transport
 Shelter
 Protection and security
(Discussed in detail later in this Chapter)

Getting all the teams ready

All the DM Teams are to be intimated immediately about the warning. Since they are aware of their own role and
responsibilities, it is expected that they will take necessary steps for taking up their tasks.
(Their roles and tasks are already described in detail earlier in Chapter IV)

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Coordination with various agencies
Apart from the community, many agencies take part in emergency response operations: CBOs, NGOs, Civil Defence,
Fire brigades, Red Cross, international agencies and others. It is possible that several agencies may be performing
the same task. For example, an NGO and one of the Govt. departments may all be providing first aid. In this case,
clear coordination of activities is required to ensure that the maximum number of people are assisted in the shortest
possible time and to unnecessary duplication of services is avoided.
Effective disaster response requires mutual trust and coordination of efforts and resources among the many agencies
and people involved in emergency response—including the affected local population and local community based
organisations.
In a welfare state, Government assumes the responsibility of rendering relief to people affected by natural calamities.
In such times of widespread distress, the entire government machinery is switched on to render relief to people. The
major objective of the Govt. is to provide effective support and resources to people in disaster as well as to help
develop immediate and long-term support plans for vulnerable people following a disaster.
The revenue department and the Board of Revenue coordinate the activities of all the departments of Govt. and
Heads of Departments in regard to relief operations. However, the various departments, which play a role in Disaster
mitigation, are:
 Agriculture Department
 Panchayat Raj Department
 Women and Child Development Department
 Health and Family Welfare Department
 Veterinary Department
 Home Department
 Water Resources Department
 Planning & Coordination Department
 Rural Development Department
 Food and Consumer Welfare Department
 Revenue Department
 State Disaster Management Authority
Apart from the above the district administration has a very important and pivotal role to play. It is critical that the
District Administration and the functionaries at the Blocks and GP levels clarify their respective roles and responsibilities
in disaster preparedness and response and establish necessary communication and coordination mechanisms among
themselves.

RESCUE AND RELIEF OPERATIONS

After the impact of a disaster, the most crucial phase is Rescue and Relief operations. Sometimes the time gap being
minimal between the impact and response, it creates a great psychological impact on the victims. The importance of
the activities in this phase of the disaster management needs to be clearly understood.

UNDERSATANDING RESCUE AND RELIEF OPERATIONS

RESCUE OPERATIONS
 Evacuation of People and Livestock (wherever possible) to safer places
 Saving lives of persons trapped in danger
 First aid for the injured
 Evacuating critically injured people to the nearest hospitals
 Specific care for Pregnant Women, Infants, Old and Physically Handicapped
 Counseling for people in trauma / suffering from Psychosomatic effects

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RELIEF OPERATIONS
 Organizing Relief Camps
 Maintaining Adequate and Regular supply of water, food, and items of
basic necessities like clothing, medicine, etc.
 Maintaining Law and Order particularly for protection of the properties
of the victims of the disaster as well as safeguard against unsocial/criminal
elements
 Proper sanitary arrangements, safeguard against epidemics
 Disposal of dead bodies, carcass, etc.
 Proper assessment of losses, identification of victims and valuation of the
damages/ losses
 Transparency in distribution of relief money and material, priority to the injured, incapacitated and most affected
persons/ families

ROLE OF PRI IN THE KEY AREAS OF RESCUE AND RELIEF OPERATIONS

Some of the key sectors are
 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion
 Food security, Nutrition and Food Aid
 Shelter, Settlements and Non-Food Items
 Health Services
As discussed in the previous chapter, there are a number of actions the PRI bodies have to take in the preparatory
phase to make sure that the key sectors are addressed at the time of need during rescue and relief. It is, therefore,
necessary to look at each sector of activity and the role of PRI members in them in greater detail.

1. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion

Quantity of Water Consumed
 Certain basic and minimum standards are expected to be maintained The necessary arrangements are to be made
and it should be ensured that:
 On an average, 15 liters of water are available per person in a household per day for purposes of drinking, cooking
and personal hygiene.
 The distance from any household to the nearest water points should not be more than 500 meters.
 Queuing time at a water source should not be more than 15 minutes.
 Water sources and systems are maintained in such a way that appropriate quantities of water are available
constantly or on a regular basis.

Quality of Water
Water should be potable and of sufficiently good quality for drinking without
causing any significant risk to health. It should be ensured that:
 A sanitary survey indicates a low risk of faecal contamination.
 People drink water from a protected or treated source in preference to
other readily available water sources.
 Steps are taken to minimize post-delivery contamination.
 No negative health effect due to short-term use of water contaminated by
chemicals is detected.
Water use facilities
It should be ensured that:
 Each household has at least two clean water collecting containers with carrying capacity of 10-20 litres, plus
enough clean water storage containers to ensure availability of water in the household always.

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 Water collection and storage containers have narrow necks and for covers, or other safe means of storage,
drawing and handling, and demonstrable use.
 There is at least 250g. of soap available for personal hygiene per person per month.
 Where communal bathing facilities are necessary, there are sufficient bathing cubicles available, with separate
cubicles for males and females, and these are used appropriately and equitably.
 Where communal laundry facilities are necessary, there is at least one washing basin per 100 people, and
private laundering areas are available for women to wash and dry undergarments and sanitary clothes.
 The participation of all vulnerable groups is actively encouraged in the location and construction of bathing
facilities or the use and promotion of suitable alternatives.
Panchayat’s Role in Water & sanitation
In the response phase the PRI body has several tasks to ensure safe water and sanitation for the people:
 Preparing the list of villages having sources of safe drinking water,
 Raising the platform of tube wells in low-lying areas,
 Establishing a network of villagers, so that low-lying areas are supplied with drinking water from
upland habitations whenever there is a need,
 Stock-piling of halogen tablets and water purifiers before the rainy and other vulnerable seasons.
 Preparing and implementing people’s plans for water supply.
 Campaigning for water and sanitation to build the knowledge base of people.
 Networking with Public Health Engineering Department for the supply of safe drinking water during
vulnerable months
 Construction and maintenance of community toilets.
 Raising as a group of trained volunteers for the disposal of carcasses and dead bodies.

Food security, Nutrition and Food Aid

Food security
This is to ensure that people have access to adequate and appropriate food and non -food items in a manner that
ensures their survival, prevents erosion of assets and upholds their dignity. It should be ensured that,
 Where people’s lives are at risk through lack of food, their immediate food needs are met.
 In all disaster contexts, measures are taken to support, protect and promote food security. These include preserving
productive assets or recovering those lost as a result of disaster.
 Response measures that protect and support food security are based on sound analysis involving consultation
with the disaster-affected community.
 When a response initiative supports the development of new or alternative livelihood strategies, all groups
have access to appropriate support, including necessary knowledge, skills and services.
 Numbers of beneficiaries are mentioned to determine the level of acceptance and access by different groups in
the population and to ensure overall coverage of the affected population without discrimination.
Income and Employment
The following aspects need to be looked into and it is to be ensured, as far as possible, that,
 Response initiatives providing jobs and income opportunities are technically feasible and all necessary inputs are
available on time, where possible.
 These responses contribute to the food security of others and preserve or restore the environment.
 The level of remuneration is appropriate, and payments for wage labour are prompt, regular and timely. In
situations of acute food in security, payments may be made in advance.
 Procedures are in place to provide a safe, secure working environment
 The household management and use of remuneration, grants or loans are understood and seen to be
contributing towards the food security of all household members.

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Access to markets
People’s safe access to market goods and services as producers, consumers and traders should be protected and
promoted.
 Food security responses are based on local markets and existing economic system.
 Producers and consumers have economic and physical access to operating markets, which have a regular
supply of basic items, including food at affordable prices.
 Adverse effects of food security initiatives, including food purchases and distribution, on local markets and
market suppliers are minimized, where possible.
 There is increased information on and local awareness of market prices and of how markets function and
of the policies that govern these.
 Basic food items and other essential commodities are available.
 The negative consequences of extreme seasonal or other abnormal price fluctuations are minimized.
Panchayat’s Role
1. Preparing the list of BPL, disabled and vulnerable people; it should be available with the Panchayat office.
2. Relief committees should be formed at the ward level having all the information about the family size and
details of animal stocks.
3. These committees should undertake distribution of food aid and other relief materials.
4. Records should be maintained properly to ensure transparency and accountability.
5. Food for Work program should be carried out to rebuild community infrastructure.
6. Social audits should be carried out in all the villages to make people aware of the relevance of the program
and demonstrate the integrity of the implementing agency.
7. Panchayats should take care to rebuild livelihood systems and provide tool-kits as relief material to skilled
labourers.
8. Women, children, the disabled and elderly people should be given special preference in terms of ensuring
availability of food and other facilities to them.
9. Lives of people must be protected, whether they are capable of doing any work or not.
10. Re-establishing the market network.

Nutrition Support
The following needs to be looked into and ensured:
 There is access to a range of food items - staple, pulses and fat sources - that meet nutritional
requirements.
 There is access to vitamin A & C and iron-rich or fortified food or appropriate supplements.
 There is access to iodized salt on the part of a majority of the households.
 Moderate and severe malnutrition are stable at, or declining to, acceptable levels.
Nutrition to at-risk groups
 Infants under six months are exclusively breastfed. In exceptional cases, they have access to an adequate
amount of an appropriate breast milk substitute.
 Children aged 6 to 24 months have access to nutritious, energy-dense complementary food.
 Pregnant and lactating women have access to additional nutrients and support.
 Older people’s access to appropriate nutritious food and nutritional support is protected, promoted and
supported.
 Families with chronically ill members, including people living with HIV/AIDS, and members with specific
disabilities have access to appropriate nutritious food and adequate nutritional support.
 Community-based systems are in place to ensure appropriate care of vulnerable individuals.

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 Panchayat’s Role

1. A list of the pregnant and lactating women should be available with the Panchayat’s office.
2. Awareness about the advantages of breast-feeding should be promoted so that infants are protected in all
conditions.
3. Stock-piling and regular distribution of iron and folic tablets through Anganwadi workers during the
disaster situation must go on.
4. Eating of greens and other vegetables must be encouraged.

Shelters and Settlement

The distress of displacement or loss of dwellings needs addressed oppropriately. The following steps are envisaged:

Strategic Planning
It is to be ensured that:
 Affected households return to the site of their original dwellings, where possible.
 Affected households, who cannot return to the site of their original dwellings, settle independently within a
host community or with host families, where possible.
 Affected households, who cannot return to the site of their original
dwellings or who cannot settle independently within a host community
or with host families, are accommodated in mass shelters or in
temporary or self-settled camps.
 Actual threat from natural hazards including earthquakes, landslides,
flooding or high winds are minimised and the area is not prone to
distress or significant vector risk.
 Locations are free of potentially hazardous equipment or material, and
existing hazards such as dangerous structures, debris or unstable
ground are identified and made safe, or access to these are restricted
and guarded.
 Land and property ownership and/or use rights for buildings or locations are established prior to occupation
and permitted use is agreed on.
 Water and sanitation services, and social facilities including health care, schools and places of worship, are
available or can be satisfactorily provided.
 The transportation infrastructure provides access to the settlement for personal movement and provision
of services.
 Where possible, households can access land markets or services for the continuation or development of livelihood
support activities.
Physical Planning
It is to be overseen that local physical planning practices are used where possible to promote safe and secure access
to the shelters, use of essential services and facilities as well as ensuring privacy.
 Area or cluster planning by family, the neighborhood or village groups, in other words by existing social
networks, contributes to security and enables self-management by the affected population.
 All members of the affected population have safe access to water, sanitary facilities, health care,
solid waste disposal, graveyards and social facilities, including schools, places of worship, meeting points and
recreational areas.
 Temporary planned or self-settled camps are based on a minimum surface area of 45m for each person.
 The surface topography is used or improved to facilitate water drainage, and the ground conditions are
suitable for excavating toilet pits where this is the primary sanitation system.
 There are roads and pathways to provide safe, secure and all-weather access to the individual dwellings and
facilities.

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 Mass shelters have openings to enable required access and emergency evacuation, and these openings are
positioned so that access is well supervised and does not pose a security threat to occupants.
 Vector risks are minimized.
Covered living space
 The initial covered floor area per person is at least 3.5 square mts.
 The covered area enables safe separation between sexes, between different age groups, and between
separate families within a given household and ensures privacy.
 Essential household activities can be carried out within the shelter.
 Key livelihood support activities are accommodated, where possible.
Construction
 Locally sourced materials and labour are used without adversely affecting the local economy or the
environment.
 Locally derived standards of workmanship and materials are achieved.
 Construction and material specifications mitigate future natural disasters.
 The type of construction and materials used enable the maintenance and upgrading of individual household
shelters using locally available tools and resources.
 Use of locally available tools and resources in construction and upgradation of individual household shelters.
 The procurement of materials and labour and the supervision of the construction process should be
transparent, accountable and in accordance with internationally accepted bidding, purchasing and
administration practices.
Panchayat’s Role
1. Prepare a list of the concrete houses which can be used as shelters during disasters.
2. Maintenance of cyclone shelters / community concrete buildings,
3. Develop a rural building center to encourage low-cost safe housing for the poor and marginalized
sections of society.
4. Fair selection of beneficiaries, and implementation of Indira Awas Yojana.
5. Construction of mounds and at least one concrete community building within an easy walking distance
to provide shelter to people who are living in thatched houses.

Health Services
Prioritizing Health Services
 The major causes of mortality and morbidity are identified, documented and
monitored.
 Appropriate steps are taken to reduce excess morbidity and mortality.
 All members of the community including vulnerable groups have
access to priority health interventions.
 Local health authorities and community members participate in the
design and implementation of priority health interventions.
 There is active collaboration with other sectors in the design and
implementation of priority health interventions, including water and
sanitation, food security, nutrition, shelter and protection.
 The crude mortality rate (CMR) is maintained at, or reduced to, less than
twice the base line rate documented for the population prior to the disaster.
Supporting Government and Local Health System
 Representatives of the ministry of health lead the health sector response, whenever possible.
 Local health facilities are supported and strengthened by the responding agencies.

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 Local health workers are integrated into health services and supported, taking into account the gender and
ethnic balance.
 Health services incorporate or adapt the existing national standards and guidelines of the
disaster-affected or host country.

Coordination
 Coordination mechanisms are established at local and government levels within the health sector and
between health and other sectors
 Specific responsibilities of each health agency are clarified and documented in consultation with the lead
health authority to ensure optimal coverage of the population and complementarity of service.
 Regular health sector coordination meetings for local and external partners at both central and filed levels.

DISASTER RESPONSE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS

Administrative Response
The basic responsibility for undertaking rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures in the event of natural disasters is
that of the State Governments concerned. The role of the Central Government is supportive, in terms of physical and
financial resources and complementary measures in sectors such as transport, warning and inter-state movement
of food grains. Relief Manuals and Codes are available for undertaking emergency operations. A broad view of
administrative response at national, state and district levels is given below:

National Organisation
Under the Indian federal system, disaster management is the responsibility of State Governments. However, there is
a Crisis Management Group headed by the Cabinet Secretary and consisting of nodal ministers in charge of various
types of disasters and supporting ministries in charge of various types of disasters and supporting ministries. For
natural disasters, the Ministry of Agriculture is the nodal Ministry and the other Ministries play a supportive role. In
the event of a disaster, a multi-disciplinary Central Government team, at the invitation of the affected State, carries
out disaster assessment and makes recommendation for assistance.

State Level Organisation

Disaster preparedness and response in the State is usually delegated to the Relief and Rehabilitation Department or
the Department of Revenue. The Crisis Management Group at the State Level is headed by the Chief Secretary of the
Government, with participating of all the related agencies.

District Level
A District Level Co-ordination and Review Committee is constituted and is headed by the Collector as a Chairman with
participation of all other related agencies and departments.

National Contingency Action Plan

A National Contingency Action Plan (CAP) facilitates the launching of relief operations without any delay. This is
updated every year. The CAP identifies the initiatives required to be taken by various Central Ministries/Departments
in the wake of natural calamities. It sets down the procedure and determines the focal points in the administrative
machinery.
At the State level, the State Relief Commissioner (or Secretary, Department of Revenue) directs and controls the relief
operations through Collectors or Deputy Commissioners, who are the king-pins of all relief operations, co-ordination,
direction and control at the district level.

Arrangements for Financing Relief

Schemes for financing expenditure on relief and rehabilitation in the wake of natural calamities are governed by
the recommendations of Finance Commissions appointed by Government of India after every five years. Under the
existing scheme, each State has a corpus funds called Calamity Relief Fund (CRF), administered by a State Level
Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary of the State Government. The size of the corpus is determined having
regard to the vulnerability of the State to different natural calamities and the magnitude of expenditure normally
incurred by the State on relief operations. The corpus is built by annual contributions of the Union Government and

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the State Governments concerned in the ratio of 3:1. The States are free to draw upon this corpus for providing relief
in the event of any natural calamity. In the event of a major disaster warranting intervention at the national level,
a provision exists in the form of Natural Fund for Calamity Relief with the Union Government to supplement the
financial resources needed for relief operations.

RESCUE MEASURES
There are a number of activities at this crucial phase of addressing the disaster. People in the disaster hit areas need
to be evacuated and rescued as early as possible. The following activities need attention:

Warn people
 Warn the people of risky areas about the impending danger & advise them to leave for safer places.

Organise Task force members

 Organize trained taskforce members.
 Mobilize volunteers.
 Ensure that mock drills are conducted in all the villages
 Send task force to marooned and evacuated places with proper instructions.

Maintain Law and order

 Arrange deployment of police staff at risk points.
 Arrange deployment of police for maintaining law and order and peace keeping during
evacuation.
 Arrange for the safety of property of the people.
 Arrange to maintain law and order at the time of relief distribution.
 Ensure watch and ward at the shelter centers.

Organise Evacuation
 Mobilize people to go to identified / safer shelters
 Arrange for boats and road transport for evacuation based on the risk assessment.
 Evacuate people from disaster-struck areas and administer emergent relief.
 Provide / arrange rescue kit at risk areas.
 Propagation for evacuation.
 Send search group to go round and to rescue the left over people in the risk areas.
 Help the evacuees.

Maintain coordination
 Coordinate with Civil Defence/ NGOs / Police for support
 Maintaining regular linkage with Block and PRIs.
 Keep close contact with the public as well as the admn.

Trace out missing persons

 Engage volunteers and rescue staff to find out the missing persons.
 Keep record of missing persons.
 Inform the family members
 Make arrangement for the safety of property of the people.
 First Aid
 Provide medical help.
 Help the injured to move to hospital.

Questions regarding Evacuation

The evacuation procedure should follow soon after the dissemination of the warning. We have to answer certain

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questions before we take up the evacuation activity:

Whom to give priority while evacuating?

o People of the identified vulnerable areas / zones.
o The identified vulnerable persons.

Where are the safe places?

o The high rise places in the close vicinity identified earlier.
o The safe shelters are identified.

Where do they go, when evacuating?

o To the safe places in and outside the village territory as identified and decided earlier.

Who will go where?

o As decided by the VDMC
o As per the capacity of the shelters.

Where is the cyclone shelter for the people evacuating?

o The Village Cyclone shelter.
o Or, the buildings in the village identified to be used as safe shelters.

What is the safe route to reach there?

o The safe routes should be identified which can be used for evacuation at the time of pre, during and post
disaster situation.

What is the movement plan of the people while evacuating?

o This needs to be pre-decided keeping in view the convenience of the people.
o Elderly, children and the women to move first.

What are the available logistic arrangements?

o Appropriate logistic arrangements must have been done for the evacuees.

What arrangements should be done at village level?

o Security / watch and ward of the village.
o People should be updated about the day to day situation of the village.
o Assessing the damage and the needs and acting accordingly to minimise the loss and further vulnerability.

A few more points regarding Rescue and Evacuation

 There should be community involvement in the rescue process.
 The poor, helpless, disabled, old and infirm, children, women, pregnant women should be rescued first from the
low lying and marooned pockets.
 The people to be rescued should be told to lock up their houses and carry safe drinking water and dry food
possibly available with them.
 The entire family should be motivated to evacuate at the time of rescue operation.
 The rescue team should be well equipped with country boats, powerboats, fiber boats with minimum capacity
of rescue load.
 The rescue team should be equipped with the survival kits like ropes, ladder, rubber tubes etc.
 NGOs operating in the flood areas and local Govt., officials like Police, Fire service personnel, Block and Tehasil
officials and any other young and energetic persons of the area should be included in the rescue team.

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 The rescue teams should be earmarked for particular areas which are most affected by the disaster.
 If it is a flood prone area, then the process of selection of the rescue team should be completed before the
onset of monsoon and the various shelter centers should be earmarked for respective evacuation.
 Immediately after the rescue operation, the rescue team will inform all concerned including the nearby
controlling station about of the rescue operation and further action to be taken.
 The tent facility should be provided to the evacuated persons on the river embankments and high safer
places.
 When the normal rescue operation fails, then the army, navy and air forces should be mobilized to come
forward for doing the rescue work.
 Allotment of rescue group will be diverted one group to each vulnerable area.
 Before rescue operation;
o Selection of sites for the rescue operation should be done.
o Tent fixation (Provision of tent & other materials to rescue point)
o Keeping a person in charge at the rescue point.
o Provision of boat with survival kit for rescue operation.
Rayagada, Orissa
The villages in Rayagada district participated in the GoI-UNDP DIsaster Risk Management Program. Most of the
villagers had received training in disaster management (DM), on First Aid, search and rescue techniques, shelter
management, counseling and damage assessment. Based on the trainings the villages had DM teams and plans
in place. During the July 2006 floods, the DM teams were able to immediately evacuate the affected people and
provide them with shelter in a safer location.

COORDINATION CENTER / CONTROL ROOM MANAGEMENT

Coordination Center or Control room is the nerve-centre of the disaster management activities at the village/ GP level.
It has the responsibility of tracking the major events and coordinating and facilitating the decision making process
through optimal utilisation of resources. Therefore it needs to be equipped with adequate man power, equipments
and materials for proper discharge of assigned responsibilities.

Standing instruction
Start immediately on receiving disaster warning or information about any other emergency from any source.

Role of the Coordination Center

To collect information from all possible sources on the impending disaster
To inform disaster management cells regarding the disaster
To identify the distressed people as well as those at risk
To coordinate and cooperate with the NGOs and other Agencies
To interact with other affected areas as well as other Districts and States
To collect information from State and Central Disaster Control Cells
To provide moral as well as physical support to the distressed

Standard Operational Procedure (SOP)

Members of the Coordination Center
Sarpanch (Convenor/ Chairperson)
Panchayat Members (at least two)
Youth members (at least two from each village)
Representatives from school/ college

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Ward members
NGO Representatives
Local community leaders
Village Executive officer
Village Watchman

Officer in charge of Coordination Center

The Coordination Center shall be in overall charge of the Sarpanch. In the absence of the Sarpanch, the Panchayat
Executive Officer or the leader of the VDMC shall remain in charge of Coordination Center. The person in charge of
Coordination Center shall be personally responsible for implementing the SOP.
The Coordination Center in-charge shall take all decisions as outlined below and sign all reports. He shall not wait
for orders from anybody.

Assembly in Coordination Center

The designated villagers and officers shall assemble in the Coordination Center on getting any information from any
source about any emergency. Apart from these, any other officer or staffs of the village who gets the information
from any source will reach the Coordination Center as soon as possible. The AWW, ANM, and VDMC members shall
also come to the CR.
Chairperson of the VDMC will share the information and check the preparedness level in the village. Talk to all DMT
members and make them ready for the eventuality.

Getting the Coordination Center ready

Following preparatory steps will be taken up for keeping the Coordination Center functional during emergency.
 Keep Village Response Plan, Resource inventory, Lists of items required for managing disaster, Maps, Registers,
Radio, One set of battery, TV, some lights to keep ready for use.
 Ensure proper functioning of Telephone lines and other equipments in Coordination Center.
 Keep a Transistor Radio with new batteries ready.
 In case of flood keep boats ready and make immediate arrangement for functional of the boat.
 Develop a checklist of all anticipated activities before during and after a disaster

Materials / Instruments for the Coordination Center

 Wireless Facility
 Warning system
 Telephone with STD facility
 Cell Phone
 Microphone
 Radio
 Television
 All necessary lists of agencies, departments and volunteers etc.

Initial Activities
 Alert all Field Officers: Share the Warning information with all vulnerable house holds and request for prepared
for shifting.
 Call up the DMT members and share with them all information.
 Check up the preparedness of all DM teams.
 Check with school teachers and AWW for the availability of food grains.
 Get in touch with Civil Society Organisations/ CBOs for support in food and fund to meet the emergency.

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RELIEF STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
RELIEF STORAGE:
Before receiving the Relief materials:
 Arrange the space for the expected relief materials.
 Ensure safety and security of the storage materials
 Clean the space properly

On receiving of the Relief Materials:

 Off load carefully
 Check the quantity and quality of the relief materials received
 Store at defined places
 Update the stock ledger regularly
 Sign the invoice as against the materials received
 Proper stock register and bin cards should be maintained to keep the stock account of various commoditie

Special Attention for storage:

 Stock control
 Security
 Updation of Stock Report
 Rotation of the old stock in time on First come First serve basis
 Facilitate easy access to the goods stocked
 Plan for the future properly
 Clean the store / warehouse
 Dispose up spoiled and expired goods after proper authorisation
 Communicate effectively

RELIEF DISTRIBUTION
Identify vulnerable:
Normally considered vulnerable in a disaster affected community are:
 Elderly persons
 Sick and handicapped
 Families headed by separated, divorced or widow woman without any source
of income
 Pregnant and lactating women
 Children
 Other factors which help to define people at higher risks from certain threats i.e. proximity and exposure to
hazards than others, poverty (BPL card holders) etc.
Spacious place for distribution
A spacious place should be available for the distribution of the relief materials; otherwise, clumsy places may be the
hindrance in quick relief distribution.

Materials to be put together

The relief materials should be kept together, individual beneficiary-wise which will enable the distributors to carry out
the relief operation in a systematic manner.

Ensure equal quantity for each beneficiary

As per the distribution procedure decided by the community, each of the beneficiaries should get equal quantity of
relief materials.

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Registration of the beneficiaries
 The list of the beneficiaries should be enlisted in a Master Register which will be kept as a document and evidence
of the distribution. Allocation of the relief material is made to the families with an average of five members. The
food need is further divided in to:
 Survival food / Emergency ration (Ready to eat).
 Dry food ration (rice, dal, cooking oil, sugar and salt etc)

Recording and reporting of the materials distributed

A specific format should be ready and need to be filled-up at the time of distribution of relief materials to ensure
proper account and transparency. The format should contain the name of the family head, identification number,
materials supplied and signature of the beneficiaries as the confirmation of the distribution. This report need to be
provided to the relief supplier as against the materials received.

Relief Distribution procedure

The appropriate relief distribution system should be decided directly by the beneficiaries and setting it up from the
very beginning. It is pertinent to involve the women members to make sure that their specific needs are satisfied.
Local customs, traditions and habits must be considered while choosing foods and the cooking practices. Beneficiary
involvement in organising and managing the relief distributions contributes to avoiding a number of potential
problems during actual distribution of relief materials.

SHELTER MANAGEMENT
Basic Arrangements at the shelter
 Identification of safe houses/ temporary shelter like tents etc.
 Safe route to reach the safe places.
 Arrange water at the shelter points
 Repair the damaged water-stand-posts
 Arrangement of temporary electrification at shelter points
 Make record-keeping arrangements at the shelter.
 Allocate adequate human resources for each shelter.
 Arrange safe place for animals
 Check the safety of the shelter; make necessary repair, as required.

Evacuees
 Identity card systems for the evacuees.
 Arrangement of transportation.
 Keep record and ID cards.
 Place volunteers to control and maintain discipline
 Help the evacuees go back to their houses.

Food, water and Medicine

 Intimate all evacuees for the shelter with safe route.
 Arrange food, water and medicine.
 Disinfect the drinking water sources.
 Supply dry food & packed water, if necessary.
 Operate free kitchen for all
 Replenish food and medicine as per the requirements.

Sanitation
 Install temporary latrine.
 Arrange the basic needs like drinking water & medicine in the safe shelter.

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 Store fodder for animals.
 Allow animals to go to a safe place.
 Keep environment clean

Co-ordination
 Don’t allow any one to go out side.
 Keep record of all.
 Sharing of information about the disaster and the impending weather
 Provide fodder and water to the animal

Relief
 Distribute relief at the shelter and keep record.
 Distribution of polythene, tarpaulin among the needy people.

Law and order

 Mobilize the vigilance task force to remain alert.
 Arrangement of police personnel for safeguard of the members of the shifted family
 Help the block functionaries for shifting of evacuees in all respect
 Immediately contact the higher quarters in case of any urgency

EMERGENCY RELIEF AND FREE KITCHEN OPERATION

Free Kitchen operation
Preparedness
 Identification of the places for opening of site operation station.
 Persons selected for running the site.
 Duty chart for site operations

Pre-disaster (after warning)

 Deployment of persons and materials at the site operations.
 Arrangement of the shifting of persons after some intervals.
 Transportation for the site operations.
 Stock relief materials for distribution.
 Arrange cooking equipments for free kitchen.
 Beneficiaries list for free kitchen

During disaster
 Provide dry food, cooked and packed food packets.
 Relief distribution

Post -disaster
 Start free kitchen immediately.
 Distribution of dry food.
 Record keeping of distribution
 Replenishment of food

Task Force
 Training and awareness of the task forces.
 Mobilize volunteers.
 Mobilize volunteers at relief distribution points.

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Relief
 Mobilize relief from outside
 Identify the needy people.
 Supervise proper distribution of relief materials.
 Maintain law and order during distribution of relief

Drinking water
 Arrange water at the shelter points
 Provide packed drinking water
 Repair of the damaged water stand posts.
 Disinfect the drinking water sources.

Transportation
 Arrangement and management of transportation logistics
 Arrange the maximum number of vehicles as per probable need.

Baby Food
 Submit indent for supply baby food to BDOs.
 The baby food requirement is about 100 gms per child per day. This should be assured by BDOs
 Distribution of baby food at the shelter points

Cattle feed
 Submit indent cattle feed to the BDO.
 Look into the distribution of relief/cattle feed.

A few other points

 The Anganwadi workers are to keep a stock of usual medicines to provide to the needy.
 About 200 ltrs of Kerosene oil should be kept ready during the natural calamity.
 Tarpaulin & polythenes are to be collected as per allotments to specific villages.
 Live stock medicines should be stock piled as per projected need.
 A few relief groups should be constituted with members from VDMC, PRI, NGO, school teachers and VLW
keeping in view distribution of relief materials.
 These relief groups are to quantify relief materials to be distributed as per govt. norms and where no govt.
norms are in existence these groups will act as per their best judgment based on the situation.
 The free kitchen will start functioning by the relief groups with the help of the local people.
Keonjhar, Orissa
Hatadihi block of Keonjhar is a water-logged area, where panic prevails during the rainy season, especially
whenever it rains in the upper catchment area of the river Baitarani. During the flood of August 2007 a number
of villages got drowned and got completely isolated from the outer world. All transportataion lines were severed;
people were in dire need of food and relief. Binod Sahu, the Sarpanch of Sarana GP, took initiatives in addressing
the situation. He mobilized local and personal efforts to run a community kitchen for about sixty people. His
efforts got a boost when normal relief by Govt. agencies could reach the place.

HOUSEHOLD, VILLAGE AND SHELTER LEVEL SECURITY

As the people will evacuate from their houses to safe places, it is essential to ensure the safety and security at different
levels starting from Household to Shelter level.

Household / Village Level security:

 While leaving the house, ensure that each house should be properly locked.
 Some volunteers should be engaged in watch and ward of the village.
 The movement plan of the volunteers inside the village should be spelt out clearly and necessary logistic

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 arrangement should be made for anyadverse situations.
 The mode of communication should be developed earlier for monitoring and better response to any
difficulties.

Shelter level security:

 The women and adolescents should be provided separate room in the shelter.
 The valuables and the important documents should be kept safely inside the shelter.

Legal aspects like Compensation for house damage and deaths

There is a Govt. provision for compensation in case the house is damaged, which will help the vulnerable house
owners in rehabilitating and reconstructing the damaged houses. This should be persued with the local Tehasildar
and Revenue Inspector (RI) of the Dept. of Revenue. The accurate damage assessment report will be helpful during
this time.
Likewise, in case of death of the family head, there is also a provision of ex-gratia grant for the family of the diseased
irrespective of the status of the family above or below the poverty line. Government declares the Ex-gratia for any of
the injured and death cases. Accordingly, following the declaration of the Government, it is the SDMC to take the lead
to communicate all proper information to the affected families.
So, it is the responsibility of the VDMC members to provide correct information to the people from the source,
regarding these compensations, provisions and ex-gratia after persuing the matters with concern departments.

INSURANCE
The provision of General Insurance Corporation of India is now applicable to all the assets, livestock and life of any
person. Therefore, it is wise to insure all the Assets and Lives under any one of the GIC policy provisions which may
help the community in faster recovery and compensate the loss to some extent at the time of disaster.

INTER-AGENCY COORDINATION
(Discussed in detail in Chapter IV)

SEARCH, RESCUE & MEDICAL AID

There are different sets of activities and responsibilities at different stages of the disaster to meet the needs of search,
rescue and providing medical aid. A lot of coordination of the VDMC members/ PRI members is necessary with various
Govt. agencies like the District Administration, Police, Fire Brigade, Tehasildar, R&B, RD, Irrigation, RTO, CDMO/ MO &
RWSS etc, as well as the NGOs.

During Preparedness Phase

 Train members of the identified task force and the volunteers through mock drill for this operation.
 Ensure the availability of rescue materials.
 Hold meeting of NCC/ Civil defence/ Guide/ Ex service man/ Police etc for support.
 Based on the risk assessment arrange boats and transport for evacuation.
 Prepare an inventory of shelter places and map indicating the centers.
 Provide/ arrange rescue kits at risk areas.

During Pre-disaster phase (After issue of warning)

 Arrange deployment of police personnel at risk points.
 Make arrangements for the safety of property of the people
 Arrange deployment of fire brigade personnel and resources at risk points.
 Distribute work amongst the team members, volunteers and NGOs for rescue
operation.
 Make provisions for food stuff, life saving drugs, cattle feed, polythene, tarpaulin etc.
 Prepare for evacuation.
 Arrange rescue kits.

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 Arrangement of materials for repair of roads and breaches for post disaster operation.
 Conduct meeting with the owners of the vehicles.
 Mobilize volunteers.
 Arrange for medical help at shelter points.
 Make proper arrangement of drinking water at shelter places.

During Disaster
 Deploy volunteers and resources at shelter points.
 Help the injured to be transported to hospital.
 Arrange for guard and rescue at the breach points.
 Send search group to rescue the left over people in the risk areas.
 Arrange boats and transport for the people who are stranded.
 Reach out to people with foodstuff and other essential items.
 Provide medical help
 Arrange drinking water at shelter places.
Koraput, Orissa
During a situation of acute epidemic during 2007 in the Dasmantpur and Laxmipur blocks of Koraput, where a
large number of cases were terminal, volunteers of DRM along with workers of SIVA, a partner NGO rendered very
useful service to the community. They generated awareness about community health and spread safety tips. They
saved many lives including that of a 2-year old child, who was abandoned by her parents as dead.
In a fire incident during April 2007 in the Bandhugaon block of Koraput, the volunteers rescued life and property
of many villagers.

Post-disaster
 Find out the missing persons
 Keep record of missing persons.
 Inform the family members
 Provide tarpaulins as and when necessary
 Help the people to return to their homes
 Provide vehicle if required for transportation of people to return to their homes.
 Arrange for payment of ex-gratia to the family of missing persons.
 Organise immediate repair of roads and breaches for communication and transportation.
 Provide first aid.
 Arrange drinking water at shelter places.
 Organise immediate repair and renovate the affected tube well.

PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES

(Please refer to the Annexure for details)

FIRST AID
(Please refer to the Annexure for details)

BASIC MINIMUM STANDARDS

(Please refer to the Annexure for details)

DAMAGE AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Purpose of Damage and Need Assessment:
It is necessary to undertake ‘Damage and Needs Assessment’ to save lives, minimize injury, damage and loss, and
prevent further secondary hazards. It is also essential to undertake to produce an appropriate and timely assessment

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report in order to mount an effective and efficient response.

What does an Assessment cover?

 Damage Assessment : A situational description, which will cover “what has happened”.
 Needs Assessment : A statement of what needs to be done and what will be required?

Principles of Damage and Needs Assessment:

 Needs assessment should provide sound information / database for decision-making.
 Information needs will vary depending on the event and where the effects are being felt.
 The assessment formats should facilitate rapid information collection.
 The primary stakeholders should be involved in the information collection system.
 Reports should contain a balance between statistics, narratives and tables.
 The assessment reports should specify how data is to be collected, analyzed and presented.
 Standard indicators, planning factors and formula should be provided.
 Standard reporting process and format should be followed.

Disaster Assessment
Disaster Assessment is a critical component of disaster management and must be planned for and systematically
conducted throughout the disaster. Disaster assessment is an efficient way in which the immediate and long term
needs of affected population can be identified thus enabling to design effective disaster response and rehabilitation
programme. Assessment is carried out best when local community members are involved in the process, providing an
opportunity for them to participate in designing their own programme utilizing their local resources.

Components required for conducting a Disaster Needs

Assessment:
 People and Resources to collect information
 Coordination mechanism
 Baseline data
 Reporting formats
 Channels for sending the report
 Analysis and decision making capability
 Response capability

Community Level Assessment is the process of determining:

 The impact of the hazard on a community
 The needs and priorities for immediate emergency measures to save and sustain the lives of survivors
 Resources available within the community
 The possibilities for facilitating and expediting longer-term recovery and development

Role of Assessment in Disaster Management:

 Confirm the occurrence of the disaster - location, no. of people affected, damage caused to local infrastructures
 Identify, characterize and quantify populations at risk in the disaster
 Help to define and prioritize the actions and resources needed to reduce immediate risks
 Identify local response capacity, including organizational, medical and logistics resources
 Help anticipate future serious problems
 Help manage and control the immediate response
 Action taken by the community in order to minimize the effect of disaster
 Response of the Government
 Condition of transport and communication networks in the affected areas
 Immediate needs - Health, food, shelter, water, sanitation etc.

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The Assessment Process involves:
 Identifying essential information, immediate needs of the most vulnerable community and the resources available
and those required, through;
- Data Collection

- Analyzing and interpreting the data

- Reporting the conclusions, so as to design the disaster response plan & programme

Relief Actors that Use Assessment Data:

 Survivors
 Government Agencies
 NGOs
 Media
 Useful Data Collection Methods:
 Local self-assessment
 Visual observation
 Interviews with community members, authorities, Government officials, NGOs etc. by specialists
 Media reports
 Review of reports & statistics on health, demography, socio-economics on previous disasters.
However, estimating accuracy depends on an understanding of data gathering methodologies and their limitations.

Focus for Assessment:

 Identify secondary threats
 Assess damage to Communications system
 Identify areas from where the information has not been received
 Establish status of hospitals, clinics and overall treatment capacity in high impact areas
 Locate isolated and severely affected communities
 Identify and prioritize areas requiring search and rescue
 Ensure operation of data assessment centres
 Determine availability of essential items
 Identify public health requirements
 Identify needs for temporary shelters
 Support local administrative responses
 Assess the status of “life-line” systems such as communications, water supply, electricity, road networks and
sewerage system
 Immunization
 Water supply
 Nutrition
 Bulk food logistics
 Registration and distribution administration
 Population movements

General Guidelines for Assessment

 Verify the quality of assessment data
 Use existing Information systems
 Specify how the data were collected
 Anticipate who needs the data and how they will get it

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 Evaluate the accuracy of the collected data
 Process data quickly while they are still useful
 Profile for an assessment specialist:
- Disaster expert
- Familiar with the affected country
- Knowledge of the local language
- Leadership skills
- Team worker
- Decision maker
 Determine location of problems
 Determine magnitude of problems
 Determine immediate priorities
 Assess all critical sectors
 Identify relationships between sectors
 Compare findings to “base-line” information
 Emphasize in all critical areas such as emergency medical and health, search and rescue, damage to lifelines
and other public facilities, shelter and housing needs, personal and household need, agriculture and economic
needs, as follows:

Security
 Police station
 Strength of home guards

Health
 No of sick people & casualties
 Types of disease and causes
 No. of doctors, nurses & trained community health workers available
 No. of hospitals and Public Health Centres (PHCs)
 Types of medicines and vaccination available locally and their requirements
 Condition of health services
Govt. and other Organisations
 Government support
 Names of the organisation working in the disaster areas
 Types of relief & response activities provided by the Govt. and other INGOs and NGOs
 Strength of trained volunteers

Food
 Types of food required according to the local custom and diet
 Sign of severe malnutrition
 Specialized diet required:

Water and Sanitation

 Availability of water and its requirements
 Chlorination of drinking water
 No of bathroom and conditions
 Condition of drainage system
 Solid waste disposal

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 Vector control

Shelter
 Community hall, temples, open ground, schools and other undamaged infrastructures to provide temporary
shelters
 Capacity and condition of the shelters appropriate to the local weather and custom

Program Planning
 Budget for three months
 Action plan for three months

Telecommunications
 Telephone
 TV
 Radio
 Satellite phone

Logistics
 Sources
 Other organization supplies
 Place for storage

Transportation
 Port
 Road
 Truck
 Any major bottlenecks e.g. bridges collapsed

MONITORING & EVALUATION

‘Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)’ is an approach to assessing the activities and effectiveness of various community-
based interventions. Monitoring refers to the continual review or overview of the activities of an initiative and of any
improvements in implementation. Evaluation refers to the analytical assessments which determine to what extent
the intervention has been effective as measured against preset goals. Community-based initiatives, especially if they
receive donor funding, are often required to conduct some M&E.

Monitoring
Monitoring is the routine process of data collection and measurement of progress toward program objectives.
Designated agencies/ volunteers monitor the activities of an initiative by keeping track of activities. All activities need
to be monitored, for which systems need to be put in place to maintain such records. In all initiatives the staff and
volunteers can play a role in keeping these up to date. The choice of tools to monitor activities will be guided by the
initiative’s basic aims and objectives. So, it is important that there is an agreement on what these aims and objectives
are before one sets out to monitor activities.

Monitoring means:
 Knowing where we are
 Observing and recording change
 Regular and timely assessment
 Increased and jointly shared accountability
 Routine reflection
 Feedback

Evaluation
Evaluation is the use of social research methods to systematically investigate a program’s effectiveness. Evaluating

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an initiative means determining to what extent it has been effective, what impact it has had. Typically evaluation is
conducted either prior to beginning an initiative or as an initiative comes to an end. These forms of evaluation are
called formative evaluation (at the beginning) and summative evaluation (at the end). Through evaluation it can be
specifically seen how changes have occurred that relate to initiative goals, amongst which groups these changes have
occurred, and what aspects of an initiative’s activities contributed most to these changes.

Evaluation means:
 Reflection process on what has occurred
 Assessment of achievement and impact
 Learning from experience
 Valuing change

Overview of Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

 Monitoring and evaluation takes place at multiple stages of a program. At each stage we gather different
information that comes together to demonstrate how the project or the initiative has been conducted and what
has occurred as a result. It is important to identify at the outset how we will gather the information for each level
of evaluation.
 It is also important to keep in mind that some of these stages overlap and can, in different situations, represent
different levels. For example, outcome-level data on risk behaviors of target groups can be used to evaluate the
effectiveness of a program or set of programs without associating the changes with any single program.

Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

Types of Monitoring and Evaluation:

Formative Assessments Monitoring (monitoring Evaluation (assessing Cost-Effectiveness

and Research (concept and inputs, processes, and outcome and Impact) Analysis(including
design) outputs; assessing service sustainability issues)
quality)

Questions Answered by the Different Types of Monitoring and Evaluation:

Is an intervention needed? To what extent are What outcomes are Should program priorities be
planned activities actually observed? changed or expanded?
realized?

Who needs the How well are the services What do the outcomes To what extent?
intervention? provided? mean?

How should the intervention Does the program make a Should resources be
be carried out? difference? reallocated?

Indicators
For a specific M&E activity, it is essential to clearly define what key goals and objectives the initiative wants to monitor
and evaluate. Once this is clarified, one can think about what to look for that would indicate that these goals and
objectives have been achieved. This involves the development of ‘indicators’.
Some of the useful qualitative indicators that can be used in evaluation may include:
 Increased participation in initiatives and activities;
 Increased public awareness of the issues to be addressed;
 Increase in number of people within the community who serve as skilled/ informed resource persons;
 Extent of women’s role in decision-making, and management of CBDP processes.

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 Number and nature of community norms, and legislations developed by community for ensuring safety of
community.
 Existence and active functioning of customs or systems for generating people’s contribution for developing
common facilities.
 Increased levels of participation amongst risk groups;
 Transparent and accountable behaviour vis-a vis decisions and transactions. Ability to be accountable, and make
accountable.
 Instances of positive action taken as a result of activities;
 Increased level of functioning of basic developmental services in the community – especially health, water,
sanitation and education.
 Ability to negotiate with the Government and to access the available schemes;
 Ability to manage, plan for, develop, and maintain common property resources, which include
publicinfrastructure;
 Community ownership of the initiative in terms of increased active voluntary participation in decision-
making; and,
 Community ownership of the initiative in terms of financial contributions (where appropriate).
Some examples of useful quantitative indicators that can be used in monitoring are:
 Number of teams of volunteers formed
 Number of trainings held
 Number of meetings held
 Number of IEC activities held
 Number of print materials developed and distributed
 Amount of budget spent, etc

An useful check list for Monitoring

The following is a useful checklist of major activities covering the three phases. A number of sub-activities are expected
to go under each of the major activities. The progress of these activities needs to be closely watched and kept track
of with the help of a simple check list as suggested hereunder. More activities/ sub-activities may be suitably added
to the list to make it more practical as per the local situation. The sequence of events may be adjusted as per need.
Four stages of progress have been suggested against each activity. Only the dates, on which the respective stages
are reached, may be entered in the spaces provided in each row. This will serve as a record of progress, which may
be utilised for quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Sl Activity Stage-I Stage-II Stage-III Stage-IV

No
Planning for In first stage In good Completed
the activity of implementation progress satisfactorily
PREPARATORY PHASE
( Enter the dates of reaching the respective stages )
1 Discussion in Gram Sabha on DM
2 Community profile analysis
3 Risk assessment
4 Vulnerability assessment
5 Identification of resources
6 Preparation of Village DM Plan
7 Integration with long term development
8 Formation of DM teams
9 IEC activities for awareness generation
10 Training of DM teams

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Sl Activity Stage-I Stage-II Stage-III Stage-IV
No
Planning for In first stage In good Completed
the activity of implementation progress satisfactorily
11 Arranging materials for respective teams
12 Installing warning systems
13 Household preparedness
14 Conducting mock drill
15 Evacuation Plan
16 Getting shelter ready
17 Water & sanitation arrangements
18 Getting Coordination Center ready
19 Maintaining necessary data
20 Maintaining inter-agency coordination
21 Updating village DM plan

RESPONSE PHASE

1 Getting all DM teams ready

2 Dissemination of warning
3 Operationalising coordination center
4 Arranging all necessary provisions
5 Evacuation process
6 Taking search & rescue measures
7 Mobilising & storage of relief material
8 Distribution of relief
9 Managing shelter
10 Free kitchen operation
11 Providing security at all points
12 Providing First Aid
13 Taking public health measures
14 Damage and needs assessment
15 Maintaining inter-agency coordination

RECONSTRUCTION AND REHABILITATION PHASE

1 Clearing of debris & silt etc

2 Return of people to their houses
3 Provision of temporary shelters
4 Trauma counseling
5 Restoration of water & sanitation
6 Restoration of power, road & transport
7 Damage assessment
8 Facilitating compensation process
9 Rebuilding of houses
10 Rebuilding of damaged infrastructure

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 Sl Activity Stage-I Stage-II Stage-III Stage-IV
No
Planning for In first stage In good Completed
the activity of implementation progress satisfactorily
11 Restoration of livelihood of people
12 Post event evaluation
13 Undertaking long term developments
14 Coordination with Govt.& other agencies
15 Documentation

DOCUMENTATION
The learning derived from ongoing programs and recent occurrence of events like disasters have a lot to offer for
guiding the future interventions. But experience shows that documentation is quite often not accorded the importance
it deserves, which results in insufficient documentation.
(Please refer to the Annexure for details)

-----------------------------------------------------------

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104
 CHAPTER 6

Rehabilitstion
And
Reconstruction
After
Disasters

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Chapter VI
REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION AFTER
DISASTERS
Overview of the Chapter
Introduction
Rehabilitation
 Responsibility of individuals and families
 Post event Evaluation
 Long term rehabilitation
Reconstruction
 Community role in reconstruction
 Integrated long term development

INTRODUCTION
In the post disaster phase, when the impact of the disaster recedes, it is necessary to bring normalcy by repairing and
restoring basic services: in cases where damage to the houses has taken place,
temporary shelters have to be provided to the affected people and hence
arrangements for procurement of shelter material, distribution and erection
of shelters at safe places; road and transport; power; communication; supply
of drinking water; removing and disposal of carcass, etc.; removing silt, debris,
filth, stagnant water, etc., from inhabited areas so that the people can return
to their places as early as possible.
Simultaneously, the agricultural and other economic activities, which are the
mainstay of the rural people should be put into gear so that people get back to
their routine activities as quickly as possible. After these initial arrangements,
reconstruction and permanent rehabilitation of the houseless people should
start, otherwise they will not only continue to suffer, but also be a long term
liability as well as problem to the state.
The important functions to be carried out at this stage are discussed hereunder.

REHABILITATION
In the post disaster phase, when the impact of the disaster has receded, it is necessary to bring back normalcy by
taking a number of necessary actions:

Disposal of Carcass
Rotting and undisposed carcasses create unhygienic condition and have to be disposed off
immediately. The members of this special task force have to be physically and psychologically
tough to carry out this work. Their role and responsibilities have been discussed earlier in
Ch V.

Counseling
Most victims of cyclone/ floods suffer from trauma, grief and worry about losses to their
families and property. Some can cope up with it and some people break down totally. The
task of counseling is to identify such people and help them through their grief. The details
of their role and responsibilities as well as training required for them have been discussed
in the earlier chapter V.

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Damage Assessment
In the pre-cyclone/ flood months information about the individual families, their income, property and assets are to
be collected and kept on record. This data is necessary for verification of compensation claims after the disaster. The
following assessments are to be made about damages:
 Lives lost
 Women and children at risk (Orphans/ destitute/ disabled)
 Damage and losses to property and assets (Livestock, agriculture, plantation
and fishing boats etc.)
 Damage to infrastructure (Roads, water supply, electricity, markets and
distribution networks)

Helping the compensation process

In a post disaster situation people feel lost and depressed. This is also the time when they need resources to get back
to their normal mode of life. They need to be compensated for the losses, for which there are norms and provisions
made by the government. But these activities involve certain processes, which may take a little time as well as patience
on the part of the affected people. The task group can be very helpful in facilitating the process by:
 Hastening the Govt. enumeration process to assess the damage.
 Helping families with the paper work to follow compensation proceedings, especially relating to death certificates,
insurance etc.
 Ensuring that the assessment and concerned papers reach the Govt. department responsible for compensation
to ensure timely assistance.

Relief Measures
(This has been discussed in Chapter V)

Temporary shelters
In cases where the houses of the people have been damaged beyond
habitability, temporary shelters have to be provided to the affected people.
Hence arrangements for procurement of shelter material, distribution and
erection of shelters at safe places have to be made at the earliest. Task groups,
along with volunteers and the community can jointly attend to the task and
put up the people there till they can go back to their houses.

Restoration of Basic Services

 Road and transport
Roads are the lifeline of a community. All critical activities like bringing in the relief materials, taking up the
reconstruction work, organizing health care etc, get seriously affected. Therefore it is one of the priorities to
attend to the roads and bring it back to service.
 Power
Power situation usually gets seriously affected by disasters, thereby slowing down a number of subsequent
activities. Life gets destabilized in the process. It is therefore essential to quickly assess the damage and
restore power at the earliest.

 Communication
In the time of critical need like the aftermath of a disaster communication
becomes very important for the people as well as the agencies and task
groups assisting the process of restoration. Usually the telephone system
becomes a casualty and needs to be restored as soon as possible. However,
with the advent of mobile telephony, the dependability on base phone has
reduced.

 Drinking water
Water is a very basic need of the people. Drinking water of dependable
quality is necessary for day to day life. In a post-disaster situation, when

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 water sources are quite likely to have been contaminated it can be very dangerous to use it without the required
purification. All necessary steps and sanitary precaution should be taken on priority to restore the quality of water
in order to make it suitable for drinking and other domestic usage.

 Removing silt, debris, filth & stagnant water

In post-disaster situation especially of a flood, plenty of silt, debris and filth of all kinds are left over after the water
recedes. Besides the accumulated stagnant water at a number of places may take a long time to clear up or dry
out. This not only rots the environment, it also becomes the breeding ground for vectors like the mosquitoes,
thereby opening the door to various infections. Task groups and the community together should take immediate
steps to clear it up and resume an environment of safety.

Return of people from camps

During the post-warning and response phases the people are evacuated as needed and taken to safe places like
shelters or temporary relief camps. After the disaster, however, necessary help should be provided to them to go back
to their own houses. They would need further help in undertaking necessary repairs to their houses in order to make
it habitable again.

Restoration of Livelihood
Disasters destabilize livelihood of people to a great extent. Sometimes people lose everything including their property,
cattle and other resources, their mainstay for livelihood. This can be very distressful, especially when they find everything
in jeopardy and feel extremely helpless. This situation needs very sensitive handling and the families are to be helped
out with constructive hand holding that is acceptable to them. They must be facilitated to find a sustainable foothold
for income generation and resumption of a pattern of dependable livelihood. It is necessary to:
 Help families access financial assistance to begin income generating activities suitable to them.
 Identify the various support facilities necessary to restart the economic activities of the community; for
example;
o Farmers need basic help like cattle, seeds and manure to resume cultivation.
o Small shopkeepers need to re-stock their shops.
o Fishermen need their gear to catch fish and access their market to sell them.
o Training in new skills to begin new income generating activities (brick-making, RCC cast items, sheet metal
work, masonry etc)

Rehabilitation of orphaned children and women

Disasters can be very cruel to people. Instances of an entire family being wiped
out leaving behind a small child are not rare. Women lose their husbands, lose
their support system and livelihood and are rendered helpless as widows. Society
has a role towards such cases and must take steps to rehabilitate them and get
them included in the social process.
For the rehabilitation of orphans and widows a community based approach is the
best option. Institutional rehabilitation may be considered only as an alternative
option. Respective Govt. departments may be approached by the task group for
organizing help and facilitation.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES

Reconstruction and rehabilitation work of the affected villages will depend to a large extent on the efforts of the
action groups. But their success again depends on the support of the villagers themselves. In fact, involvement and
participation of the villagers themselves will get far more satisfactory results.
Action groups need to inform the villagers and their families through a series of meetings about the role of the action
groups in the post-disaster phase and what the villagers should do to help themselves to recover losses as far as
possible. They should encourage the families to:
 Volunteer to help the action groups in their activities
 Inform the disposal team about carcasses and bodies in their location

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 Help the counseling team to identify people who need help.
 Keep the family together and tell them about rehabilitation and
reconstruction plans.
 Start rebuilding houses, if possible so that families can move to their own
homes.
 Keep the land, bank, insurance and other documents handy to authenticate
compensation claims.
 Make thorough checks of property, whereabouts of missing persons and
livestock before making claims.
 Work out what their needs are for rebuilding their homes and livelihoods and
discuss it with the action group.
 Volunteer for reconstruction activities.
 Try not to make distress sale of cattle and property.

POST-EVENT EVALUATION
Another opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of a preparedness plan is after an actual emergency. Based on the
actual series of happenings and actions taken during the response phase, VDMC can review their preparedness plans
and update them to reflect the reality, opportunities and challenges experienced in the disaster situation. Questions
that should be asked during this review include:
 What caused the most casualties and damages? What, if anything, can the NS do to mitigate or prevent
this from happening in the future?
 What were the main difficulties in getting assistance to needy people? How might the NS improve this
in the future?
 How did the warning system work? What improvements are required?
 What mistakes did we make? What changes must we make to avoid these changes in the future?
 What did we do well? How can we guarantee that we will continue to do these things?
 What supplies were available and which were lacking? How might we compensate for this in the future?
 What was the level and quality of coordination with the NS and with other external organisations? What
additional coordination is required? How might we improve this coordination in the future?
 What were the strengths and weaknesses of our preparedness plan? How might we modify it or improve it?

LONG TERM REHABILITATION IN POST DISASTER PHASE

Developing a long-term plan to rehabilitate affected communities is extremely important. The plan should aim at
certain policy level changes keeping in mind local knowledge and capacities. It also calls for a time-bound strategy
without which the disaster management policy would lead to a dissipation of valuable developmental resources and
energies.
The regular occurrence of disasters has hit the poor and marginalized sections of the society very badly. They not only
affect the lives and livelihoods of the communities, but also destroy the assets and confidence of people. Attempts
should therefore be made to reduce the vulnerability of people with the help of knowledge and technology-based
inputs.

Housing
Everyone has the right to adequate housing. Key aspects of the right to housing include the availability of services,
facilities, materials and infrastructure along with affordability, habitability, accessibility, location and cultural
appropriateness. The settlements and the habitation should have all the facilities a family needs in order to live happily.
In addition to these, the way the houses are constructed, the building materials used and policies supporting these
must allow an expression of cultural identity and diversity.
In view of this, a proper housing policy needs to be formulated. Steps must be taken to establish rural building centers
through which safe housing can become a reality for the masses.

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Agriculture
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the majority of the population in Orissa. Most of the coastal regions
are under paddy cultivation, which is highly sensitive to inundation and salinization. Some of the traditional saline
resistant varieties are now on the verge of extinction. In view of this, it is essential to preserve and promote the use
of such varieties by establishing seed banks at the village level.
The aim here should be a permanent solution instead of dispensing doles and relief. What is required at this moment
is diversification of cropping practices and introduction of horticulture so that alternative food stuff is available to
people during the crisis period.

Plantation
The long coastline of Orissa is vulnerable to saline surges during floods and cyclones.
The situation has been further aggravated by clearing of mangroves which used to act as
natural barrier to saline surges for shrimp cultivation. In addition to this, deforestation has
also led to an increase in the runoff of rain water, resulting in floods in western Orissa.
Plantation on a large scale would be able to bring about changes desirable in the local
climatic conditions.

Sanitation
The aim of the sanitation program is to promote good personal and environmental hygiene. Community mobilization
assumes great importance during disasters as people have to protect their health and make good use of facilities and
services provided. Access to toilet, burial of waste, control of vector and solid waste management are some of the
key aspects of sanitation programs.
Awareness campaigns on sanitary measures would bring about some changes. Poor sanitary conditions render poor
communities vulnerable to diseases affecting in the process the overall wellbeing of the entire population. A lot of
money and working days are lost in recovering from the diseases. Poor sanitary conditions repeat themselves and
poor communities get sucked into a vicious circle of suffering. This can only be rectified when the entire community
is prepared to contribute to the effort directed at maintaining good sanitary conditions.

Water
Water is essential for life, health and human dignity. In extreme situations, water may not be available in sufficient
quantities to meet basic needs, and in these cases supplying enough safe drinking water needed for bare survival
is of critical importance. In most cases, the main health problems are caused by poor hygiene due to water scarcity
and consumption of contaminated water. People should therefore have equitable access to safe water for drinking
purposes and for other personal and domestic uses.

RECONSTRUCTION
It is necessary to supervise the village recover from the losses in the disaster. The main aim is to facilitate Govt. help
to carry on reconstruction activities in the area, including the following:

Housing
 Arranging for compensation from the government for partially and totally
damaged houses and for the lives lost.
 Accessing reconstruction materials and assistance of the government officials
for the families.
 Helping families to rebuild houses.
 Organising village communities for proper channelising of ‘Food for work’.
 Wherever there is vulnerability towards cyclone and hurricane, appropriate technology should be adopted
and building of cyclone resistant houses should be promoted.

Strengthening of communication links

 In the modern life style communication has been assuming a greater role. It has been making great

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 advancement with the advance of science and technology. A long term view is necessary to install a system that
is less vulnerable to disaster and updated with the available technology.

Rebuilding of damaged infrastucture

The social infrastructure is in jeopardy after a disaster. Many damages are caused to its systems. While a quick repair
can put life back into gear, it is, however, necessary to take a closer look at these aspects and rebuild them with a
long term view.
 Roads & bridges
 Power supply system
 Telephone lines
 Drinking water facilities
 School and other public buildings
 Construction of permanent disaster-shelters

Survey & Report

Infrastructural activities may include repair and reconstruction of damaged
and other vulnerable structures or undertaking new construction work.
Before taking up the work, one has to complete the reconnaissance survey
and visual inspection, find the causes of damage, and establish the degree
of damage and workout appropriate remedial measures. In the case of new
constructions, the feasibility study involving the economic importance of the
project, geographical features, measurable and non-measurable benefits, the
method of economic appraisal and cost benefit analysis should be completed.
Preparation of a Project Report is a pre-requisite for proper evaluation of the
project as it ensures timely completion and avoids time and cost over runs.

Reclamation of silted/ damaged agricultural lands and fish ponds

After the initial recovery, it is necessary to remove the extra deposit of silt and reclaim the agricultural land and get it
ready for the next cycle of crops. A specific area should be ear marked for depositing the dug out silt in the outskirts
of the village.
Similarly, the fishing ponds will have to be cleaned up by removing the deposit from under the water. The under-bed
preparation with the lime spray will have to be done to bring back the fishing pond into shape and to resume the
activities of fishery.

Community Role in Reconstruction

The urgency to rebuild has sometimes resulted in repeating old mistakes. In this respect care must be taken to ensure
incremental up gradation of the local technologies and, wherever possible, introduction of corrective measures. The
objective of disaster policy is to set in motion processes, which aim at building the capacity of affected people to
recover and move ahead. Disaster preparedness and response policies must be an initiative emerging from grassroots
and be consolidated at various levels: village, block, district, state and the nation.
It must be a community-based program, having the following features and activities:
 An active early warning system, supported by an active communication
strategy through the mass media, needs to be developed.
 Identification of all local institutions, their role and responsibilities and
the assessment and strengthening of their capacities on rescue and
relief.
 Rapid rescue and relief forces consisting of skilled manpower should be
formed and strengthened at the community level.
 Appropriate technology should be used for construction of flood resistant
houses with multipurpose cyclone shelters.

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  Low-cost housing should be promoted.
 Traditional flood and drought resistant seeds should be used and protected through seed banks and
other activities.
 Grain banks should be introduced to address localized food stress situations.
 Local materials should be used in building watershed harvesting structures.
 Shelter beds should be constructed and plantation should be raised.
 Comprehensive natural resources management and other activities should be taken up.
 Local CBOs may come forward to conserve the natural resources in a pro-active role, if necessary.
Dasoli
The Chipko Andolan, supported by Dasoli Gram Swarajya Sangh organised a community movement to prevent
the destruction of local forests, in order to mitigate flooding. To stop the process of deforestation, local women
formed a circle around trees to prevent contractors from cutting them down. The movement has spread to several
districts in the state and averted massive deforestation.

INTEGRATED LONG -TERM DEVELOPMENT

The rehabilitation and reconstruction phase is a crucial one in which all efforts are made to
restore and reconstruct the damaged property arid infrastructure and also attempts are made
to recover from losses with in minimum possible time and bring the socio-economic life back
to normal in the affected areas.
The third phase of the disaster management is mainly devoted to long-term development of
the disaster prone areas so that the impact of the hazard could be minimized and the people
and all supporting systems in the area are provided a better footing to face the drudgery of
future disasters. Thus the activities for the development and better preparedness to face the
problem will include the following:
Long term planning for preventive measures such as:
 Soil conservation and afforestation in river catchments.
 Planting shelter belts/mangroves in the coastal areas
 Adopting new cropping pattern to avoid crop loss due to floods and cyclones
 Introducing policy for preventing human settlement in low-lying areas, relocations of settlements in
safer places, encroachment on drains etc.
Long term-Protective Measures would include:
 Construction of safe houses and shelters in hazard prone areas.
 Strict implementation of safety-codes in the construction of private and public houses and buildings.
 Construction of hazard-proof roads, bridges, canals, water reservoirs,
drinking water facilities, power transmission lines, telephone cables,
rails, etc.
 Construction of dams, embankments and other physical measures for
protection against floods.
 Improvement in meteorological forecast and flood monitoring system,
early — warning system for cyclones, cyclone tracking system, etc.
 Organizing people to participate in preventive and protective measures as
well as in the preparedness for counter - disaster activities.

Factors to be taken into consideration:

A number of factors need to be taken into account before embarking upon a major development project.

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 Objective of the project
 Location
 The expected benefit to life, property, livestock as well as environment Sustainability of the project
 Involvement of the community
 Issues of availability and handover of land for the project
 Cost considerations including community contributions, if any
 Institutional involvement
 Capacity building needs

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 CHAPTER 7

Convergence,
Coordibation
And
Linkages

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Chapter VII
CONVERGENCE, CO-ORDINATION AND LINKAGES
Overview of the Chapter
Need for Coordination
Role of Panchayat in coordination and Linkage
 Role of the State
 Coordination with the Govt Departments
 Role of District Administration
 State Disaster Mitigation Authority
 National Disaster Mitigation Authority
 Coordination with the NGOs and other agencies
 Functional Coordination with multiple agencies
 An illustrative model of coordination
Building up and maintaining important Data
Websites related to Disaster Management

NEED FOR COORDINATION

People’s participation is essential for the success of any development initiative. In this regard, participation of individuals
as well as civil society organizations is important for responding to disaster situations. To put it more simply, civil society
is a medium through which a social contract between the governing institutions and the governed is negotiated and
reproduced. This can be done involving people directly at the activities
level as well as by bringing about changes at the policy level. Most of the
non-governmental organizations will be of great help, if the Panchayats
network effectively with these humanitarian organizations.
In addition to this, some of the policy level actions would require good
relationship with institutions and with people from various walks of life for
building everyday pressure through media, political parties, religious and
cultural organizations, NGOs and so on. Over time a sphere of association
in society in distinction from the state, involving a network of institutions
could be developed. The existence of the same network in national,
global, regional and transnational forms can lead to the development of
a global culture, ideology and politics.
In this context, it is essential to promote participation of victims themselves including the poor and marginalized
sections of the society. This would help lower castes and weaker classes in managing community-based programs
and developing leadership quality. Similarly, what is required is a perspective of the ‘poor and the marginalized’ in
influencing decisions, so that the benefits reach them. This can be achieved through leadership and involvement of
‘people having lived experiences’.

ROLE OF PRIs IN COORDINATION AND LINKAGE

Disaster Mitigation can be seen as a series of interconnected activities with a number of agencies in order to achieve
a common purpose. This will not only need understanding of every nuance of the task involved, but also planning
those activities meticulously and then getting them implemented properly as per plan. This involves pooling together
of various kinds of resources and efforts from a large number of people, agencies and organisations both within and
outside the Government.
PRI Bodies have a central role to play in this endeavor right through the process of setting targets, planning,

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implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It calls for a large effort in team building, where plenty of coordination
is required with various agencies for achieving success.
Therefore it is necessary to understand what role state plays and what roles the various agencies within and outside
the Govt. play in respect of DM. That would present a perspective as to the process of coordination required with
those agencies for implementation of the DM Plan.

ROLE OF THE STATE

It goes without saying that the primary responsibility of the state is to ensure the well-being of its citizens. This essentially
means ensuring that everyone has adequate food, access to quality education, sanitation and basic health services. It
also means that the state should guarantee that caring and nurturing activities, which are vital to people’s life, are carried
out. These are inherent rights of every citizen. The state is the only organization that has extensive resources and the
authority to formulate policies and implement them.
Disaster management challenges every state and its development programs. It is also found that the poorest states
have very little in terms of institutional capacities to cope with disasters. To reduce vulnerability, a state needs to
integrate risk analysis and risk reduction into its development programs, both at macro and micro levels. To prepare for
emergencies, a state needs to make available its resources as part of a humanitarian response. However, vulnerability
reduction will never be effective without people’s participation.
It should be remembered that hazards by themselves are not disasters; they are threats that could trigger off disasters
in vulnerable communities. Vulnerability, on the other hand, is that state of being prone to or susceptible to damage
and injury, which describes a person or a community’s lack of capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover
from the impact of the threat. As such, vulnerability mirrors a given society’s existing power structure and its social
and economic inequities.

COORDINATION WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN DM

In a welfare state, Government assumes the responsibility of rendering relief to people affected by natural calamities.
In such times of widespread distress, the entire government machinery is switched on to render relief to people.

Major objectives of the Govt.

 To assist the line dept., Block administration and the community in developing coping skills for disaster
management.
 To provide effective support and resources to people in disaster.
 To provide an organized, systematic, flexible approach towards dealing with a natural calamity.
 To disseminate factual information in a timely, accurate anduseful manner.
 To help develop immediate and long-term support plans for vulnerable people following a disaster.
 Ensuring active participation by Govt., Community, Volunteers and NGOs at all levels making optimalutilization of
men, materials and resources at the time of Disaster.
The revenue department and the Board of Revenue coordinate the activities of all the departments of Govt. and Heads
of Departments in regard to relief operations. It is therefore necessary
to understand the different roles played by various Govt. Departments
for Disaster Mitigation.

Coordinating role of the Sarpanch

As the people’s elected representative, a Sarpanch has to coordinate with
a number of Government and non- Govt. agencies for getting jobs done.
Some of the Govt. functionaries he/ she has to coordinate with is displayed
in the diagram.

ROLE OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

The District Administration also takes all kinds of preparatory steps and
keeps in readiness to deal with situations of disasters. In anticipation of
seasonal disasters during the year, district administration takes various
precautionary measures. Actions like functioning of control room, closure of past breaches in the river and canal
embankments, functioning of flood zones, deployment of country boats and power boats at strategic points, making

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use of emergency shelters, installation of temporary VHF stations, arrangement for keeping telephone and telegraph
lines in order, storage of food stuff, necessary agricultural measures, health measures and veterinary measures etc. are
properly planned.
The Govt officials of different departments are apprised of their duties before, during and after the disaster. Particularly
BDOs, Tehasildars, Executive Officers of Municipalities, Executive Engineers of Irrigation Depts.,
Dakshina Kannada District
The District Administration, community and the local NGOs started an initiative to reduce the local communities’
vulnerability to disasters. They carried out ‘School safety programs’ and introduced ‘Disaster risk reduction’ into
the district NSS volunteers training program. Additionally with Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Home Guards
and Civil Defence the community conducted mock drills. These efforts led to increased preparedness within the
communities.

C.D.M.O, C.D.V.O. and CSO are instructed to take all precautionary and preparatory measures. They are all required to
co-operate with the District Administration in combating the natural calamities.
The Collector shall coordinate relief operations undertaken by civil society organizations, non-government organizations,
and voluntary organizations. If some organizations want to distribute food, open midday meal centers, or free kitchens
for a certain period they can do so under intimation to the Collector. Government vehicles can be used for relief
operations by civil society organizations on requisition. They should meet the cost of POL, but daily hire charges
need not be realized from them. Civil society organizations may undertake a long duration program in a distress area
selected and approved by the Board of Revenue / Special Relief Commissioner under intimation to Government.

STATE DISASTER MITIGATION AUTHORITY

There is a need for a nodal agency at the state level with a comprehensive mandate to address natural calamities. This
agency functions in providing support at the policy level, fund leveraging as well as capacity building.
Orissa
After the super cyclone in 1999, government, national and international agencies, civil society organizations took
up relief and rehabilitation work in the affected areas. The office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Orissa
served as the nodal agency of the government for dealing with natural calamities. In order to provide a sustainable
platform to the initiative and maintain a centralized coordination among the various agencies and sectors, Orissa
State Disaster Mitigation Authority or OSDMA (later renamed as Orissa State Disaster Management Authority) was
set up in the same year with a mandate to plan and implement strategies for monitoring relief operation and
rehabilitation programs in the event of the occurrence of natural calamities.

The SDM Authorities in various states, wherever formed, have made their presence felt and have succeeded to a large
extent in promoting awareness on disasters through sharing of knowledge, and information and documentation.
Several other initiatives such as the preparation of State Disaster Management Policy are worthy of note. The focus
of such policy is on total risk management and vulnerability reduction by strengthening the physical infrastructure
as well bio-physical, psychological, social and economic status of the people and to make them increasingly disaster
resistant as well. However, the agency does not have any direct linkage with the Panchayati Raj Institution.

NATIONAL DISASTER MITIGATION AUTHORITY

The National Disaster Mitigation authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, is the apex body for disaster
management in India. The setting up of the NDMA and the creation of an enabling environment for institutional
mechanisms at the state and district levels is mandated by the Disaster Management Act 2005. NDMA as the apex
body is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management to ensure timely effective
response to disasters.
It carries a National Vision ‘to build a safer and disaster resilient India by developing a holistic, pro-active, multi-disaster
and technology driven strategy for disaster management through collective efforts of all Govt. agencies and non-
Governmental organisations’. This will be achieved through a culture of prevention, mitigation and preparedness to
generate a prompt and efficient response at the time of disasters. The entire process will center-stage the community
and will be provided momentum and sustenance through the collective efforts of all government agencies and non-
governmental organisations.

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COORDINATION WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS, NGOs & CBOs
A vibrant democratic institution both in formal and informal sector rests on the bedrock of civil society. The other
side of the coin is that only an active civil society can ensure a responsible, transparent, corruption-free and efficient
local self-government system from the neighbourhood level to village, block and district level to promote rural
transformation in an expeditious way.
It is seen that the NGOs mostly operate through the CBOs in the rural areas. Thus there is already a healthy link between
them. However, PRIs need to cooperate with the NGOs and CBOs in almost all areas of development including disaster
preparedness. NGOs are engaged in information dissemination, awareness creation, social mobilization and capacity
building by facilitating of formation and activation of CBOs. They have access to knowledge to information, know-how
and technological advancement. In states where they have a powerful base with focused action, there they can play a
creative role in enhancing the capability of PRIs. Although sometimes these institutions are observed to be displaying
hostilities towards each other due to various reasons, it is to be clearly understood that their positive, constructive
and functional interrelation is necessary to facilitate, activate and accelerate the
process of development in the locality.
People have the potential and capacity to transform; but they also need a support
system and mechanism. For this, Gram Sabha should become a driving force
and main focal point for people’s involvement in developmental process. It has
been amply demonstrated by the experiences of Orissa and Gujrat that the Gram
Panchayats have the capacity to participate in disaster management effectively
and NGOs can also work in coordination with PRIs at different levels.
While Panchayats can participate in all aspects of disaster management, the CBOs
can contribute on different aspects like, forming voluntary task forces for rescue
and relief, medical aid, special care of vulnerable people, management of land, forest and water resources and various
other preventive and protective measures, which are critical for short term and long term preparedness.
Gujrat
During the Sabarmati train accident in Baroda and the floods in Surat, communities, Govt. and the local NGOs
worked together complementing each other under the facilitation framework laid out under the Gujrat Disaster
management Act. GSACS and its partners were actively involved in generating awareness on health and water
related issues and AIIMS in New Delhi supported the medical response. The local community efforts resulted in
an effective response to the different disasters.

FUNCTIONAL COORDINATION WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES

As discussed earlier, PRI institution has a key role to play in disaster mitigation. For this they would be required to
reach out to a number of agencies in the community as well as in the Govt., create linkage and maintain a close
coordination with them.
A model of maintaining coordination in Search & Rescue is presented hereunder. Similar models need to be worked
out for specific activity domains. This would streamline the process of coordination and dispel any chaos.
An illustrative model of coordination (for Search and Rescue)
During During
During During Coordination
Pre-disaster (after The onset of
Preparedness Post-disaster required with
warning) disaster
 Train volunteers  Deployment of  Help the injured to  Find out the  Police Deptt
through mock drill police personnel at transport to hospital. missing persons  NGOs
for this operation risk points.  Guard and rescue  Keep record of  DMTs
 Arrangement for at the breach points. missing persons.
the safety of property  Inform the family
of the people members

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 During During
During During Coordination
Pre-disaster (after The onset of
Preparedness Post-disaster required with
warning) disaster
 Ensure the  Deployme nt of  Search group go  Find out the  Fire Brigade
availability of fire brigade personnel around to rescue the missing persons.
rescue materials and resources at risk left over people in the  Inform the family
points. risk areas. members.
 Hold meeting  Work distribution  Search group go  Find out the  Dist Admn.
of NCC/Civil defence amongst the officers around to rescue the missing persons.  Block Admn.
Guide / Ex service and NGOs for rescue left over people in the  Keep record
man/Police etc for  NGOs
operation risk areas. of missing persons
support.  DMTs
 Propositioning of  Arrangement of inform the family
 Based on the food stuff, life saving boats and transport members.
risk assessment drugs, cattle feed, for the people who  Provide
arrange boats polythene, tarpaulin are stranded. tarpaulins as when
and transport for etc.
evacuation.  Reaching out of necessary and help
people with foodstuff the people to return
 Prepare an and other essential to their homes.
inventory of shelter
items.
places and map
indicating the
centers.
 Provide/arrange  Deployment  Search group go  Provide  Tahasildars
rescue kit at risk of RIs and other around to rescue the tarpaulins  NGOs
areas. supporting staff left over people in the as and when
 DMTs
to assist in rescue risk areas. necessary to the
operation.  Arrangement of block office as per
 Propagation for boats and transport requirement.
evacuation. for the people who  Keep record of
 Arrange rescue are stranded. missing persons.
kits.  Arrange exgratia
to the family of
missing persons.
 Arrangement of  Immediate  R&B
materials for repair repair of the roads  RD
of roads and bridges and breaches for
 Irrigation Deptt.
for post disaster communication and
operation transportation.

 Assessment  Meeting with the  Provision of the  Provide vehicle  RTO

of availability of owner of the vehicles required vehicles for if required for  DMT
vehicles evacuation transportation of
 NGO
people to return to
their homes.

 Train task  Mobilize  Help the injured  Help people  NGO

forces generate and volunteers. to transport to to return to their  Volunteers
awareness.  Work distribution hospital. homes.
among the  Deployment
volunteers. of volunteers and
resources at shelter
points.

121
 During During
During During Coordination
Pre-disaster (after The onset of
Preparedness Post-disaster required with
warning) disaster
 Build awareness  Arrangement  Provide medical  Provide first aid.  CDMO
on Community of medical help at help  MO
Health shelter points.
 Installation of  Arrangement  Arrangement  Arrangement  RWSS
proper water & of drinking water at of drinking water at of drinking water at
Sanitation facilities shelter places. shelter places. shelter places.
in residences,  Immediate repair
schools and and renovate the
communities affected tube well.

BUILDING UP & MAINTAINING IMPORTANT DATA IN THE GRAM PANCHAYAT

OFFICE
It is therefore necessary for the PRI bodies to maintain contact details of various agencies with them so that appropriate
action may be taken at right time. The Panchayat Office should maintain a list of important telephone numbers.
Following is a model of maintaining contact numbers of key Govt. executives in the Block, District and State. This may
be modified/ corrected as per need.
Important Offices / Persons and Phone Numbers useful in Disaster Management

Phone Numbers
Name & Designation
Office Fax Residence Mobile

Collector
S.P
A.D.M.
Sub-Collector
President, Zilla Parishad
Project Director, DRDA
Dist. Emergency Officer
D.I.P.R.O.
C.D.M.O.
C.D.V.O.
D.A.O.
C.S.O.
Fire Officer
DPO-Panchayat
DWO
DSWO
L.A.O.
DFO
CI of Schools

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 Phone Numbers
Name & Designation
Office Fax Residence Mobile

Agro Industries
District Planning Officer
B.D.O.
Tahasildar
Addl. SP.
SDPO
RI
Fire Station
Executive Engineers
SDO, Telephone
Banks

Important offices at the State level

Chief Minister’s Office

Chief Secretary
Commissioner cum Secretary
Principal Secretary
Minister of Revenue
Revenue Control Room
Special Relief Commissioner
Addl. Relief Comm.
OSDMA
Flood Control Room
Civil Defence
AIR-Station Director
Door Darshan Kendra

Other details to be maintained

Besides the above the GP office shall be required to maintain a lot of other information. Wider the network, better
will be the effectiveness of coordination, especially at critical times. Some other details to be maintained in the GP
office may include the following:
List of NGOs and CBOs (a suggested format):
Sl. No. Name of the Address Year of Block Contact Person with Main Activities
NGO Registration Designation

List of Health Institutions and persons

List of VHF Stations

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List of High Schools having NCC and of NSS units in nearby Colleges
List of Power Boats and country boats available in the area
List of Home Guards in the area
List of persons trained in First Aid in the area
List of trained Masons and other skilled categories

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(List of Web sites connected to Disaster Management is placed in the Annexure)

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 CHAPTER 8

Social
Inclusiveness
In
Disaster
Management

125
126
Chapter – VIII
SOCIAL INCLUSIVENESS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Overview of the Chapter

- Social inclusiveness
- Understanding Gender
- Gender Approach in Disaster Management
- Immediate response during Disaster Relief Phase
- Mid-tem response during recovery phase
- Long term response during reconstruction phase

SOCIAL INCLUSIVENESS
The social significance of an inclusive approach goes beyond their economic relevance. In a society divided by caste,
religion, and ethnicity, equal opportunity of access to “primary goods” such as health, nutrition, and education can
create the basis for social mobility and social cohesion. Since it cares about the poorest, this can prove to be an
effective vulnerability reduction measure.
States have an obligation to promote, respect and fulfill fundamental human rights of people affected by disasters
irrespective of gender, race, caste, class, ethnicity, citizenship, religion, migration and registration status and other
factors. Therefore it is imperative that due sensitivity must be displayed towards the relatively more vulnerable groups
and their needs and concerns should be addressed on priority in all initiatives taken for disaster management.
In some cultures, caste discrimination is still strong and may prevent relief assistance reaching low caste communities. It
would be a prime responsibility of the people’s representatives to see that Government and other aid agencies should
implement relief and reconstruction activities without any discrimination based on caste, class, ethnicity, religion,
and other factors. Government and aid agencies should ensure that socially marginalised groups like the lower caste
people have equal access to relief supplies like food, water, health services, compensation benefits and housing.
In many parts of India Dalits, or the so called untouchables, are denied their basic human rights and face the most
terrible forms of deprivation and abuse under normal circumstances. The misery caused by disasters gets further
aggravated by the problems of discrimination for the vulnerable groups.
Such vulnerable groups may include:
 Old persons
 Pregnant women
 Lactating mothers
 Widows
 Physically and mentally challenged persons
 Women of all age groups
 Children
 Dalits
 People belonging to minor and marginalized groups
However, experience suggests that the women and children have been the
most affected and exploited during the post disaster care in particular. Women
seeking shelter during cyclones have been exposed to sexual harassment and assault. Concerns were raised that
children misidentified as cyclone ‘orphans’ were trafficked into sex work following the Orissa cyclone and the Gujarat
earthquake. Lack of protection from male relatives for widows and other sole women was cited as one of the factors

127
increasing the rate and fear of sexual assault. Women and child trafficking incidents are rampant during the aftermath
of a disaster. Violation of human rights in the shelters and relief camps are a matter of serious concern. Therefore,
while discussing about socially inclusive approach in disaster management, there is a dire need to sensitise people
about social equity issues, which calls for an extended discussion about gender mainstreaming.

UNDERSTANDING GENDER
Men and women are different in some ways, and alike in others. Biologically, we all need to eat and to sleep and to
breathe, we are all subject to malaria and ‘flu, we all need exercise to keep healthy. But there are differences in body
forms; and women bear children while men cannot.
In some ways men and women are similar in social terms. Both are sociable - they both like parties; and both want to
be valued as individuals, for example. There are however a lot of social differences between men and women in most
societies. Girls are usually expected to grow up to be good wives and mothers; this sometimes implies that they are
expected to be modest, and to be obedient, to be quiet when men are around. Boys in most societies are supposed
to grow up to be the chief breadwinners, and the ‘head of the family’. They may be expected to be brave, to take the
lead, to speak up. Most of these differences are not innate, but are taught, both directly by the parents and by society
in general, through what the child observes. Some things are just considered ‘right’ for women and ‘wrong’ for men,
and vice versa.
However, these differences are not universal, and they vary greatly from society to society, which tells us that they are
not determined by nature, but by the social environment in which we are brought up. Our opinions on what is correct
and acceptable behaviour are learned at a very early age and if they are challenged, it can give a very uncomfortable
feeling. If one is asked to do something which in one’s own society is exclusively done by the other gender, one can
feel very foolish or alternatively highly offended.
For example, twenty five years ago men never changed babies’ nappies, and would have been horrified if asked to
do so. Things have changed a lot however. These days men frequently take over this ‘mothering’ task, and are often
very happy to do so, quite genuinely finding satisfaction in a new, caring relationship with their children. It is not
always easy to say what differences are really biological and what are socially learned ones, and there is always room
for discussion on this.
All cultures have views on what men and women can and should do and what they are ‘naturally’ good at and what
they are ‘intrinsically’ bad at. The interesting thing is that many of these vary from culture to culture - so they cannot
be biologically inbuilt!
For example, differences of opinion are expected when we make the following statements:
 “Men are more logical and rational, women are more emotional”
 “Women are unstable at certain times, for example during menstruation”
 “Women have more difficulty in working with numbers than men”
 “Women are quarrelsome among themselves and don’t work well
in a group, while men get on with each other better”
 “Although it is true that women do some work on the farm, the
farmer is really a man”
 “A family really consists of a man who is head of the household,
a woman, and their children; families with women in charge
are not real families”
 “Women prefer to have a man to make the decisions for
them”
 “Children suffer if their mother goes to work outside the home”
 “Men are much less sensitive than women: they don’t notice how people are feeling”
Too often we make assumptions about gender differences without really thinking about them. In the exercises that
follow, it is important that participants share their findings with a view to showing that many norms vary from culture
to culture.

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Everyone knows that when the word ‘gender’ is used in the context of development planning, it is because there
is or has been concern about how women are benefiting from development efforts. Is gender then just a new and
fashionable term for ‘women’?
One of the things that have become apparent is that, for a variety of reasons, it may be better not to try to deal with
women’s problems in isolation, but to see them in the context of the society in which they live. What women do and
can do depends to a considerable extent on social relations and norms, and to understand this better it is necessary
to understand not just how women function but also how men do. It is not enough to just study the women: it is the
complementarity of men and women; how roles, work, responsibilities and rewards are shared between them, that
is important. Agencies and individuals are therefore increasingly of the opinion that a ‘gender approach’ is necessary
in planned development activities. Just as the term ‘socioeconomic’ implies that we look at differentiations in society,
such as those brought about by distribution of wealth or by ethnicity, ‘the gender approach’ implies that we look at
social differences between men and women. Gender, as has already been discussed, refers to culturally determined
differences, and as such, gender differences are by no means the same in every society.

GENDER APPROACH IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Gender inequality keeps women at a disadvantage throughout their lives and stifles their development prospects.
Illiterate and poorly educated mothers are less able to care for their children. Low education levels and responsibilities
for household work prevent women from finding productive employment or participating in public decision making.
It is therefore necessary to inculcate gender sensitivity and look at the issues related to women from this point of
view.
An attempt has been made here to suggest a practical guideline for the
assistance of the Govt. sector as well as the civil society actors in dealing
with women who have been affected by disaster. They have been categorized
into immediate, mid term and long term responses. However, there could be
overlap in the responses and this factor needs to be taken into consideration
in implementing the guidelines.
The guidelines are based on the experience of recent disasters. These disasters
occurred in vastly different places among different populations, yet they share
a common factor: during and afterwards, women and children suffered most.
That women are disproportionately affected by disasters is indisputable-yet it
continues to be ignored: by governments, and by many non governmental
agencies involved in relief and reconstruction efforts. In disaster relief efforts,
a rights based approach must be adopted so that women’s rights are promoted and safeguarded. Women’s socio
economic and cultural rights, as well as their civil and political rights are to be ensured at all times.
Gender sensitive disaster management must be based on the fundamental principles:
1. Women’s rights are human rights, therefore, relief efforts should not only be based on needs, but on ensuring that
women’s human rights are protected and promoted.
2. Equality of women and men
3. Non-discrimination against women
The three stages of response i.e., immediate, mid term and long term responses have been taken into consideration
in suggesting the following guideline:

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE DURING DISASTER RELIEF PHASE

Identify specific needs of women
Ask the women. Women are the most aware of what family needs are and what immediate responses are needed.
 Women’s reliable and regular access to food and clean water is important because women take care of food
and water for children, elderly and the entire family.

 Special care should be given to pregnant and breastfeeding women and women with young children

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  Include sanitary pads and underwear in relief supplies

 Provide adequate separate toilets and bathrooms for women

 Provide regular access to gynecological services by female health workers

 Ensure women’s security and safety

 Provide adequate shelter and housing

 Provide psycho-social counseling

Studies show violence against women, including sexual abuse, increases during disasters. However, because of stigma
and ostracism related to sexual violence the cases go unreported. Increased alcohol consumption and substance
abuse result in increased domestic violence and sexual harassment in camps.

Ensure that emergency relief supplies include women’s specific requirements

Ensure women’s access to sufficient and adequate food.
Food distribution should be equitable, transparent and respect human dignity.
 A steady and sufficient flow of food and drinking water should be maintained until disaster affected
people are able to restore their livelihoods, as long as it takes.
 Pregnant and breastfeeding women, widows, elderly, orphaned children and disabled should be
provided food aid until their food security has been ensured.
 Distributed food must be of appropriate quality and fit for human consumption.
 Basic food aid should include milk and sugar and be provided regularly until families are able to
restore food security.
 Breast milk substitutes should be included in the food aid package for families with infants as in
disaster situations under stress and trauma mothers have lactating problems.
 Consult women about the make up of the ‘food basket’ or essential food items for distribution.
 Basic cooking facilities such as cooking utensils, stoves and firewood must be provided.

Aid distribution for women should be handled by women.

The following should be overseen:
Ensure that all disaster affected people have access to adequate shelters.
Ensure women’s access to adequate toilet and bathing facilities.
 Include women in aid teams. Women groups need to be at the centre of planning, implementation
and management of food aid. There should be minimal involvement of military forces for delivery of
goods in the aftermath of disasters.
 Special efforts must be made to reach out to women as in most societies, women feel too intimidated
to collect aid supplies.
 Women should be encouraged to access aid directly.
 Aid distribution points should have public toilets, including separate toilets for women, access to
drinking water and shaded sitting arrangements.
 At aid distribution points, separate queues for women should be made, especially in cultures where
gender segregation is practiced.

Ensure women’s access to free health care services.

Ensure that:
 Access to health services is granted to all disaster affected people irrespective of their status: citizenship,
migration, registration, medical insurance etc. The right to health services is a fundamental human
right guaranteed by Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948.

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  Pregnant women and women with young children are identified and provided with free medical post
natal and maternity care and additional nutrition for the women and children
 Women who delivered after a disaster are provided with extra reproductive and child health care and
psycho-social counselling as they are more vulnerable due to the stress experienced during the
disaster.
 Necessary vitamins and other supplements are provided to pregnant and lactating mothers.
 A conducive, sanitary and safe environment is set up for childbirth purposes.
 Medical assistance is provided to lactating mothers who have lost their babies in disaster and have
milk clotting in their breasts.
 Adequate provision and easy access to different forms of contraception is facilitated as soon as
possible.
 Medical services are offered proactively by health workers through regular visits to camp, shelter and
disaster affected communities.
 Female health workers are included in medical teams servicing camps and affected communities.
 Female obstetricians and gynaecologists are at hand to take care of maternity and child related health
concerns.
 Children are inoculated against childhood diseases within stipulated time periods
 Women have access to general health care clinics .
 Hospitalised women are provided with shelter after they leave hospital and not asked to leave hospital
even if they have no place to go. Some of them may be disabled as a result of the disaster.
Ensure security and safety of women and children
Protect women from violence and abuse
Ensure women’s access to psycho-social counseling

MID-TEM RESPONSE DURING RECOVERY PHASE

Ensure women’s participation in management of camps and temporary shelters
Ensure women’s equal access to compensation payments and rehabilitation measures
Ensure that,
 Women are elected to camp management teams/ committees.
 Women are encouraged to participate in camp decision making.
 Women are consulted in the design and lay out of camps and shelters.
 Women are not represented by male family members in camp management.
 Meetings on camp management are held at convenient times for women to attend, not late in the
evenings or at night
 If women traditionally do not come to community meetings, their shelters should be visited to elicit
women’s views.
 Conflict solving mechanisms should be set up within the camps to deal with internal conflicts that
may arise due to distribution of aid.
Ensure women’s access to information on relief and rehabilitation measures
Ensure that:
 Information on relief assistance, including clear procedures on applying for such assistance, is
disseminated to all disaster affected people in camps, temporary shelters and those outside camps
and temporary shelters, including those in hospitals and remote islands, forests and mountainous
areas.

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  Special efforts are made to reach out to women in their shelters within the camps as in some cultures
women do no participate in public meetings where information is normally announced.
 Information is in reader friendly simple language and can be understood by all.
 Special efforts should be made to disseminate information to illiterate communities.
 Women officials are involved in the dissemination of information.
 The dissemination of information which provides information on facilities/ loans/ grants available for
women to start on livelihoods such as coir work, pottery, and other small and medium enterprises
 All information is shared with women who cannot access information easily due to cultural and
religious constraints and that assistance to those who failed to apply for assistance due to lack of
access to information is provided.
Ensure children’s access to education

LONG TERM RESPONSE DURING RECONSTRUCTION PHASE

To ensure that women’s needs are addressed, PRI bodies, Government and other aid
agencies should involve women in the consultative and decision making processes,
from camp administration and disaster management committees to policy making
bodies for reconstruction efforts.

Include women in the reconstruction process

Ensure women’s participation in decision making processes for rehabilitation and
reconstruction.
Ensure that reconstruction of houses meets women’s and family needs.
Ensure women’s equal ownership rights to land, house and property.
Women must be at the heart of all recovery and reconstruction processes. For decades, they have been the lifeline
of their communities, leading survival systems and mutual aid networks, including among the internally displaced
and refugee communities. Women are not just victims, they are survivors, and they need to be part of the solution.
The reweaving of the social fabric of life is the foundation for reconstruction and a necessary part of the healing
process. It is women, in their families and their communities, who are playing this role.

Ensure equal opportunity of livelihood for women:

Ensure that women get opportunities to earn livelihood for themselves and their families.
 In post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction, employment and income generation assistance for
women must facilitate their food security, women’s access to natural resources and poverty alleviation
at the community level.
 Reconstruction programs must have a special focus on women’s economic empowerment and offer
them income generating opportunities. In disaster situations, women who lost their husbands/
breadwinners face difficulties accessing income generating assistance because the existing opportunities
normally target men.

Raise Women’s awareness of their human rights :

Mobilise and empower women to advocate for their human rights.
Women’s groups should use post disaster reconstruction processes to break the old patriarchal norms and educate
women about their human rights: from right to have national identity cards, separate bank accounts to land and
property rights.

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 Support human rights awareness education programs for women within the camps and in their homes
if it is not possible to meet elsewhere convenient to women
 Provide women with necessary skills to face new challenges as heads of households subsequent to
male family members’ death, disappearance or incapacitation.
 Provide male family members with the necessary skills to take on new responsibilities of child care due
to the death, disappearance or incapacitation of female family members
 Support young female orphans with advice on looking after themselves due to death of parents or
adult family members.
 Awareness programs must emphasise that forced marriage of girls under the age of eighteen is illegal
and attracts penalties.
 Support ongoing gender awareness programs for camp officials and security personnel.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

133
134
SESSION PLAN

FOR THE

5 - Day ToT
Module
ON

Disaster
Management
For The Core Trainers

135
136
Day: 1 Session: 1 Introduction & Training Objectives Duration:2.00

Session Objectives:
To establish a non-threatening learning atmosphere in the training program
To facilitate a round of introductions for familiarizing the participants with each other
To facilitate the formulation of some norms or ground rules for the program
To facilitate sharing of expectations of the participants from the program
To assess the initial knowledge base of the participants through a ‘Pre-test’ questionnaire
To introduce the objectives of the training program to the participants
Time Activities Coverge Methodology Materials
5minutes Opening of the None Process of opening A pre-written
program and and welcome Welcome message
welcomingthe followed by self
participants introduction of
the facilitator/
facilitators
5minutes A general
statement about
the program
30minutes Ice Breaker None Playing the Adequate number
opening game G-1, of sheets of the
game
“Matching the
Description”
15minutes Introductions Facilitating a Guiding points
round of self- on the board
introductions
5minutes To form the Norms of None Plenary discussion Flip chart papers
the program Marker pens
15minutes To share participants’ None Sharing of Colored cards
expectations from the expectations Sketch pens
program through color cards Board pins
and summarizing
the same by
Delphi method
15minutes To conduct a ‘Pre-test’ Administration of a Pre-test
questionnaire questionnaire
20minutes To familiarise the Training Objectives Power point LCD projector
participants with presentation and PP-1
the objectives of the discussion on the
HO-1
training program Program objectives
10m BREAK FOR T E A
Details of None
Group work
Games G-1: ‘Matching the description’ is an ice-breaker game, which uses a work sheet with 25 particular
descriptions about people. There are an equal number of grids drawn on it. Participants are required
to interact with each other to find out who matches which description and then take the signature
of the person who fits that description on that particular grid.
Time for introduction to the game:5min/ group activity: 15min/ wrap up: 10 min.
Power points PP-1: Program objectives
Hand outs HO-1 : Program Objectives

137
Day: 1 Session: 1 Introduction & Training Objectives Duration:2.00

Task for To go through the program objectives and come up with any questions for clarification
participants
Reading None
reference
Any other Session should be fast paced and the atmosphere should be friendly, filled with a lot of laughter.
point Program objectives may also be placed earlier in the participants’ folders.
For writing down their expectations, the participants may be told to use only one expectation per
card.
Expectation cards may be spread on the floor for Delphi method and later put up on a board for
references.

Day: 1 Session: 2 Overview of Disasters Duration:1.30

Session Objectives:
To understand about various disasters
Types of disasters
History of major disasters
Forecasting and Warning1
Time Learning Goals Coverge Methodology Materials
30minutes Understanding Recapitulating the Group work Flip Chart
disasters experiences of a disasters (GW-1) followed Paper
by presentations Marker pens
Discussions in
plenary
10minutes Consequences of a disaster Exploration in LCD projector
plenary
PP-2
Lecture method
10minutes Types of disasters Natural disasters Plenary PP-2
Lecture method
Introductions
10minutes Man-made disasters Do Do
10minutes History of major Major disasters in India during Plenary PP-2
disasters the last decade Lecture method
10minutes Focusing on major disasters Exploration in PP-2
in the state during the last plenary
decade Lecture method
10minutes Forecasting & Forecasting & warning in Lecture method PP-2
warning major disasters
10minutes Codes of warning
1Hr BREAK FOR LUNCH
Details of GW-1: The participants may be divided into groups and given the topic for discussion “Remembering
Group work a disaster”. They may bring out as many dimensions and details they like about any disaster they
remember or, have the experience of.
Time: Introduction:5min., Group work: 10min., Presentations: 10min., Discussions: 5min.
Power points PP-2: Covering the related aspects of “Overview of Disasters in India”

138
Day: 1 Session: 2 Overview of Disasters Duration:1.30

Hand outs None

Task for Gather more facts and figures about disasters from various sources.
participants
Reading Resource Book, Chapter: I
reference Available literature from various sources
Internet
Any other The facilitator may prepare one Power point presentation (PP-2) for the whole session Before
point showing the PP, the facilitator may ask relevant questions to probe the awareness of the
participants as well as to raise their level of interest towards the point of discussion.
The session needs rather fast handling of the subject, without too much scope for participatory
deliberations If time permits, a short film on ‘Disasters’ may be shown in the beginning, followed
by a quick discussion

Need of Capacity Building in Disaster

Day: 1 Session: 3 Duration:1.30
Preparedness and Mitigation
Session Objectives:
To understand the need of capacity building of the community for Disaster Preparedness
To understand the approach to achieve the above
To understand the crucial role of PRI bodies in the overall scheme
To understand their own role as the core trainers
Time Learning Goals Coverge Methodology Materials
20minutes Need of capacity Vulnerability Analysis Group work Flip Chart
building of the (GW-2) followed Paper
community for by presentations Marker pens
Disaster Preparedness Discussions in
plenary

10minutes Need for reducing risk Lecture method Own notes

10minutes Participation of the Exploration in Do

Community plenary
Lecture method
5minutes The approach to Preparing the Community Plenary Do
Capacity Building to towards Disaster Preparedness Lecture method
achieve the above
15minutes Concept of Capacity Building Exploration in PP-3
plenary
Identification of Capacity HO-2
Lecture method
Gaps

10minutes Strategy for Capacity building Do Notes

of the Community
HO-2
10minutes Role of PRI bodies in Role of PRI bodies in Capacity Exploration in PP-3
the overall scheme Building plenary
Lecture method

139
 Need of Capacity Building in Disaster
Day: 1 Session: 3 Duration:1.30
Preparedness and Mitigation
5minutes Role of the Core Who are the Core Trainers? Lecture method PP-2
Trainers What is their role and
responsibility?
10minutes Knowledge-Skill-Attitude Exploration in PP-3
needed to perform plenary
Lecture method
10m BREAK FOR TEA
Details of GW-2: The participants may be divided into different groups this time groups and given the topic
Group work for discussion “Who are at risk during a disaster?”. They may be asked to bring out as many points
as they like and make very brief presentations group-wise without repeating the points already
made by previous groups.
Time: Introduction:2m, Group work: 10m, Presentations: 5m, Discussions: 3m
Power points PP-3: Covering the aspects : Concept of capacity Building, Role of PRI Bodies in Capacity Building,
Knowledge-skill and attitude needed by the Core Trainers to perform their role
Hand outs HO-2: The three tier concept of capacity building can be represented in a diagram with
explanations. The role and responsibility of each category of trainers should also be mentioned in
brief.
Task for To reflect upon the contents of the hand-out and come up with any further suggestions.
participants
Reading Resource Book, Chapters: I & II
reference Available literature from various sources
Internet
Any other The facilitator may prepare one Power point presentation (PP-3) as per suggestions given.
point
The content of the session is largely open ended and it is possible to accommodate a fair amount
of interaction. It is advisable to gather points from the participants before showing the Power
point for enhancing their ownership of the program.
The hand out may be distributed at the time of discussion about the ‘strategy of capacity
building’ and can be referred to subsequently.
The resource person may prepare necessary notes on the suggested points to guide the plenary.

Training cycle, Participatory Training & Role of

Day: 1 Session: 4 Duration:1.30
the Trainer
Session Objectives:
To understand the elements of the ‘Training Cycle’
To understand the principles of participatory training
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials

140
 Training cycle, Participatory Training & Role of
Day: 1 Session: 4 Duration:1.30
the Trainer
10minutes Elements of the Concept of the training cycle Lecture method Flip Chart Paper
Training Cycle and its components Marker pens
5minutes The Target Group Do PP-4
10minutes Training Need Assessment Do Do
5minutes Training Design Do Do
10minutes Session Planning Do Do
10minutes Dissemination of training Do Do
5minutes Evaluation of training Do Do
5minutes Principles of Significance of participation Exploration in Own notes
participatory training for the community plenary
Lecture method
10minutes How adults learn Lecture method PP-5
10minutes Teacher-centered vs. Do Do
Learner-centered learning
10minutes Participatory training Do Do
HO-3
BREAK FOR THE DAY
Details of None
Group work
Power points PP-4: Elements of the training cycle
PP-5: How adults learn, Andragogy vs Pedagogy, Trainer centered vs learner centered learning,
participatory trg
Hand outs O-3: Trainer centered vs learner centered learning, Principles of participatory trg.
Task for To reflect upon the contents of the hand-out and come up with any further ideas.
participants
Reading Resource Book, Chapters: II & III
reference Available literature from various sources Internet
Any other The facilitator may prepare one Power point presentation (PP-3) as per suggestions given.
points The content of the session is largely open ended and it is possible to accommodate a fair amount
of interaction. It is advisable to gather points from the participants before showing the Power
point for enhancing their ownership of the program.
The hand out may be distributed at the time of discussion about the ‘strategy of capacity building’
and can be referred to subsequently.
The resource person may prepare necessary notes on the suggested points to guide the plenary.
A quick recap of the major learning points should be done before closing the day.
-

Day: 2 Session: 1 Current initiatives in Disaster Risk Reduction Duration: 1.00

Session Objectives:
To understand recent initiatives in preparedness and mitigation measures for various disasters in the country
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials

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Day: 2 Session: 1 Current initiatives in Disaster Risk Reduction Duration: 1.00

5minutes Recent initiatives Understanding the approach Explorations in Notes

in the mitigation towards mitigation measures plenary
measures of disasters
in the country

35minutes Initiatives in mitigation of GW-3 Flip chart paper

flood situations Presentations Marker pens
Lecture method PP-5

5minutes Initiatives in mitigation of Lecture PP-5

drought situations

5minutes Cyclone PP-5

10minutes Earthquake & other situations Do PP-5

10minutes BREAK FOR T E A
Details of GW-3: Groups may go for a discussion on “As the District Collector, what mitigation measures
would you take for flood in your flood prone area?” Ask the groups to make presentations taking
Group work
care not to allow repetitions. After a brief wrap up, explain the points using PP-5.
Time: GD-15m, presentations and wrap up-10m, explaining about mitigation measures of flood-
10m.

Power points PP-5: The aspects of preparation for mitigation of flood in a flood prone district
Recent Initiatives for mitigation of flood, drought, cyclone, earthquake and other disasters

Hand outs None

Task for None
participants
Reading Resource Book, Chapters: I , IV & IX
reference Available literature from various sources Internet
Any other The day should start with a quick recap of the major learning points of the previous day; a detailed
points report of all proceedings is indeed not necessary.
This session needs sharp management of time, because the content is rather heavy and time
available only 60 m.
The group activity may take up longer time unless controlled properly.
Many details on the subject are available in a number of places in the Resource book.
The power point may be prepared keeping in mind that the time is rather limited.

Day: 2 Session: 2 Role of PRI bodies in Disaster Mitigation Duration: 2.00

Session Objectives:
To understand the role of PRI bodies in disaster mitigation
To get an overall view of the Acts and Provisions in relation to DM
To gain idea about the Govt. deptts connected to DM and their role and responsibilities.
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials

142
Day: 2 Session: 2 Role of PRI bodies in Disaster Mitigation Duration: 2.00

15minutes Role of the PRI bodies Pivotal role of PRI in Small Group LCD Projector
in DM development Discussion in the PP-6
plenary
Lecture method

10minutes Role of 3-tier PRI bodies in Lecture method

DM

5minutes Issues related to the role of Do

PRI
30minutes The basic roles of PRI A Game on Role set of PRI Game G-2 4 Title Cards
60 Activity cards
5minutes Role of PRI in Planning Lecture method
PP-6
5minutes In building capacities of the Do HO-4
community
5minutes In managing resources Do

5minutes In maintaining coordination Do

and linkages

5minutes Acts and Provisions in The Disaster Management Act Lecture method LCD Projector
connection with DM 2005 PP-7

5minutes The State Relief Code ( for Do

Orissa)
5minutes Financial Provisions for DM Do

10minutes Devolution of power to PRI Do

5minutes Rolesand Govt Departments connected Do LCD Projector
responsibilities of the to DM PP-8
Govt. Deptts. In DM
5minutes Roles and responsibilities of Do
the Govt. Deptts.

5minutes Role of the CEOs Do

1 Hr BREAK FOR LUNCH

Details of Small groups of 3 or 4 neighboring participants may be asked to discuss “What role do the PRI
bodies play in the development of the community?” Each group may gather 5 to 6 points quickly
Group work
and share in the plenary. A list may be prepared on the board. This will be summed up in PP-6.

143
Day: 2 Session: 2 Role of PRI bodies in Disaster Mitigation Duration: 2.00

Games G-2: After a brief introduction about the roles PRI bodies are expected to play, 4 groups may
be formed and each group leader is to be handed over a title card. These titles are: ‘Planning’,
‘Capacity Building’, ‘Managing Resources’ and ‘Maintaining Coordination and Linkages’.
They are to be told that there are 15 activities connected to each of these titles, each activity
written down on a separate card, thus making a total of 60 cards. 15 appropriate cards are to be
arranged in proper order under each title. However, the cards are now jumbled up and their order is
not known to us. The groups are expected to help out in arranging the cards for us.
Then out of a pack of 60 cards, 15 cards at random are to be handed over to each group,
distributing them one by one to each member within the group, like it is done in case of playing
cards. The members are not to show their cards to each other. They may, however, discuss what
they have got. The group may then jointly decide upon which activity they need and which they
do not, with respect to the title they hold. Groups now have to get rid of the cards which do not
fit into their title and collect from others the appropriate cards to make up a list of 15 activities
fitting to their title. They can exchange only equal number of cards with any other group. They
are then expected to prioritise the activities in the best possible order and declare that they have
completed the task. The faster group wins.
(The list of 60 activities is in the Annexure. The cards are to be prepared and kept ready in
advance)
Power points PP-6: Role of PRI bodies in local development, Role of the 3-tier PRI bodies in DM- a comparative
picture, The basic roles of PRI in DM, including points other than the four already mentioned.
PP-7: Acts and Provisions in connection with DM
PP-8: The Govt. Deptts. and their roles in DM
Hand outs HO-4: The Role set of the PRI body for DM
Task for To familiarize themselves with the relevant chapters in the Resource book
participants
Reading Resource Book, Chapters: II& III
reference Available study material from various sources
Internet
Any other The basic objective of this session is to familiarize the participants with the Roles of PRI bodies for
points DM. The Acts & Provisions and the Govt. Deptts need not be dealt in detail; these can be found in
the Resource book.
The Game G-2 should be followed up with a quick discussion on the learning derived from the
exercise.
A short film may be shown, if time permits. The film should be followed up with a fruitful
discussion to draw learning points.
The resource person may sense the level of enthusiasm among the participants and may decide
to go for a quick energizer once in a while during the program at appropriate points.
Time allocations for the sub-points have been indicated for a general guidance of the resource
person. However, if time is exceeded at some point, the same should be made up appropriately at
another point, without compromising on the quality of the input.

144
Day: 2 Session: 3 ‘Before-During & After’ phases of the Disasters Duration: 2.00

Session Objectives:
To understand the three phases of a disaster; namely, ‘Before’-‘During’ and ‘After’
To learn about ‘Preparedness activities’
To learn about activities of the ‘Response’ phase
To learn about the activities of the ‘rehabilitation and Reconstruction’ phase.
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
20minutes The phases of a The advent of a disaster Case study Sufficient no. of
disaster copies of the Case
Study
10minutes The pre-disaster situation Lecture PP-9
Situation during a disaster Do
After the disaster Do
5minutes Activities during the Culture of Preparedness Explorations in Notes
Pre-warning phase of plenary
Preparedness Brainstorming
DM Planning Exploration in LCD projector
plenary PP-9
10minutes
Lecture method Flip chart papers
30minutes Awareness Generation Group Work GW-4 Marker pens
Summing up with
Lecture method
PP-9
5minutes Disaster Mitigation Teams Lecture method
10minutes Mock Drills, First Aid and Do
Search & Rescue tips
10minutes Activities during the Dissemination of Warning Lecture method PP-9
Post-warning phase Preparation for Evacuation Do
Arrangements for food, Do
drinking water & medical
support
Coordination and other Do
activities
10minutes Activities during the Management of the Control Lecture method PP-9
Response phase room
Shelter management Lecture method
Search, rescue and medical Do
aid
Sanitation and hygiene Do
Coordination and other Do
activities
10minutes Activities during the Rehabilitation activities Do PP-9
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction activities Do HO-5
reconstruction phase
10 minutes BREAK FOR TEA
Details of GW-4: Groups to be formed and asked to deliberate on the issue “What would be your strategy to
generate awareness among the people regarding community preparedness for disasters?”
Group work
Time: GD-15min, presentations-10min, wrap up with PP-9 -10min

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Day: 2 Session: 3 ‘Before-During & After’ phases of the Disasters Duration: 2.00

Games None
Power points PP-9: Activities in the three phases of DM as per the session plan
Hand outs HO-5: A brief list of activities in the three phases of disaster mitigation measures
Task for The participants may be asked to prepare small skits and songs etc on awareness generation and
participants present it the next morning in the plenary
Reading Resource Book, Chapters: V, VI & VII
reference Available study material from various sources
Internet
Any other An appropriate Case study to show the activities of a PRI member during the onset of a disaster is
to be administered, followed by a brief discussion to draw learning points.
points
Time permitting, a short film on a relevant subject may be shown and learning points drawn from
it with a quick discussion.
Learning points are always to be enlisted on the board for the interested participants to note
down.
The hand out HO-5 may be given at the end along with a quick recap of the entire session.

Day: 2 Session: 4 The process of CBDP Duration: 1 .00

Session Objectives:
To understand the concept and components of Community Based Disaster Preparedness
To understand the processes and activities involved in CBDP
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
10minutes The components The concept of CBDP Lecture method LCD Projector
5minutes Components of CBDP Do PP-10
5minutes Status of CBDP in India Do
10minutes Process of CBDP Processes involved in CBDP Do PP-10
HO-6
5minutes Scope of activities Mapping exercises Do PP-10
10minutes DM Teams and their roles Do
5minutes Capacity building Do
5minutes Creating and managing Do
community funds
5minutes Linkages between PRI- CBOs- Do
NGOs
BREAK FOR THE DAY
Details of None
Group work
Games None
Power points PP-10: Deatails of CBDP as per Session Plan
Hand outs HO-6: Process of BDP…(the flow sheet)
Task for None
participants

146
Day: 2 Session: 4 The process of CBDP Duration: 1 .00

Reading Resource Book, Chapter: IV

reference Available study material from various sources Internet
Any other This is basically a session of knowledge-inputs; it has to go at a fast pace.Participants are to be
points led into the Resource book during the session
One energizer may be used half way through the session
A recap for the day should be done before closing for the day

Basic PRA Techniques for

Day: 3 Session: 1 Duration: 2.00
Planning of CBDP
Session Objectives:
To understand the approach to creating a village plan for DM
To learn about Participatory Rural Appraisal
To gain familiarity with a few basic tools of PRA
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
20minutes The Village Plan for Understanding what is a Short film on Vill. Short film on Village
DM village plan Plan Planning
Discussion in PP-11
plenary
10minutes Components of a village plan Lecture method
5minutes Participatory Rural PRA as a process Do PP-11
5minutes Appraisal Applications and uses of PRA Do
5minutes Benefits Do
5minutes Basic principles and Do
approaches
5minutes PRA as a tool for DM Do
planning
5minutes Overview of basic Overall techniques of PRA Do Models of various
10minutes tools and techniques Maps and Models Showing images methods
of PRA Lecture Digital images of
mapping process
15minutes Transect Walk Take a walk PP-11
Discussion
Lecture method
5minutes Venn Diagram Lecture method
5minutes Time line Do
5minutes Seasonality Calendar Do
5minutes Ranking and Scoring Do PP-11
HO-6
5minutes Participatory Problem Analysis Do
and other tools
10minutes Overcoming the Mistakes, Challenges and Tips Do PP-11
challenges for the users
10minutes BREAK FOR TEA
Details of None
Group work

147
 Basic PRA Techniques for
Day: 3 Session: 1 Duration: 2.00
Planning of CBDP
Games None
Power points PP-11: The PRA process, Basic principles and approaches to PRA, Tools of PRA, Challenges and tips
Hand outs HO-6: Principles and practice of PRA for DM
Task for To go through the Hand out and raise points for discussion at an appropriate time
participants
Reading Resource Book, Chapter: X
reference Available study material from various sources
Internet
Any other Film show must follow brief discussion on what the participants have seen and learnt.
points
A short transect walk of 10minutes may be undertaken in the surrounding area of the venue with
a certain purpose like say, ‘to study the sanitation in and around the place’, or any other subject
convenient to all.
During the transect walk participants may be encouraged to collect a few short interviews on the
chosen purpose with persons available near the venue.
Suitable photographs or digital images may be arranged in advance for show and discussion.
The tools are to be explained in brief.
For better understanding, PP-11 should include pictures or models showing the use of some toolsof
PRA like the Venn diagram, Seasonality analysis, Time line or Ranking and Scoring etc.
A brainstorming may be done in the plenary to think of points on ‘Use of PRA for DM’.

Day: 3 Session: 2 Designing a Training Module for PRI bodies Duration: 1.30

Session Objectives:
To understand the principles of training design and session planning
To do the need assessment of the target group, in this case the PRI bodies
To develop skill for designing a training module for the target group
To develop skill for designing the sessions for the above training module
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
5minutes Training design and Recap of Day-1, Session-4 Lecture method
session planning
5minutes Format for session design Show a format and HO-7
explain

10minutes Designing a training Assessing the learning need of Exploring in Notes

program on DM for the target group plenary
PRI members Sequencing& prioritising the Lecture method
topics and sub topics
Finalising the duration of the
training program

Setting objectives of the Showing them Notes

training program a few training HO-7
objectives
Brain storming

148
Day: 3 Session: 2 Designing a Training Module for PRI bodies Duration: 1.30

70minutes Working out a Drawing the format of the chart Group Work GW-6 Large brown
training design along Writing down the topics and papers
with session plan in sub-topics with time frame Marker pens
a chart Long scales
Deciding upon methodology,
materials, tools and resource Group
persons etc presentations
Discussions
Presentation of training designs
1 Hr BREAK FOR LUNCH
Details of GW-6: The groups may be formed on the basis of geographical proximity of participants for better
Group work sharing. The groups will discuss and prepare the Training design as explained. After this they shall
present their group charts.
Time: Gr. work - 50min, presentations - 10min, discussions – 5min
Games None
Power points None
Hand outs HO-7: The format for Session Planning, which may be enlarged on the brown paper by the
groups.
Training objectives of the PRI training program
Task for To assess the availability of resource materials for the various sessions they design.
participants
Reading Various chapters of the Resource Book
reference
“Every Trainer’s Handbook” by Devendra Agochiya
Available study material from various sources
Internet
Any other It has to be impressed upon the participants that the designs they make are going to be used by
points them for field training.
While discussing about the possible duration of the program, see if the participants find a 4-days’
period reasonable, striking a balance between their ‘learning need’ and ‘availability’.
The participants are expected to have a number of questions during their session planning exercise.
They will need technical help at this point.
The groups will need constant follow up and should be told to speed up. They should start writing
down the chart as they begin to discuss.
They are to be reminded about the variety of training methods and tools they are going to use.
The charts should be displayed properly for all to see during the lunch break.

Day: 3 Session: 3 Finalisation of the PRI Module and the Tool Kit Duration: 1.30

Session Objectives:
To finalise and adopt a training module for the sensitisation of PRI members
To finalise the training methods and tools for the final module
To clarify any doubts in the minds of the participants about the finalized module

Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials

149
Day: 3 Session: 3 Finalisation of the PRI Module and the Tool Kit Duration: 1.30

30minutes Presentation of a Rationale of the pre-designed Interactions in

pre-designed 3-Day module plenary
PP-13
module by the Presentation of the module Lecture method
facilitator
Discussion on resource Interaction
materials
Discussion about the salient Do
features
20minutes Training methods and Training methods used so Do
materials used in the far in the current training
PP-13
proposed module program
Training methods used in the Lecture
proposed module
Clarifications

40minutes Training tool kit Short films Demonstration Short films as

proposed to be used and explanation available on
in the module on how to use the relevant topics
same
Flip book on Search and Do As available
rescue
Flip book on Mock Drill Do Do
Booklet on First Aid Do Do
Posters on Community Do Do
Health, Gender sensitisation,
Shelter management and
Disaster precautions etc
Information booklet on Power Do Do
devolution to PRI
Information booklet on some Do Do
important Govt. schemes
Structured formats for Do Pre-designed
conducting mock PRA formats
Clarifications HO-7

10minutes BREAK FOR TEA

Details of None
Group work
Games None
Power points PP-13: The pre-designed 4-Day Module on sensitisation of PRI members on DM
Hand outs HO-7: The 4-Day Module and the list of the Tool Kit
Task for To go through the module, compare it with the one they had designed and to come up with any
participants suggestions for improvement.
Familiarise themselves with the tool kit
Go through the contents of the flip books and information booklets
Reading None
reference

150
Day: 3 Session: 3 Finalisation of the PRI Module and the Tool Kit Duration: 1.30

Any other The idea of a pre-designed module may have to be discussed tactfully, but getting at a common
points module would necessarily have to converge on something like this. Therefore this pre-designed
module is an attempt at saving time.
It is advisable to pretest the proposed module with a live audience in advance, before bringing it
up in the program.
The different elements of the tool kit will have to be arranged and kept ready for demonstration.
The demo is meant to give the participants a grasp of the tool kit. They are to be told how to use
the same during the actual training program that they are going to handle later.
They are to be told that they are going to practice the use of these tools the very next day during
the practical sessions.

Day: 3 Session: 4 Facilitation Skill for the 4-day Module Duration: 1.30

Session Objectives:
To understand the techniques of making a presentation
To develop the skill of preparing for making a presentation
To understand individual roles for the next day’s exercise
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
15minutes Preparing for making Planning for a presentation Lecture with PP-14
a presentation Keeping the needed materials demonstration
ready
Ensuring the basic minimum
logistics
30minutes Facilitating the Creating and maintaining a Do PP-14
sessions participative environment
Using the training methods
properly
Some basic points for making
a presentation
Managing time
Asking and answering
questions
15minutes Some useful tips Getting along with people Do PP-14
Body Language HO-8
Dealing with problem
situations
Training in village
environment
30minutes Discussion on the Grouping of participants Discussion PP-13
next day’s practical Division of sessions among Discussion and Flip chart paper
work participants keeping on record Marker pen
Tips on preparation Lecture method
Setting the ground rules Discussion
Arrangement of feed back Do

151
 Day: 3 Session: 4 Facilitation Skill for the 4-day Module Duration: 1.30

BREAK FOR THE DAY

Details of None
Group work
Games None
Power points PP-14: Techniques of making a presentation
Hand outs HO-8: Making an effective presentation
Task for To prepare for their respective sessions for the next day
participants
Reading “Delivering Effective Training” by T.W. Goad
reference “Introduction to Training” by Penny Hackett
“Every Trainer’s Handbook” by Devendra Agochiya
“Basic Training for Trainers: A Handbook for new Trainers” by Gary Kroehnert
Available study material from various sources
Internet
Any other The participants are to be clearly told who is going to handle which session
points Time plan for the presentations is to be decided
The methodology and use of tools in respective sessions is also to be decided
The new trainers must avail the opportunity to gain practice
The presenters will get a feed back both from other participants as well as the facilitator.
If a video camera can be arranged, same can also be viewed for self analysis.
Urge them to prepare well for the next day’s performance and bring about an atmosphere of
healthy competition among them.
Tool kit, planned to be used on the next day, should be handed over to them at this point of
time.

Day: 4 Session: 1 Presentations by participants and Feedback Duration: 2.00

Session Objectives:
To allow the participants to gain practice on presentation skill
To cover a few important sessions of the 4-day PRI training program
To come up with practical problems with a view to solving them
To give the participants a constructive feed back for improving upon their performance as facilitators
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
30minutes Setting the ground Recap of learning Interactions Recorded chart
rules points as well Reference to flip chart
as individual
assignments fixed Video Camera with
on the previous day Cameraman
Timing of Interactions TV set
presentations Lecture
Role of observers
Feedback system

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 Day: 4 Session: 1 Presentations by participants and Feedback Duration: 2.00

30minutes Presentation-1 by Presentation either Observation Materials as need

participants individually or in Noting down for the presentation
small group
15minutes Feedback Feedback from Facilitation
participants
Feedback from the Facilitation
Own notes
presenter(s)
Feedback from From own notes
facilitator(s)
30minutes Presentation-2 Presentation either Observation Materials as need
by participants individually or in Noting down for the presentation
small group
15minutes Feedback Feedback from Facilitation
participants
Feedback from the Facilitation
Own notes
presenter(s)
Feedback from From own notes
facilitator(s)
10minutes BREAK FOR TEA
Details of None
Group work
Games None
Power points None
Hand outs None
Task for To make good quality presentations
participants Participate in the feedback in a constructive manner
Reading None
reference
Any other Before beginning the presentations state that during the presentations the other participants will
have three roles to play:
points
o First, they shall behave like the target group (PRI members) and react or put
questions accordingly without obstructing the proceedings.
o Secondly, they will act as observers and present their observations
objectively in brief. For this they may have to make notes during others’
presentations.
o Third, as learners they will all try to learn from the whole exercise.
Before taking feedback from participants suggest that they must first share the good points of the
presenter and then come to what could have been done better and improvements necessary. Tell
them to be specific and not judgmental.
The Cameraman is to be instructed to cover the various aspects of each presentation. This may
include- The introduction, Body language, Eye contact, Use of materials, Reaction of participants
and the conclusion.
Video feedback may be seen by the participants in play-cum-fast forward mode to save time.
More presentations may be accommodated depending on time taken on presentations and
feedback
Facilitator may create own structured format for noting down observations and giving feedback

153
 Day: 4 Session: 2 Presentations by participants and Feedback Duration: 1.30

Session Objectives:
To allow the participants to gain practice on presentation skill
To cover a few important sessions of the 4-day PRI training program
To come up with practical problems with a view to solving them
To give the participants a constructive feed back for improving upon their performance as facilitators
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
30minutes Presentation-3 Presentation either Observation Materials as need
by participants individually or in small group Noting down for the presentation
15minutes Feedback Feedback from participants Facilitation
Feedback from the Facilitation
Own notes
presenter(s)
Feedback from facilitator(s) From own notes
30minutes Presentation-4 Presentation either Observation Materials as need
by participants individually or in small group Noting down for the presentation
15minutes Feedback Feedback from participants Facilitation Own notes
Feedback from the Facilitation
presenter(s)
Feedback from facilitator(s) From own notes
10minutes BREAK FOR TEA
Details of None
Group work
Games None
Power points None
Hand outs None
Task for To make good quality presentations
participants Participate in the feedback in a constructive manner
Reading None
reference
Any other Video feedback may be seen by the participants in play-cum-fast forward mode to save time.
points
More presentations may be accommodated depending on time taken on presentations and
feedback

Day: 4 Session: 3 Presentations by participants and Feedback Duration: 1.30

Session Objectives:
To allow the participants to gain practice on presentation skill
To cover a few important sessions of the 4-day PRI training program
To come up with practical problems with a view to solving them
To give the participants a constructive feed back for improving upon their performance as facilitators
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
30minutes Presentation-3 Presentation either Observation Materials as need
by participants individually or in small group Noting down for the presentation

154
Day: 4 Session: 3 Presentations by participants and Feedback Duration: 1.30

15minutes Feedback Feedback from participants Facilitation

Feedback from the Facilitation
Own notes
presenter(s)
Feedback from facilitator(s) From own notes
30minutes Presentation-4 Presentation either Observation Materials as need
by participants individually or in small group Noting down for the presentation
15minutes Feedback Feedback from participants Facilitation
Feedback from the Facilitation
Own notes
presenter(s)
Feedback from facilitator(s) From own notes
BREAK FOR T HE DAY
Details of None
Group work
Games None
Power points None
Hand outs None
Task for To make good quality presentations
participants Participate in the feedback in a constructive manner
Reading None
reference
Any other Video feedback may be seen by the participants in play-cum-fast forward mode to save time.
points More presentations may be accommodated depending on time taken on presentations and
feedback
If all participants could not get an opportunity to make presentations, then tell them to practice on
their own in front of co-participants later in the evening.
Alternately, after every one gets a hang of the presentations, an additional venue may be managed
to run parallel presentations; that will give opportunity to more participants, But the facilitator
needs to be on the toes to monitor both the places.
A recap of major learning points should be made before closing

DAY-5
-
Day: 5 Session: 1 Soft Skills Duration: 2.00

Session Objectives:
To understand the various skills needed by the PRI members to enhance their performance
To gain sensitivity about Gender awareness and the role of women in DM
To appreciate the effectiveness of good communication
To understand the approach to voluntarism
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
5minutes Skills needed by PRI Skills in dealing with people Brainstorming
members to enhance Lecture method
performance

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 Day: 5 Session: 1 Soft Skills Duration: 2.00

10minutes Communication Understanding basics of Lecture method PP-15

Communication Game G-3 HO-8
10minutes Communication Strategy for Lecture
Community Awareness on
DM
5minutes Mediums of Communication Brainstorming
Lecture
15minutes Gender Awareness Understanding basics of Lecture method PP-16
gender sensitivity Questionnaire HO-9
10minutes Gender approach in DM Lecture
15minutes Voluntarism Meaning of Voluntarism Interactions PP-17
Lecture HO-10
Voluntarism in DM Lecture

10minutes Other skills Leadership Lecture method PP-18

20minutes Interpersonal Effectiveness Role Play RP-1 Role Set
10minutes Monitoring& Evaluation Lecture HO-11
10minutes Documentation Do
10minutes BREAK FOR TEA
Details of None
Group work
Games G-3: It’s a relay game where participants pass on a given message through whispering in the
neighbour’s ear. The message is usually found distorted at the end of the game with the conclusion
that proper communication means proper listening, understanding and conveying. It is usually
followed by a short presentation on developing good listening skills.
Time: approx. 10m

Role Play RP-1: Role play will involve three characters…a rather ill behaved PRI representative, a village
volunteer, a well behaved PRI representative. In the first part an unpleasant repercussion takes
place between the first two around the theme of a village mapping process chiefly because of
the overbearing nature of the PRI member. In the second part the PRI representative behaves with
understanding and cooperation with the volunteer. The difference is visible in the desired activity
taking place. The details of the roles are to be made up on the spot. Alternately, a ‘role-set’ may be
pre-written for the purpose. The role play is to be followed up with discussions on learning points.
Additional points may be discussed using PP-18.
Time : Approx. 10m

Power points PP-15: Elements of communication, Communication strategy in DM, IEC in DM,
Hand outs HO-8: Communication
HO-9: Gender Awarenes
HO-10: Voluntarism
HO-11: Leadership, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Monitoring & Evaluation, Documentation
Task for To study the Hand outs and plan for their inclusion in the PRI training module
participants
Reading Resource Book, Chapter: X
reference Available study material from various sources
Internet

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 Day: 5 Session: 1 Soft Skills Duration: 2.00

Any other The idea behind this session is to give the participants an overview of some of the soft skills that
points will have to be transferred to their target group of PRI members.
Since time is extremely limited to get into any detailed explorations, only a brief explanation on the
aspects will have to be settled for. The participants may, however, find details from the handouts as
well as other available literature.
For the ‘Distortion exercise’ a simple message of some two lines may be given to the first person at
one end, which should be relayed onwards by word of mouth. The same may be compared to the
final version coming out at the other end.
Suitable persons may be chosen from among the participants for an effective role play.

Day: 5 Session: 2 Experience Sharing & Open Session Duration: 1.30

Session Objectives:
To interact with an invited person of long experience in the field of DM
To clarify any unresolved issues
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
5minutes To listen to a person Introduction about the Talk
of wider knowledge invited person/ persons
and experience in the
45minutes Talk by the invited person/ Interactions
field of DM
persons

20minutes Interactions Question and answer session Do

with the invited person
20minutes Clarification of Discussion on unresolved Do
unresolved issues issues
1 Hr BREAK FOR LUNCH
Details of None
Group work
Games Do

Power points Do

Hand outs None, unless the invited person brings in any handout.
Task for To raise necessary issues
participants
Reading None
reference
Any other The invited person/ persons will have to be introduced to the participants, for which his/ her bio
points data should be prepared in advance.
The facilitator may have to act as the moderator during the interactions. The session will needcareful
facilitation so as to give adequate space to the speaker on one hand andnot to overshoot the time
on the other.
Participants’ concerns are to be taken care of with sensitivity.

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Day: 5 Session: 3 Action Planning and Program Evaluation Duration: 1.00

Session Objectives:
To prepare an action plan for further growth as a trainer as well as for taking up training assignments
To evaluate the training program in a structured format
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
20minutes To set individual Action plan for self- Analysis of the task Structured
action plan for further development as a trainer and filling up of format
learning the given format
10minutes To set action plan for Deciding upon parameters Analysis of the task Structured
conducting training like location, time frame, and filling up of format
programs for PRI resource materials, other help the given format
members and support required, etc
30minutes Program Evaluation Evaluation of the 5-Day Analysis of the task Structured
program for its effectiveness and filling up of format
the given format
10minutes BREAK FOR TEA
Details of None
Group work
Games None
Power points None
Hand outs Structured formats for filling up by participants.
Task for To analyse the given format and respond to it.
participants
Reading None
reference
Any other Explain that there are two formats to be filled, one of which can be carried back by the
points participants.
Explain the formats one by one and distribute. Allocate time. Collect.
Clarify any points raised by the participants.

Day: 5 Session: 4 Valediction and Closing of the Program Duration: 0.45

Session Objectives:
To facilitate a sharing of feelings by the participants
To request the guest ( if any) to share a thought
To distribute any certificates, photographs or souvenirs
Closing remarks by the facilitator/ s
To declare the program as closed
Time Learning Goals Coverage Methodology Materials
15minutes Sharing Action Plans The general trend of further Quick summary by Filled up formats
learning points Facilitator/ s
15minutes Personal reflections on Sharing of personal Verbal sharing by Filled up formats
the program reflections on the program Volunteers
by the participants

158
Day: 5 Session: 4 Valediction and Closing of the Program Duration: 0.45

5minutes Distribution of Distribution Certificates

Certificates Photographs
HO-9
15minutes Address by Guest Talk
10minutes Closing remarks by Meeting Program Objectives Talk
facilitator/ s Points in the Parking Lot
Networking
Periodic program review
Thanking participants for
their active participation and
feed back
Wishing them good luck
END OF PRGRAM
Details of None
Group work
Games None
Power points None
Hand outs HO-9: Addresses of participants and facilitator/ s
Task for To fulfill what they have committed
participants
Reading As already suggested
reference
Any other The Certificates are to be made ready earlier with due signatures.
points
Photographs, if any, can be given out along with the certificates.
A list of addresses of all the participants and facilitators shall be kept ready for sharing at this
time.
The facilitator shall ask if all the program objectives have been met. If any point is in the Parking
Lot, it can be discussed at this time.
Stress should be laid on further strengthening of knowledge, skill and attitude as a trainer.
A possibility of forming a network of the trainers may be discussed and a convener may be
nominated.
After running the program for a few cycles, it will need to be reviewed and updated. A tentative
date for the same may be agreed upon.

END OF PROGRAM

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