DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN JALPAIGURI

DISTRICT ASSIGNMENT
ON
DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN JALPAIGURI
Saumitra Mohan

Disaster risk in India is apparent in the physical and socio-economic vulnerability profile of the country. The devastating Orissa Super Cyclone, the Gujarat Earthquake, and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy are still fresh in our memories. Hazardous encounters and fatalities also mar our daily lives. A holistic approach to Disaster Management would, therefore, include growing environmental concerns and risk assessments towards a safer India.

A disaster is an event of nature or man-made causes that leads to sudden disruptions with a high frequency of natural disasters such as droughts, floods, cyclones, earthquakes and occasional man-made tragedies like the Gas Leak at Bhopal.

The High Powered Committee (HPC) constituted for suggestion of institutional reforms and preparation of Disaster Management Plans at the national, state and district levels was set up at the behest of the Prime Minister by the Ministry of Agriculture, under the chairmanship of Shri J.C. Pant, former Secretary to the Government of India, vide an order dated August 20, 1999.

The need for an effective disaster management strategy to lessen disaster impact was increasingly being felt in many quarters. The State Governments, as the major responders in disaster situations, are responsible for preparedness and mitigation measures, in addition to organizing an effective disaster response mechanism. In this context, uniformity in response mechanism, including scale of assistance in various parts of the country is imperative. In view of the increasing trend and intensity of natural disasters in recent past, the need for strengthening of organizational structure of disaster management at various levels and revising/regularly updating of Codes/Manuals/Disaster plans of the states was also being felt.

In view of the enhanced Terms of Reference, man-made disasters were also included to develop a more comprehensive disaster management system. The HPC took an overview of all recent disasters (natural as well as manmade) in the country and identified common response and preparedness mechanisms.

An important activity carried out by the HPC was a series of consultations with a number of government, non-government, national and international agencies and media organizations who submitted their own findings on the disaster management scenario in their respective areas. Their observations and recommendations became the basis for developing the planning process for prevention, preparedness and response at national, state, district and local levels.


















The case study of Jalpaiguri

Spread over an area of 6227 sq. kms as per the 2001 census, Jalpaiguri has a total population of 3,403,204. With a population density of 547 persons per sq. kms, its literacy stands at 63.62 per cent. Being one of the biggest districts of the state of West Bengal, it also serves as the Divisional Headquarters and includes 13 blocks and three subdivisions.

A large number of rivers and streams originate and pass through Jalpaiguri district. All these rivers and streams are flashy in nature and often give unexpected variation in water levels and their travel time. Main rivers and river systems of the district include Teesta, Jaldhaka, Murti, Daina, Neorah, Jamuna, Chel, Mahananda, Dharala and Panga.

Arrangement of Early Warnings of Weather and Flood:

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Department of Irrigation and Waterways are the three nodal agencies who are technically competent being adequately equipped with manpower and equipment and are responsible to collect data relating to weather and flood forecasting and communicate the same to different government agencies and the All India Radio (Siliguri) for immediate dissemination of the news.

Full-proof preventive measures are not available despite the technologies developed in climatology, meteorology and satellite-based Warning Dissemination System. Though it is possible to predict natural calamities with some degree of accuracy, the predictions are not always available in time. Often the warnings reach at such a short notice that disasters can not be averted. So, keeping these points in mind, the following objectives have been set for forecasting and warning in Jalpaiguri:

1. To ensure location-specific flood forecasting with maximum possible degree of accuracy;
2. Proper and prompt dissemination of the warning;
3. To see that the warnings by themselves do not lead to panic; and
4. Proper networking among the three government departments involved in flood warning system.

The IMD is mainly entrusted with weather forecasting on the basis of data collected through a number of observatories and some of them are set up jointly with the CWC. The Lower Brahmputra Division of the CWC, Jalpaiguri is mainly entrusted with the flood forecasting and hydrological works on the rivers viz. Teesta, Torsha, Jaldhaka, Raidak I, Raidak II, and Sankosh. Flood news are given to AIR, Siliguri for its broadcasting so that the people living in flood-prone areas of this region can be made aware about the situation in due time. Irrigation and Waterways Department has taken the initiative for setting up the Wireless Stations for transmission of flood warning messages in this district during the periods of danger.

Executive Engineers, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Irrigation Division are the flood warning authorities for this district, which will function on the basis of gauge readings, received from various H.O.S., mostly maintained by CWC. They will impose red and yellow signals on the banks of different rivers downstream.

The warnings are instantly communicated to District Control Room, S.D.O., Alipurduar’s Control Room and other authorities like PWD (NH Division), Northeast Frontier Railways, etc. and also publicized through AIR. The District Administration in turn communicates the warnings to the people through Block and Panchayat machinery. Dissemination of the warnings is done through telecommunication, RTS and sometimes through public address systems.


Problems faced in flood-forecasting:

There are a number of difficulties faced in carrying out flood forecasting activities on the rivers of North Bengal, particularly Jalpaiguri. In the light of past years of experience, it is revealed that the problems in the field remain almost the same as previous years. These inter alia include:

1. River Teesta upto Domile and Jaldhaka upto NH-31 have steep bed slopes and minimum lag time;
2. All the rivers are prone to isolated flash floods;
3. Rise and fall of the gauge per hour is considerably high at base and forecasting stations;
4. Sometimes small ungauged tributaries (normally dry in lean season) turn out to be the major contributors following sudden concentrated downpour;
5. Sometimes the rivers respond to rainfall and sometimes do not;
6. It has been observed that wireless communication at night gets blocked due to atmospherical or other reasons (jamming etc.) resulting in disruption of wireless communication in forecast if required, could not be possible within the period;
7. Sometimes spillage or over-topping of water in the unprotected area affected the prospects of flood. However, it is contemplated that all these shortcomings can be overcome to some extent by paying more efforts and endeavour prior to release of forecast in future;
8. The warnings are received at the very last moment and ultimately it could not be reached to the vulnerable areas of the district in due time;
9. Communication systems do not function well;
10. Non-availability of contact persons; and
11. The nature of flood in North Bengal is mainly flashy and complete within a span of 24 hours.


District Control Room:

A District Control Room (DCR) is also set up during the periods of imminent floods, which works for 24 hours, round the clock till the end of monsoon season. Daily rainfall data, weather forecast and flood warnings are to be collected through IMD, CWC and Irrigation and Waterways Department and the same are communicated to all the BDOs, SDOs and the Chairman of the Municipalities for disseminating the warnings to vulnerable persons. At the same time, all BDOs/SDOs and Chairmen of Municipalities are also requested to open the Control Room in their respective offices and to man it for 24 hours until the monsoon is over officially.

A Police Control Room functions at Jalpaiguri Police Wireless Building during the monsoon under the charge of an Inspector. Similarly, a Sub-Divisional Control Room at Alipurduar functions at Alipurduar Wireless Building to collect the day-to-day information regarding flood situation from the District Control Room, and if required, the water-level position of the major rivers. The Police Control Room will have a network with all the police stations of the district through police wireless grid and telephones.

Vulnerable areas and points have been identified for special care and attention. Although it is not possible to restore all the damages due to shortage of fund but a huge amount of funds has also been sanctioned and disbursed from the fund of Uttar Banga Unnayan Parishad for 36 flood/embankment protection schemes. Some of these works have already been completed and work is in progress in respect of the rest. Protective works have been undertaken from normal maintenance fund of the Division and strengthening works on different roads have also been executed and are being executed from fund available under Grants-in-Aid schemes. Obviously for any eventuality of flood causing damages to Roads and Temporary Wooden Bridges under this Division as mentioned above or breach of any part of roads and temporary wooden bridges are to be restored temporarily first and then permanent restoration are to be done.

Quick Response Teams and its functions:

A Quick Response Team (QRT) is formed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate/SDO with a Deputy Magistrate as the Team Leader. Such squads are manned by members from NGOs, volunteers of civil defence, Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ staff of the sub-divisional office. Similar QRTs are formed at Block, Gram Panchayat, vulnerable village/busty or ward levels by the BDOs, Pradhans, and Chairmen of Municipalities. At every level, there is an identified Contact Person (CP) who is to keep watch over the situation and who is supposed to immediately send a message to the nearest Control Room. He is also made a member of the QRT at the village/municipal ward level.

The contact person keeps constant vigil over the vulnerable sites and is in regular touch with the local QRT and the GP-level/Municipality-level Control Room as soon as s/he receives ‘flood warning’. In case s/he is not in a position to communicate, her/his link person conveys the message to her/him.

The contact person is supposed to raise the first alarm in case of any imminent danger. His/Her responsibility is to send a message to the nearest Control Room. The Control Room should extract as much details of the news as possible from the Contact Person. The Control Room, receiving the disaster signal, should immediately pass on the message to the QRT leader and to the Control Room at the next higher level.

It is the responsibility of the QRT leader at every level to assemble the members of the QRT, organize locally available resources for rescue and relief and keep the squad stand-by as soon as any flood warning is received. The QRT leader is free to decide deployment of his squad at any site on receiving any message of emergency. The QRT leader may deploy the entire squad or a section of the squad, leaving the rest behind for organizing more manpower and resources for further deployment.

When any report of emergency is received (with prior warning or without warning), the QRT leader at the village-level or at the Municipal Ward-level immediately rushes to the site with his squad to start rescue operations with available resources, without waiting for the decision of the Pradhan of the GP or the Chairman of the Municipality, as the case may be. At the same time, the QRT leader sends message to the GP-level or the Block-level or the Municipality-level Control Room, giving a rough estimate of damage, imminent danger, requirement of manpower and materials for rescue and relief works.

When Sub-Division-level or Block-level or Municipality-level or GP-level QRT moves out, it should be logged in the Control Room diary. The Head of the Office is kept informed. The Control Room, by using any means of communication, is supposed to immediately notify the Control Room at higher level about such deployment of QRT.

As soon as any message of emergency situation is received, the leaders at the Block and Sub-Division levels check whether QRT at the local level has been deployed or not. The main task of the Block level QRT is to render support to the local QRT in running the rescue operation as also to organize manpower and resource support from outside with the help of the Control Room at the Block level, Sub-Division level and the District level. At the same time, it is also the immediate concern of the Block level QRT and the Sub-Division level QRT to assess requirements of rescue operation, rough estimation of imminent danger and/or damage, requirements of relief operation and requisition for deployment of Restoration Squad, wherever needed. The deployment of resource and manpower support from the District Control Room is determined on the basis of the assessment of the QRT at the Sub-Division level.

Even if no requisition is available at the Block Control or Sub-Division Control from any GP or Municipality, but information of emergency is received from any other source, the QRT leader should send a section of his team for a reconnaissance. It is the responsibility of the QRT leader at every level to meet all the QRT leaders at the next level down the line to build rapport and to have a common understanding of the task ahead.

Preparations of the Quick Response Team:

The QRT leader has a list of temporary and permanent rescue/flood shelters at different places in different Gram Panchayats/Municipality Wards. It is ensured by the BDO and the Chairman of the Municipality that every identified flood shelter is ready for use. The QRT leader and a few other members of his squad has a reconnaissance trip to as many vulnerable area as possible so as to have an idea of the geographical location.

The QRT leader at every level meets all the QRT leaders at the next level down the line. The GP-level Squad Leader also meets and holds meetings with the identified contact persons and local QRT leaders of the vulnerable areas within stipulated time so as to have a common understanding of the task ahead. If any QRT has not been formed at any vulnerable village or town, mohalla or at any Gram Panchayat/Municipality level, the Block/Sub-Division level QRT leader should take initiative and seek intervention of higher authority for formation of QRT. The existing list of identified contact persons is to be reviewed and if there is any need for modification, it should be immediately made and reported. The QRTs at the Sub-Division level and at the Block level should have knowledge about the stock position of relief materials, like tarpaulins, garments, food grains and medicines at the Sub-Division or at the Block HQ, as the case may be.


Considerations of Actual Rescue and Relief Operation by the QRT:

When flood warnings necessitates an early evacuation, the local QRT may find resistance from the people which is overcome by persuasion with the elders or opinion leaders of the threatened community. Flood without warning may lead to shock and panic, which may destabilize the entire mechanism. In such cases, the Block-level QRT moves in quickly to organize proper evacuation. One most crucial part of the actions to be taken by a QRT is to assess the necessity of support in rescue and relief from higher-level QRT and to send message for that. Timely message to higher-level QRT/Control Room may save certain damages and may enable faster distribution of relief materials.

When people have to be evacuated from a flood-affected area, they are shifted to the pre-determined flood relief shelter, unless the shelter itself is damaged or threatened or there is no identified shelter. In case of temporary shelters at a safely higher site, tarpaulins or tents are used for temporary camps. In case of people, who have left their homes and taken refuge in the flood relief shelter or camp, dry foodstuff (beaten rice and jaggary) is supplied during the first 24 hours, supplemented by baby food for the babies in the family. If the people continue to stay for more than 24 hours at the relief shelter/camp, they are supplied with food grains at the prescribed scale as Special Gratuitous Relief (SGR).

In case of total loss of personal belongings, clothes (dhoti/saree) to adults and garments to children are supplied. Blankets are supplied only for the old and infirm victims and children in arms. When a relief shelter/camp gets operational, an efficient system of regular disinfections of water and disposal of excreta are ensured within the first 24 hours. This is more important than medical treatment. Health check-up and segregation of victims, suffering from infectious diseases, are ensured within 24 hours to 48 hours of commencement of the relief shelter/camp.

The persons, who may be engaged for disposal of dead animals/carcasses in emergency, are identified by the local QRT beforehand, so as to preempt any crisis. The local QRT is also to keep one suitable place identified beforehand for sheltering domestic cattle in emergency. The Block-level/GP-level QRT should also ensure that some anti venom serum (AVS) and disposable syringes are stored in a refrigerator at a convenient place within the Gram Panchayat, so that it can be quickly sent to the spot for administering on the victim of snakebite.



Requisition of defence forces for rescue and relief operations:

The Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, the Border Security Force (BSF) and other paramilitary forces as well as Special Services Bureau are kept alert to support the civil authorities in rescue and relief operations in case of necessity. Formal requisition from the District Magistrate is sent when such services are required. Usually, they are assigned the task of rescuing marooned people or of evacuating people threatened by imminent floods and also for distribution of relief materials among rescued people, if it is necessary. The Superintendent of Police is requested to make necessary arrangements for accommodation of these forces.

Medical Arrangements:

The Health Department opens the Flood Control Room round the clock under the control of Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health. The stock of emergency medicines is sent upto PHC levels. Stocks are also kept at the GP levels wherever cooling systems are available.

Storage of Relief Materials: Present Stock and Further Requirements:

A requisition is submitted to the Government for a flood reserve stock. The District Controller of Food and Supply is advised to ask to the rice wholesalers to maintain a rolling reserve stock of 50 to 100 quintals of rice according to the capacity of the wholesalers. In case of emergency, DCF&S is instructed to supply food grains by diversion of stock of social security schemes viz. SGRY, MID-DAY MEAL etc subject to replenishment in due course. The LPG dealers are also asked to maintain a stock 200 cylinders at their godowns during the monsoon period. Similarly, kerosene, baby food, iodized salt and other such provisions’ are also kept in stock. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is also requested to maintain a standing stock of 2000 MT of rice and wheat at its depot in the district.

Back-up Support from Different Departments in Rescue and Relief:

Deployment of West Bengal Fire Services brigade may be required in the following circumstances:
1. Evacuation of people from threatened area;
2. Rescue of marooned people;
3. Stray incidents of fire due to disruption of electricity line due to storm and rain.

The misery and destruction inflicted by flood, often lead to tension and even breach of peace and order. The services of West Bengal police are required in the following circumstances:

1. Transmission of warning message of emergency;
2. Escorting consignment of relief materials and personnel;
3. Restoration of peace and order;
4. Guarding certain infrastructures.
All the police stations are also instructed to identify good local swimmers who may help in rescue effort by the QRT.

Damage Assessment:

Quick and correct assessment of damage caused by flood and consequent preparations preempt many adverse media publicity and false panic and also help in planning for quick restoration and rehabilitation. Important reports are collected from the Block and Sub-Division levels including those detailing extent of damage, narration of the damages caused by any natural calamity and relief required and undertaken. These reports should incorporate loss of human life and injury, loss of crops, damage to cultivated land, loss of farm animals, damage to public utilities viz. roads, bridges, embankments, electric poles, telephone poles, school buildings, health centers, Anganwadi Centers, report on requirement of economic rehabilitation grant and report on damage to dwelling houses.

Efforts of Restoration and Rehabilitation:

For every Sub-Division of the district, there is put in place a Restoration Initiative Team, with the Sub-Divisional Officer being its leader. The team is comprised of officers of the rank of Executive Engineer, or equivalent of Public Works Department, Irrigation and Waterways Department, Public Health Engineering Directorate and WB State Electricity Board, in addition to Sub-Divisional Land and Land Reforms Officer, Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer, Sub-Divisional Controller of Food and Supplies and Deputy Director of Animal Resource Development.

Functions of the Restoration Initiative Team:

The primary function of this team will be to assess damage to infrastructure and economic assets, viz. land, crop, cattle and industrial units. For the purpose, the relevant part of this team has to reach the site of reported damage within 48 hours.

Restoration may include repair or reconstruction of economic infrastructure, public utility assets, flood protective works, reclamation of land, relocation of habitat, compensation for damage to crop and cattle, rehabilitation of farmers and restoration of public distribution system of essential commodities. This team will, in fact, decide upon the mode of restoration work, role of panchayat bodies and role of local NGOs in restoration efforts and also the possible source of finance.

The main responsibility of this RIT is to initiate a process of restoration without any delay and monitor initiation of restoration efforts on a day-to-day basis.



Preparations of the Restorations Initiative Team:
Different departments, to be involved in the restoration initiative, have to confirm their preparedness for the situation in advance. All the departments are advised to select the possible supplier of materials, and fix up price of materials beforehand if there is no approved price schedule of the department, so that materials can be procured without delay. The reported reserve stock of materials of PHE and other district offices are sometimes dismal due to financial problem but in emergency, materials are purchased by special allotment of fund from the State Govt.

Since Jalpaiguri is a mostly rural district, the district level and Sub-Division level offices of the agricultural department have an important role in restoration of the economy as a whole. The most common steps taken by the agriculture department are subsidized sale of HYV and Hybrid Seed, sponsoring farmers to banks for agricultural loan for Rabi and Boro crop, distribution of farm input loans through the BDO, sand/salt reclamation works, if any. Accordingly, the Principal Agriculture Officer identifies suppliers beforehand who are asked to supply mini kits of seeds at approved subsidized rate without delay.

The Animal Resource Development Department also has to play a major role in the restoration and rehabilitation efforts. For combating flood, the common steps taken by this Department include:

1. The Department prepares the duty chart of the staff posted in the Block against vulnerable points;
2.The Department arranges for the procurement of essential inputs like medicines, vaccines as reserve stock;
3. Pre-monsoon vaccination in the endemic zone; and
Block Livestock Development Officers (BLDOs) make enough stock of paddy straw for the emergency.

In case of major damage by flood, the entire community may be required to be relocated permanently to a safer place as close to their original habitat as possible. In such cases, the victim families are settled in vested land by long-term rayati settlement of pattas. So the Land and Land Reforms Department have to come forward with a readymade list of plots, vested in the State Govt, which can be used for the purpose.

In the year 2003 also, there was flood as usual. The total damage to crops was assessed to be five lakh and twenty five thousand rupees. House damage to the tune of 29,77,000 rupees was reported. 4,270 people were displaced and put in 44 camps and total people affected numbered 40,818. Government resources to the tune of Rs 199 lakhs were spent on relief and rescue work. But having a disaster management plan in place did help to confront and tide over the problem of flood. The relief was quick and damage caused could be kept to the minimum because of the preemptive measures taken and a disaster management machinery put in place to deal with the crisis.