MPA-005: Disaster Response

(TMA)
Course Code: MPA-005
Assignment Code: Asst/TMA/2019
Marks 50
This assignment consists of Sections I and II. There are five questions in each section.
You have to answer a total of five questions in about 400 words each. It is necessary to
attempt at least two questions from each section. Each question carries 10 marks.
Section-I
1) Describe the administrative mechanism for disaster response at state level. 10
2) Examine the role of major stake holders in activation of emergency preparedness plans. 10
3) Discuss the various types of damage assessment. 10
4) Elaborate the measures for enhancing disaster response management. 10
5) Write a note on the role of para-military forces in disaster response. 10
Section-II
6) Discuss the various ways of managing stress. 10
7) Write a note on the minimum standards in nutrition. 10
8) Explain the major components of relief management. 10
9) Describe the various sources of funding disaster relief. 10
10) Examine the challenges associated with disaster recovery. 10

Answers
Section-I
1) Describe the administrative mechanism for disaster response at state level.
Ans.: The primary responsibility of disaster management is that of the state government
concerned. Central government intervenes only when the response to the disaster is beyond
the capacity of the state government. So, effectively the state has to have a response plan
which enables effective and prompt response and provides for roles both for the central as
well as the district level roles. Apparently, coordination is the main feature of response plan
at this level. Coordination is also important when we consider the fact that a disaster is not
geographically confined and may affect several districts.
Defining the role and responsibilities of each actor and committing resources, both material
and financial, are the components of the state level response plans as well. Administrative
mechanism for response at state level is given below-

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State Relief Commissioner: Most of the states have Relief Commissioners, who are in
charge of the relief measures. In others, the Chief Secretary or an officer nominated by him
is in charge of the response activities. He heads the Disaster Management Committee and
takes all the measures for setting up of the Control Room in case of disasters. He is the link
between the Centre and the District Coordination Committee.
State Crisis Management Group (SCMG): The SCMG functions under the chairmanship
of the Relief Commissioner/Chief Secretary and consists of Senior Officers from the
Ministries/Departments of Revenue, Home, Civil Supplies, Power Irrigation, Water Supply,
Panchayat, Agriculture, Forests, Rural Development, Health, Planning, Public Works, and
Finance. Some other officials, like local army commando, may be co-opted if the Relief
Commissioner/Chief Secretary deems it appropriate for effective response.
State Level Control Room: An Emergency Operation Centre (Control Room) is established
by the Relief Commissioner of the state as soon as the news about a disaster or impending
disaster is received. The Action Plan is usually on the lines of the Central Plan. However,
given the area-specific vulnerabilities, each state incorporates those features which may make
response appropriate. The control room gathers all the necessary information from the
designated officials and keeps updated information about the Air Force, Navy and the Army
for quick interaction and response.
Financial Resources: As mentioned above, states contribute to CRF, which is available to
them in the event of any disaster striking it. Besides that, there are two more resources. The
Chief Minister’s Relief Fund has been set up on the pattern of Prime Minister Relief Fund.
This fund becomes handy to provide immediate relief to the victims of disasters. Besides that,
the concerned state government sanctions expenditure to meet relief expenditure from within
its resources, which include its share of various developmental and employment generation
programmes.
3) Discuss the various types of damage assessment.
Ans.: Damage Assessment is a preliminary onsite evaluation of damage or loss caused by an
accident or natural event. Damage assessments record the extent of damage, what can be
replaced, restored or salvaged. It may also estimate the time required for repair, replacement
and recovery.
Damage assessment is an integral part of facilitating effective and efficient response by
government agencies and other organisations. Good damage assessment would start the ball
rolling for effective response and relief operations such as evacuation, sheltering, search and
rescue, mass casualty management, etc.
Damage assessment would be conducted as soon as possible after the disaster, but assessors
must put their own safety first. The "all clear" should be given by the appropriate authority.
Damage assessment is a precondition for effective disaster management. Unless we are clear
about the nature, extent and intensity of damage in the aftermath of a disaster, we can never
plan out, implement or evaluate the disaster management plans and strategies. Over the years,

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many different methods and tools have been devised for collecting information about
disasters. Many new techniques and equipment such as sample surveys, Epidemiological
Surveillance, Nutrition Centred Health Assessment and Remote Sensing axe also constantly
being developed.
A sample survey is the primary tool for needs assessment and is relevant for evaluation
purposes in order to detect and monitor the disaster impact. A representative s;imple of a
population is surveyed, from which valid estimates of the status of an entire target group are
made. Even though it can never be a complete assessment, it could still provide a good
indication of the rehabilitation needs and requirements.
The basic objectives of damage assessment are:
 to make rapid assessment of areas affected and the extent of impact, for the purpose of
immediate rescue and relief operations,
 to prepare estimates for the amount and type of relief to be provided and mode of
relief, in terms of food, clothing, medicines, shelter and other essential items,
 to make detailed assessment for long-term relief and rehabilitation planning, and
 to identify focus areas for purpose of replication in similar situations.
Assessments must be carefully planned and executed. The assessment process includes:
 Identification of information needs and sources of reliable data;
 Collection of data;
 Analysis and interpretation of data;
 Report writing;
 Conclusion; and
 Recommendations for planners and decision makers.
The official agency for reporting estimates of disaster damages is the Revenue Department of
the State Government, as they are also the authority for granting and distributing relief to the
affected persons. As usual, there is a hierarchy of officials who report from the lowest level
of viIlages/panchayats through blocks/revenue circles, tehsils/talukas, sub-divisions and
finally to the districts. The basic items usually covered in the assessment report, as per the
rapid assessment norms are:
 Name of sub-division
 Area in square ki lornetres
 Total number of villages
 Number of vi llages affected
 Total population
 Population affected
 Total number of panchayats
 Number of panchayats fully affected
 Number of panchayats partially affected

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  In case of floods, areas still under water
4) Elaborate the measures for enhancing disaster response management.
Ans.: To ensure the efficiency and effective management of natural and other disasters and
for achieving greater coordination and responsiveness with respect to prevention and
mitigation of disaster and also to provide better relief and rehabilitation of victims of disaster,
strong constitutional and legal framework needs to be developed. As recommended by High
Power Committee (HPC) the Disaster Management as a subject/item should be mentioned in
any one of the lists (Centre or State). In addition to the constitutional framework a suitable
legislation is to be adopted at the centre and the state to clearly defined the role and
responsibilities of government at various levels.
There is a need to have an effective act at the Centre and the State level. Such an act will
entail the formulation of a national policy on disaster management. The state should adhere to
the larger principles guiding emergency humanitarian assistance in crises as laid down by
international humanitarian law. These principles will be guiding factor in the preparation of
national policy, plan, relevant documents and manuals pertaining to disasters. The state
should also integrate these principles to prepare the plan to suit to the local context and
conditions. For this, there should be disaster preparedness plan at the national, state and
district level which play a vital role by instructing the officials what they should follow at the
time of disaster and also instruct and issue directions to the their subordinates and affected
people. This has the affect of not only speeding up the rescue and relief operation but also
boosting the morale of the affected people.
To improve coordination and control at national and state level a Cabinet Committee should
be vested with the subject of Disaster Management. Further the All Party Committee
consisting of all major political parties, bureaucrats, NGOs, community, and other actors
under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister at the National Level and Chief Minister at the
State Level should be set up. This will help in generating the requisite political will, much
needed consensus and coordination among the various stakeholders in disaster management.
National Institute for Disaster Management also needs to be established as a centre of
excellence in the area of creation of knowledge and dissemination including training and
capacity building related to disasters.
A networking of training institutions led by a national level disaster management institutions
with symbolic linkages with other national and state level institutions need to be forced and
developed. There should actively in value all the training and educational institutes. To
respond to disaster properly, there is a need to identify the strength and gaps in the
operational capacity of different agencies involved in disaster preparedness and response.
Hence, proper inventory for assessment of government, non-governmental and other agencies
and civil society have to be initiated likewise.
A clear grading of disasters that is who should take the responsibility in providing relief and
rehabilitation at the time of disaster is to be clearly defined. The HPC, in its report, has
recommended that a district level disaster should be dealt by district administration, the State

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level disaster should be looked into by the concerned State Governments and the National
level disasters by the Central Government. Trigger mechanism has to be incorporated as an
emergency quick response mechanism, which would spontaneously set the vehicle of
management into motion on the road to disaster mitigation process.
To improve cooperation and coordination in crises prevention and response by civil society
humanitarian agencies, there is a need to develop coherent protocols that ensure national
policies are observed by these organizations in order to avoid unnecessary duplication and
colliding initiatives at the time of a crisis.
Section-II
6) Discuss the various ways of managing stress.
Ans.: In disaster, the behaviour of individual depends upon his mental condition. People have
to face different types of psychological, social or emotional problems. The kind of loss
suffered affects the behaviour of the sufferers. Economic loss and death of close persons are
the losses which have a major adverse effect on their behaviour. Along with the sufferers,
situation is also very difficult for the providers. Providers have to spend long hours working
with sufferers. Continuous work with physically ill and disabled people makes them stressful.
In disasters the victims and rescue workers both suffer from great emotional disturbances.
There are various factors which directly or indirectly affects the behaviour of people in
disaster.
The most important factor that affects the victim is the death of close relatives or friends. It
leaves immense effect on the sufferer. In such traumatic condition victims are under so much
of stress and pain that at this stage they are not ready to accept any suggestion.
Economic loss is also a major set back in the sufferer's life during disaster. Earthquake, flood,
fire, landslides and such others are the forms of disaster that disrupts the life of victims and
the economic condition of the sufferer plays a major role during disaster. The impact of
disaster on economically weaker group especially labourers, rickshaw-pullers, shop-keepers,
is found to be great. Their savings may be completely wiped out by disaster and it leads them
into further from poverty to starvation stage.
The time period of disaster is also an important factor that affects human behaviour.
Sometimes the time period of disaster is long as in droughts. This is called continuing
disaster. In such type of disaster people react in slightly more practical and stabilised manner.
Earthquake, cyclone, landslides are the cataclysmic disaster. These disasters are sudden and
immediate destruction becomes immeninently evident. Continual fear and insecurity also
affects human behaviour in disaster. The affected community feel unsafe and uncomfortable
in disaster. Their constant fears and insecurities is a hindrance to normalisation.
The family has a major role to play in helping the survivor to adjust with the changed
situation; where family is not supportive, the recovery becomes more complex. Sometimes
family members impose restrictions on single woman and may not give her the power to take

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independent decisions or financial freedom. Such situation affects the individual's behaviour
too where by the psychological suffering increases.
The role of rescue worker is very important and difficult too. It is a very tough job for the
rescue workers because victims are under stress, so their mental conditions are not very
normal. It is also stressful for rescue workers and sometimes they may develop some
psychological symptoms as they would not have expected to see such amount of deaths or
loss and damages of property. Many times, in such traumatic condition provider may develop
depression and anxiety.
Disaster is such an unwanted happening which never informs in advance before coming. In
any abnormally stressful event such as a disaster, people normally experience a range of
psychological and physiological reactions. These feelings may not last long, but it very
common to have disturbing reactions for many months after the event. The important point is
that emotional responses apply to both disaster victims and rescue workers. For the survivors
it is very difficult to cope with the feeling of the death of close person, loss of wealth and
homes, due to a disaster.
The rescue operation might be more effective it the psychological needs of survivors and
providers are recognised. Psychologists suggest that open, honest expression of emotions as a
self-protection mechanism is very useful in coping with the stress or trauma. To avoid
emotional-overload survivor and rescuer should be allowed to express their feelings openly.
8) Explain the major components of relief management.
Ans.: Relief refers to the provision of essential, appropriate and timely humanitarian
assistance to those affected by a disaster, based on an initial rapid assessment of needs and
designed to contribute effectively and speedily to their early recovery. It consists of the
delivery of a specific quantity and quality of goods to a quantified group of beneficiaries,
according to selection criteria that identify actual needs and the groups that are least able to
provide them for themselves.
Disaster relief is the monies or services made available to individuals and communities that
have experienced losses due to disasters such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, drought,
tornadoes, and riots. A disaster may also be defined in sociological terms as a major
disruption of the social pattern of individuals and groups. Most countries have agencies that
coordinate disaster relief and planning. Many have statutes that define appropriate procedures
for disaster declarations and emergency orders. Such statutes also empower relief agencies to
utilize local resources, commandeer private property, and arrange for temporary housing
during an emergency.
Mitigation efforts attempt to prevent hazards from developing into disasters altogether, or to
reduce the effects of disasters when they occur. The mitigation phase differs from the other
phases because it focuses on long-term measures for reducing or eliminating risk.[4] The
implementation of mitigation strategies can be considered a part of the recovery process if

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applied after a disaster occurs. However, even if applied as part of recovery efforts, actions
that reduce or eliminate risk over time are still considered mitigation efforts.
Mitigative measures can be structural or non-structural. Structural measures use technological
solutions, like flood levees. Non-structural measures include legislation, land-use planning
(such as the designation of nonessential land like parks to be used as flood zones), and
insurance. Mitigation is the most cost-efficient method for reducing the impact of hazards.
However, mitigation is not always suitable and structural mitigation in particular may have
adverse effects on the ecosystem.
A precursor activity to the mitigation is the identification of risks. Physical risk assessment
refers to the process of identifying and evaluating hazards. In risk assessment, various
hazards (earthquakes, floods, riots, and so forth) within a certain area are identified. Each
hazard poses a risk to the population within the area assessed. The hazard-specific risk
combines both the probability and the level of impact of a specific hazard. It is said that the
hazard in accordance with the populations vulnerability to disasters or dangers show the
degree of risk for a population. Of course, there are contributing factors to both hazard and
vulnerability. Population size, whether disasters occurred in the area previously, how recent
the last disaster was, how much government aid is being pushed into disaster preparation, and
how many people decide to leave the area before an imminent disaster are all to be taken into
consideration when accounting for risk. Catastrophe modeling tools are used to support the
calculation. The higher the risk, the more urgent that the hazard specific vulnerabilities are
targeted by mitigation and preparedness efforts. However, if there is no vulnerability there
will be no risk, for example, an earthquake that occurs in a desert where nobody lives.
An example of personal non-structural mitigation would be to avoid buying property that is
exposed to hazards, such as in a flood plain, in areas of subsidence or landslides.
Homeowners may not be aware of their home being exposed to a hazard until it strikes. Real
estate agents may not come forward with such information. However, specialists can be hired
to conduct risk assessment surveys. Insurance covering the most prominent identified risks
are a common measure.
Personal structural mitigation in earthquake-prone areas include installation of an earthquake
valve to instantly shut off the natural gas supply to the property, seismic retrofits of property,
and the securing of items inside the building to enhance household seismic safety, such as the
mounting of furniture, refrigerators, water heaters, and breakables to the walls, and the
addition of cabinet latches. In flood prone areas, houses can be built on poles, like in much of
southern Asia. In areas prone to prolonged electricity black-outs, a generator would be an
example of an optimal structural mitigation measure. The construction of storm cellars and
fallout shelters are further examples of personal mitigative actions.