Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre (DMMC)

Innovative, attractive, impressive, crisp, to the point and pertinent IEC drive alone can ensure voluntary compliance of DRR measures so as to bring forth disaster resilience in the communities, but it requires a long term vision and dedicated, sincere and sustained efforts.

Effective IEC for DRR Compliance - Risk Prevention Mitigation and Management Forum Innovative, attractive, impressive, crisp, to the point and pertinent IEC drive alone can ensure voluntary compliance of DRR measures.

http://dmmcuttarakhand.org/pub/2020-2/nlusdmajune2020.pdf

Times of India, Sunday 19th July, 2020.

Himalayas the only place in the world where a large quake can occur on land, says geophysicist Roger Bilham - Times of India Sunday Times News: Does the series of mild tremors in India in recent months serve as a warning for a mega earthquake? US geophysicist Roger Bilham says a big quake will.

DMMC: Publications
Paper entitled "Economics of seismic safety for earthquake-prone Himalayan province of Uttarakhand in India" authored by Dr. Piyoosh Rautela, Dr. Girish Chandra Joshi and Shailesh Ghildiyal has been published in International Journal of Disaster Resilience in Built Environment, 2019, Vol. 10, No. 5, pp 317-342.
Copy of the same is available at the website of DMMC.
http://dmmc.uk.gov.in/files/Economicsofseismicsafety.pdf

DMMC: Newsletter
September, 2019 issue of DMMC Newsletter "Apda Prabandhan" is now available online at the website of DMMC.

News Letter IIrd 2019 DMMC Uttarakhand

News Letter Sep 2019

dmmcuttarakhand.org

DMMC: Publications
Copy of the paper entitled "Economics of seismic resilience of educational infrastructure in high earthquake hazard prone Himalayan province of Uttarakhand" coauthored with Girish Chandra Joshi and Shailesh Ghildiyal and published in International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction is available on the website of DMMC at

dmmc.uk.gov.in

DMMC: Participation in meetings/workshops
Assistance of different sort is mustered from various ends on the aftermath of a disaster and sent to the affected area and distributed through various modes amongst the affected population. There are many a times issues related to (i) relief being provided and required, (ii) receipt and handling of relief and inventory management and (iii) distribution.
A meeting was organized today on 22nd October, 2019 at National Disaster Management Authority, New Delhi on preparing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for channelizing relief and having a structure for the same at nation and state level. The meeting was Chaired by Shri GVV Sarma, Member Secretary, NDMA. Others present in the meeting included Shri Atulya Misra, Principal Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, Dr. V Thiruppugazh, Joint Secretary, NDMA, Shri SA Murugesan, Secretary Incharge DM, Government of Uttarakhand, Dr. Piyoosh Rautela, ED, DMMC, Dr. UB Das, Chief Nodal Officer, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI, Shri Purmendu Kant, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, GoI, Shri PK Kataria, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, GoI, Shri Ashok Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries and Shri Anshu Sharma, Co-founder, SEEDS.
Issues relating to channelizing relief material, finance, services, technology and equipment were discussed in the meeting. Major issues discussed in the meeting included (i) unwanted material reaching the affected area, (ii) unpacking and repacking the relief material, (iii) relief reaching place where it is not required, (iv) NGOs trying to highlight their effort, (v) relief not reaching far flung and cut off areas and road side habitations receiving much more than what is required, (vi) law and order problems related to transport and distribution of relief, (vii) channelization of CSR resources, (viii) problems faced in rate contract of relief supplies without guaranteed minimum purchase clause, and (ix) disposal of dead bodies.
Representatives of the states as also of various ministries and NGOs shared their experiences relating to channelization of relief and suggested measures for improving the same.
It was agreed that (i) individual State Disaster Management Authorities should prepare SOPs of channelization of relief and lay down structure for the same suiting ground realities in their state with the help of general guidelines circulated by NDMA, (ii) in order to attract CSR funds individual SDMAs to have separate relief funds for immediate relief and reconstruction with means of ways by which the contributing agencies are acknowledged for their reconstruction contribution, (iii) used clothes be strictly banned as a relief material, (iv) based on socio-economic conditions in the SDMAs should prepare generalized list of items not required, likely to be required with preferred packaging for quick distribution, (v) the term Civil Society Organisation be preferred over NGO and Voluntary Organisation and individual SDMAs and DDMAs to list creditable Civil Society Organisations and establish mechanism for engaging these in pre-disaster phase on a regular basis, (vi) SDMAs should use various modes of communicating materials that are required and not required in the disaster affected area and keep updating the needs on a regular basis, (vii) SDMAs and DDMAs to find ways and means of engaging local leadership in assessment of needs and management of relief, and (viii) SDMAs and DDMAs should put in place guidelines for the disposal of waste generated on the aftermath of a major disaster.
In the end issues related to (i) disposal of dead bodies on the aftermath of a major disaster, (ii) medico-legal compulsions, (iii) waiver of postmortem related formalities on the aftermath of a major disaster, (iv) cause of death being ascertained in all disasters by this postmortem (particularly in case of heat / cold wave), (v) procedure for declaring persons missing in a disaster as being dead and (vi) use of bio-degradable materials in relief material were discussed.
Meeting ended with assurance of NDMA circulating general guidelines and all SDMAs preparing SOPs and putting in place structures and instruments for streamlining post-disaster relief.

DMMC: Upcoming events
Painting workshop and opportunity for amateur / budding artists to participate.
Workshop cm exhibition is being organised on the occasion of International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction on 12th and 13th October, 2019 at The World Integrity Center (WIC), Rajpur Road Dehradun. During the workshop 20 accomplished artists from across the state would be exhibiting their painting skills besides giving tips to budding artists. Paintings submitted earlier by various school of Dehradun would also be exhibited on this occasion and prizes would be conferred upon best three amongst these.
Limited number of students / amateur artists would also be provided opportunity to paint alongside professionals and learn from them. Interested persons are requested to register through e-mail having subject “Registration for Painting Workshop” and giving their personal details together with name, age, school, standard and phone/mobile number before 10th October, 2019. Selected persons would be intimated on 11th October, 2019 on phone/mobile number provided. The proposed themes for painting workshop are (i) disaster safe Uttarakhand, (ii) combating climate change, (iii) facing natural disasters, (iv) disaster safe schools, (v) traditional genius of our people and (vi) we are responsible for increasing nature’s wrath.
All are invited to join in at WIC on 12th and 13th October, 2019 and enjoy the extravaganza of colours and encourage the artists.

USDMA: Meeting
11th meeting of the Uttarakhand Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) was organised today on 1st October, 2019 under Chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Uttarakhand Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat in Uttarakhand Secretariat, Dehradun.
Shri Satpal Maharaj, Minister Irrigation and Shri Yashpal Arya, Minister Transport were present in the meeting apart from Shri Utpal Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary, Shri Om Prakash, ACS, Ms Bhupender Kaur Aulakh, Secretary, Irrigation, Shri Anil Raturi, DGP, Sjri Jairam, HOFF, Shri Amit Singh Negi, Secretary, Disaster Management, Shri Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretary, Shri Nikesh Kumar Jha, Secretary, Shri SA Murugeshan, Secretary Incharge, Disaster Management, Ms Sonika, Additional Secretary, Shri Sanjay Gunjiyal, IG SDRF apart from other officials.
The Secretary, Disaster Management Shri Amit Singh Negi presented before the members compliance report of the decisions taken in the previous meeting of USDMA before getting approval of the financial report for the year 2018-19 and 2019-20.
The Secretary also appraised the members on the progress of various activities carried out by USDMA together with disaster induced losses during the monsoon season. These included:
1. Covering animal and squall induced losses by SDRF.
2. Development of SOP for helicopter operations and transportation of dead bodies by air together with SOPs and DM plans of line departments.
3. Preparation of integrated seismic risk reduction program and submitting the same to the World Bank for funding support.
4. Amendments being produced in Community Radio Policy.
5. Establishment of 176 hydro-meteorological instruments and proposal to set up these at additional 110 places.
6. Constitution of committee for preparing debris disposal policy.
Approval of USDMA was sought for incorporating USDMA representatives in various committees pertaining to proposed construction works and preparation of policies for high altitude trekking and mountaineering and road construction.
The following instructions were given by the Chairman:
1. Study on the vulnerability of commonly built houses as also traditional houses be studied.
2. Roads in the hills be planned along the ridges so that these are not easily blocked.
3. Alternative routes be developed to remote locations and forest roads and trek routes be maintained for immediate connectivity.
4. It was directed to plan construction of new helipads with ATF facility in remote areas.
5. Norms for construction of PMGSY and other rural roads be made stringent and there be policy for debris disposal and the same be adhered to strictly.
6. Forest Guards be trained in search, rescue and first aid.
7. Central government, particularly MHA, be requested to revise norms of relief out of SDRF taking into consideration ground realities in the hills.
8. Norms be revised for mason training programs being organised by the department so as to enhance honoraria being paid to masons and construction of demonstration unit that is bigger and usable.
9. AWSs be installed in remote and uncovered areas.
10. Money be provided to Forest Department for strengthening their wireless network.
11. It was agreed that the grant for establishing community radio stations be enhanced.
12. Discourse be taken for clearly making visible trolly and transmission wires so that these do not disrupt air operations.
13. All people in vulnerable areas be trained and refresher trainings and competitions be organised regarding this on regular basis.
14. Presence of a master trainer be ensured in every school and he/she be provided some additional honoraria. Regular trainings be provided through these to the students. This program be monitored on a regular basis.
15. System be ensured for registration and coordination of movement of people, particularly trekkers and mountaineers, in the remote areas so that all concerned have details of movement and schedule. This be coordinated by Tourism Department.
16.. Policy for providing satellite phones to mountaineers and trekkers be formulated so that the information pertaining to any emergency situation is timely available.
17. It was agreed that the representatives of USDMA be included in all important committees of various departments to ensure compliance of disaster safety related issues.
It was suggested that developmental planning be dovetailed with climate change concerns.
It was also suggested that vulnerable school buildings be constructed using treated bamboo which would be cost effective.
Details of for done by SDRF, particularly canine and underwater operations were presented by IG SDRF.
In the end the Chief Minister highlighted the need of reducing response time, saturating some chosen villages through search and rescue trainings and training every individual above 15 years of age in search and rescue, ensuring scientific and proper disposal of excavated debris in all cases. He highlighted the need of translating plans and policies into practice.
In the end the award received by ADB supported UEAP wan presented to the Chief Minister.

DMMC: Research papers
Work done on flood risk modelling under the World Bank assisted Uttarakhand Disaster Recovery Project, has been published in the form of a research paper entitled “A probabilistic risk modelling chain for analysis of regional flood events” in “Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment”, 2019, 33, 1057–1074.
The paper is co-authored with J. Oliver, Z.S. Qin, H. Madsen, Girish Chandra Joshi, and G. Jorgensen.
Soft copy of the same can be assessed at the website of DMMC

dmmc.uk.gov.in