This document discusses disaster management in India. It begins by defining disaster and describing the main types: natural (e.g. floods, earthquakes) and man-made (e.g. epidemics, industrial accidents). It then outlines India's vulnerability to different natural hazards and lists the government agencies responsible for responding to various disaster types. The document emphasizes that preparedness and mitigation are often lacking in India. It describes new directions for disaster management, including the establishment of authorities at national, state and district levels. It stresses that investing in preparedness will yield better results than relying on post-disaster relief.

1. A
SEMINAR REPORT ON
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
SUBMITTED TO
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE
AWARD OF DEGREE OF B. TECH. (CE) 2012-2013
SUBMITTED BY
BHUPENDRA SINGH
RAJPUROHIT (09/CE/009)
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF
Mr. ANKIT SARASWAT
(DEPT. OF CIVIL
ENGINEERING)

2. CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. DISASTER IN INDIA
3. INDIA’S VULNERABILITY TO DISASTER
4. AREAS OF CONCERN
5. NODEL AGENCIES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
6. DYNAMICS OF DISASTER
7. NEW DIRECTION FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN
INDIA
8. FUTURE DIRECTION
9. INVEST IN PREPAREDNESS
10. BEST PRACTICES
11. LESSION LEARNT

3. INTRODUCTION
WHO defines Disaster as “any
occurrence, that cause damage,
ecological disruption, loss of human
life, deterioration of health and health
services, on a scale sufficient to
warrant an extraordinary response
from outside the affected community
or area”.
Disaster are mainly two types.

4. 1. NATURAL DISASTER-
1. Major Natural Disaster
A. Cyclones, Tornadoes
B. Drought, Flood
C. Earthquake, Tsunami
2. Minor Natural Disaster
A. Cold Waves
B. Thunderstorms
C. Heat Waves

5. 2. MANMADE DISASTER-
3. 1.Major Manmade Disaster
A. Epidemic
B. Deforestation
C. Chemical Pollution
D. Wars
2.Minor Manmade Disaster
A. Road/Train/Nuclear Accident, Riots
B. Food Poisoning
C. Industrial Disaster

6. DISASTER IN INDIA
1.Moving away from the Great Bengal famine
of 1769-1770 in which a third of the
population perished.
2.1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy
3.2001 Gujarat Earthquake
4.2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
3.The drought years of 1965, 1972, 1979,
1987, 2002

8. INDIA’S VULNERABILITY TO DISASTERS
1.57% land is vulnerable to earthquakes. Of
these, 12% is vulnerable to severe
earthquakes.
2.68% land is vulnerable to drought.
3.12% land is vulnerable to floods.
4.8% land is vulnerable to cyclones.
5.A part from natural disasters, some cities
in India are also vulnerable to chemical
and industrial disasters and man-made
disasters.

11. Seismic Activity in IndiaSeismic Activity in India
180 AD - 2004180 AD - 2004

13. AREAS OF CONCERN
1.Activating an Early Warning System
network and its close monitoring
2.Mechanisms for integrating the scientific,
technological and administrative agencies
for effective disaster management
3.Terrestrial communication links which
collapse in the event of a rapid onset
disaster
4.Vulnerability of critical infrastructures
(power supply, communication, water
supply, transport, etc.) to disaster events

14. AREAS OF CONCERN
6.Preparedness and Mitigation very often
ignored.
7.Lack of integrated efforts to collect and
compile data, information and local
knowledge on disaster history and
traditional response patterns.
8.Need for standardised efforts in compiling
and interpreting geo-spatial data, satellite
imagery and early warning signals.
9.Weak areas continue to be forecasting,
modeling, risk prediction, simulation and
scenario analysis, etc.

15. NODAL AGENCIES FOR DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
1. Floods : Ministry of Water Resources, CWC
2. Cyclones : Indian Meteorological Department
3. Earthquakes : Indian Meteorological Department
4. Epidemics : Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
5. Avian Flu: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment,
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
6. Chemical Disasters : Ministry of Environment and Forests
7. Industrial Disasters : Ministry of Labour
8. Rail Accidents : Ministry of Railways
9. Air Accidents : Ministry of Civil Aviation
10. Fire : Ministry of Home Affairs
11. Nuclear Incidents : Department of Atomic Energy
12. Mine Disasters : Department of Mines

16. DYNAMICS OF DISASTER
1.There is a high probability of a low
probability event happening somewhere
sometime soon…
2.The unpredictability of disaster events and
the high risk and vulnerability profiles
make it imperative to strengthen disaster
preparedness, mitigation and enforcement
of guidelines, building codes and
restrictions on construction of buildings in
flood-prone areas and storm surge prone
coastal areas.

17. NEW DIRECTIONS FOR DISASTER
MANAGEMENT IN INDIA
1.The National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) has been set up as the
apex body for Disaster Management in
India, with the Prime Minister as its
Chairman.
2.Disaster Management Authorities will be
set up at the State and District Levels to
be headed by the Chief Ministers and
Collectors/Zilla Parishad Chairmen
respectively.

18. FUTURE DIRECTION
1.Encourage and consolidate knowledge
networks
2.Mobilise and train disaster volunteers for
more effective preparedness, mitigation and
response (NSS, NCC, Scouts and Guides,
Civil Defence, Home-guards)
3.Increased capacity building leads to faster
vulnerability reduction.
4.Learn from best practices in disaster
preparedness, mitigation and disaster

19. FUTURE DIRECTION
6.Indigenous knowledge systems and coping
practices
7.Living with Risk: Community Based
Disaster Risk Management
8.Inclusive, participatory, gender sensitive,
child friendly, eco-friendly and disabled
friendly disaster management
9. Knowledge Management: Documentation
and dissemination of good practices
10. Public Private Partnership

20. INVEST IN PREPAREDNESS
1.Investments in Preparedness and Prevention
(Mitigation) will yield sustainable results, rather
than spending money on relief after a disaster.
2.Most disasters are predictable, especially in
their seasonality and the disaster-prone areas
which are vulnerable.
3.Communities must be involved in disaster
preparedness.

21. BEST PRACTICES
1.On 12 November, 1970 a major cyclone hit
the coastal belt of Bangladesh at 223 km/hr.
with a storm surge of six to nine meters
height, killing an estimated 500,000 people.
2.Due to the Cyclone Preparedness Program,
the April 1991 cyclone with wind speed of 225
km/hr. killed only 138,000 people even
though the coastal population had doubled by
that time.
3.In May 1994, in a similar cyclone with a wind
speed of 250 km/hr. only 127 people lost their
lives.
4.In May 1997, in a cyclone with wind speed of

22. LESSONS LEARNT
1.Be Prepared : Preparedness and
Mitigation is bound to yield more effective
returns than distributing relief after a
disaster.
2.Create a Culture of Preparedness and
Prevention.
3.Evolve a code of conduct for all stake-
holders