‘Land-use planning is key to preventing disasters’

As Kerala takes stock of the widespread destruction following the floods earlier this month, Dean of the School of Disaster Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Janki Andharia stressed that it is time for the country to create River Regulation Zones. An active member of several working groups and committees of the National Disaster Management Authority of India and boards of several organisations, Prof. Andharia has provided critical leadership in enhancing disaster management studies and research. She has worked in over 20 national disasters in the country since 1982. In an e-mail interview to The Hindu , Prof. Andharia elaborates on the need to strengthen land-use planning in the country while praising the people of Kerala for joining hands with the government in coping with the colossal devastation.

The geographic spread and extent of flooding in Kerala in the wake of incessant and heavy rains and the simultaneous opening of the dams — they were all unprecedented. A once-in-a-100 year event is always difficult to plan for. Disasters always reveal the underbelly of a society, it is said. Unaddressed issues of development surface, and a well-governed society will perform better than a poorly-governed one.

In the case of Kerala, the government managed to evacuate a very large population through systematic information dissemination. As a result, casualties were limited. The police, other officials and senior politicians were on ground and on their feet, across districts and in towns. They had begun work even before the NDRF and the armed forces came in for rescue. Despite the magnitude of the disaster the State lost under 400 lives, which suggests that warnings had reached most places. More and more tales of heroism and the organised manner in which people across the State acted are coming in and that is truly commendable. This responsiveness of the local communities is also a hallmark of a well-governed State where democratic decentralisation and education and awareness levels are much higher than the rest of the states.

The speed with which relief camps were set up and community kitchens were organised was amazing, and people came forward as volunteers and helped out in wonderful ways. Churches, schools, temple complexes — all housed people from different backgrounds as one community. The communication of helpline numbers (that actually worked) and sharing the situation and relief processes with others was quick and helped ensure that timely assistance was provided. People from all quarters demonstrated a desire to help in whatever ways they could.

In my view, the restraint and discipline shown by the people of Kerala was exemplary. Disasters of this magnitude are typically chaotic situations, and systematic co-ordination is often the key to bringing assurance to the affected population. The appreciation that the government has received for its ability to coordinate with the armed forces, NGOs, and within their own departments and local communities and panchayats must be noted. I do wish that a systematic documentation of these positive practices is undertaken.

Indeed disasters are also potentially battlefields of politics and the way in which the recovery process is structured and organised will be the next challenge for Kerala as a State and India as a country.

One of the most critical aspects is land-use planning, not just in Kerala but all over India. As a country, our land-use planning remains very weak and haphazard growth and development is seen all over and permissions for construction are treated in a casual manner, without long-term approach and adequate scientific analysis of the geo-morphology. Kerala faces unique problems as there are challenges in operationalising the CRZ with its backwaters and it is time the country also thought of RRZ, that is creation of River Regulation Zones. Similarly, in the hilly areas, encroachments by estate owners would need careful attention.

Further, in terms of preparedness, we need to have clear national policies on issues of accepting international humanitarian assistance rather than kick up a row in the midst of a disaster. Recovery takes at least one year and could go on for three years or more in many sectors. Quick-fix approaches create serious problems and people would need to brace for this journey.

The Central Water Commission monitoring rains and being connected with IMD’s predictions is very important — again a matter of practice that ensures co-ordination between departments. Surat has demonstrated this.

Two of our faculty members would be going to Kerala this week and we hope to have greater clarity on our exact role, which will be carved out in close consultation with the State Government. Some of the possible areas of work that TISS could undertake include identifying gaps in relief and developing plans on plugging them; working on trauma counselling and post0disaster psychosocial care; training community based volunteers in this area; medical treatment, undertaking disease surveillance and creating visual aids on dos and don'ts to prevent disease and epidemics (by the School of HealthSystems Studies in TISS); engaging with local communities on livelihood interventions, especially with marginalised communities; undertaking rapid assessment of affected panchayats with a special focus on groups at risk of being excluded in the enumeration and assessment processes, to name a few.