Heavy rain in Assam and other parts of the North East has caused loss of lives and destruction of property. It is a regular occurrence and the authorities invariably show a sleepy response. All this has led some MP’s to push for several changes in the way India deals with natural disaster. They have suggested the formation of a separate ministry which may improve monitoring of natural calamities and speed up relief and rehabilitation. But that alone cannot improve relations between the Centre and the states. States ask for greater funds, improved capacity building of agencies, organization of rescue operations and greater autonomy in taking prompt decisions. The Centre should work shoulder to shoulder with the states in removing leeks in the relief network which prevents money from reaching the right people and its full utilization. Modern forecasting technologies are also not given proper emphasis.
India’s disaster management machinery should come under strict review. Its performance has not yet been up to the mark. Reform of the apparatus is a must. Warnings from the meteorological departments often go unheeded. Communication systems collapse despite expensive equipment having been installed. There is need for regional mutual aid centres. These centres can coordinate multiple chains of command which result in delay. The link between disasters and climate change as well as the spoliation of the environment should be looked into. However, there are limits to the efficiency of disaster management systems. A Hollywood film on combating “Seismic swarm” has shown this.
