Alarm bells rang in India as a massive earthquake rocked Indonesia. Tremors were felt also in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Fortunately there was no loss of life. But the sequel to the Indonesian crisis brought into sharp focus the need for comprehensive disaster response plans and support to infrastructure. However, the earthquake showed what significant improvements the Indian government had brought about in many ways since the tsunami in 2004. Ocean bottom pressure recorders were installed in various parts of the Indian Ocean in 2006.The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a tsunami alert within 20 minutes of the earthquake on this occasion. But there are still miles to go.
Most metropolitan cities in India are situated in areas which are prone to moderate-to-high risk of earthquake. What is needed to mitigate the risk is earthquake construction. This has received little or no attention. Existing regulations go unheeded and very few institutions in India offer training in earthquake engineering. There has been no significant integration of disaster management with development planning. Lines of communication and transport remain unsatisfactory. Shelters and detailed response plans for civic bodies, supply of medical essentials and public awareness are wide of the mark. Some mock disaster drills are held in New Delhi but they may seem a mockery of actual requirements. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed the NDMA’s preparedness plan last year. It remains to be seen how effective it has been and what progress has been made as a result of his keenness on building a global disaster management system.
