Unit–V : Disaster Rehabilitation

National disaster management frame work – Disaster Response

Mechanisms in India – Financial arrangement – Disaster warning –
Rehabilitation – Bio shields livelihood options – Insurance and compensation
– Emergency operations centers (EOCs). India’s key hazards and
vulnerabilities and disaster response mechanism.
14) Disaster warning, India’s key hazards, risk and mitigation

15) Financial arrangements – role of NGO’s and other organizations.

16) Rehabilitation – Bio shields livelihood options – insurance and

compensation

17) Preparedness – EOCs

National disaster management frame work
Disaster management occupies an important place in this country's
policy framework as the worst affected people are poor one and our
country mainly comprises of them. The steps being taken by the
Government emanate from they approach outlined above. The approach has
been translated into a National Disaster Framework a roadmap covering
institutional mechanisms, disaster prevention strategy, early warning
system, disaster mitigation, preparedness and response and human
resource development. The expected inputs, areas of intervention and
agencies to be involved at the National, State and district levels have been
identified and listed in the roadmap. This roadmap has been shared with all
the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Ministries and
Departments of Government of India, and the State Governments/UT
Administrations have been advised to develop their respective roadmaps taking
the national roadmap as a broad guideline. There is, therefore, now a common
strategy underpinning the action being taken by all the participating
organizations/stakeholders.

National Disaster Management Authority, abbreviated as NDMA, is an

agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs whose primary purpose is to coordinate
response to natural or man-made disasters and for capacity-building in
disaster resiliency and crisis response. NDMA was established through
the Disaster Management Act enacted by the Government of India in 23
December 2005.

NDMA, as the apex body, is mandated to lay down the policies, plans
and guidelines for Disaster Management to ensure timely and effective
response to disasters. Towards this, it has the following responsibilities:
● Lay down policies on disaster management;
● Lay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up
the State Plan;
● Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or
Departments of the Government of India
● Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plans for
disaster management;
● Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation;
● Provide such support to other countries affected by major disasters as
may be determined by the Central Government;
● Take such other measures for the prevention of disaster, or the
mitigation, or preparedness and capacity building for dealing with
threatening disaster situations or disasters as it may consider necessary;
The 'National Disaster Management Framework' developed by the
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the nodal Ministry for disaster
management in India, seeks to promote a proactive approach to disaster
preparedness, mitigation and prevention. The national road map focuses on
integrating disaster management in the development agenda,
establishing enabling institutional arrangements, creating awareness for
risk reduction as well as enhancing the capacities of govemment
institutions, communities and civil society. The GoI - UNDP National
Disaster Risk Management Programme, formulated under the above
framework, aims at reducing vulnerabilities of communities at risk to
sudden disasters in 169 of the most multi-hazard prone districts, spread
over 17 most multi-hazard prone States of India (Gujarat, Orissa, Bihar,
Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal,
Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram,
Nagaland and Tripura ).
The main objectives of the 'National Disaster Management Framework'
are:
• Support policy and strategy formulation on natural disaster risk
management at the national and State levels.
• Institutionalize the system for natural disaster risk management in the
Ministry of Home Affairs, through capacity building support.
• Develop a legal framework and technical standards for disaster
prevention and recovery.
• Build an enabling environment for natural disaster risk management
and sustainable recovery.
• Generate awareness.
• Strengthen capacities at various levels with special emphasis on women.
• Prepare multi-hazard preparedness, response and mitigation plans for
disaster risk management at various levels (state, district, block, village and
ward level) in 169 most multi- hazard prone districts of 17 selected states and
295 cities and urban centres located in earthquake hazard prone regions in
the country, and
LEC:14 DISASTER WARNING, INDIA’S KEY HAZARDS, RISK AND
MITIGATION
Introduction to Disaster Warning System:
In India, the Department of Ocean Development in association with
Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Space (DOS)
and CSIR Laboratories, is setting up an Early Warning System for Tsunami
and Storm Surges in the Indian Ocean. The existing analogue Cyclone
Warning Dissemination System of India Meteorological Department (IMD),
with 250 receivers installed along the Indian coast, is to be replaced with a
state-of-art system.
The new system will provide more lead time to the disaster
management officials and better voice quality for easy comprehension. As
 regard to the earthquake, at present there is no advance warning system
available, the world over, that can forecast the occurrences of earthquake.
However, the observational network of seismological observatories
maintained and operated by IMD is capable of effective surveillance in
the country.
Generation of disaster warning is a multi-institutional endeavor.
Different institutions are responsible for early warning for namely,

Geological Survey of India – Land slides,

Central Water Commission – flood and
Defence Research and Development Organization - Avalanches
while IMD is mandated to monitor the tropical cyclones and earthquakes in
the country and provide necessary information/warnings to Government
officials and public for disaster mitigation.
Early warning systems are means by which people receive relevant
and timely information in a systematic way prior to a disaster in order to
make informed decisions and take action. The array of elements aimed at
facilitating communication and prompt response to protect and aid those in
need.
Early warning systems is an integrated system of hazard monitoring,
forecasting and prediction, disaster risk assessment, communication and
preparedness activities systems and processes that enable individuals,
communities, governments, businesses and others to take timely action to
reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events.
The four key elements of the early warning system to work effectively are:
(1) Disaster risk knowledge based on the systematic collection of data and
disaster risk assessments;
(2) Detection, monitoring, analysis and forecasting of the hazards and
possible consequences;
(3) Dissemination and communication, by an official source, of authoritative,
timely, accurate and actionable warnings and associated information on
likelihood and impact;
(4) Preparedness at all levels to respond to the warnings received.
Failure in one component or a lack of coordination across them could lead
to the failure of the whole system.
Benefits of Early warning systems:
1. Reduction in loss of life
2. Early notification of emergency system
3. Orderly distribution of social and economic facilities
4. Improved traffic control
5. Reduced public stress
Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale:
The Modified Mercalli Intensity value assigned to a specific site after
an earthquake has a more meaningful measure of severity to the non-
scientist than the magnitude because intensity refers to the effects
actually experienced at that place. The lower numbers of the intensity scale
generally deal with the manner in which the earthquake is felt by people.
While the Mercalli scale describes the intensity of an earthquake based
on its observed effects, the Richter scale describes the earthquake’s magnitude
by measuring the seismic waves that cause the earthquake. The two scales
have different applications and measurement techniques.
Warnings about Cyclone:
1. The cyclone warnings are issued to state government officials in four stages.
The First Stage warning known as “PRE CYCLONE WATCH” issued 72 hours
in advance contains early warning about the development of a cyclonic
disturbance in the north Indian Ocean, its likely intensification into a tropical
cyclone and the coastal belt likely to experience adverse weather.
2. The Second Stage warning known as “CYCLONE ALERT” is issued at least
48 hrs. in advance of the expected commencement of adverse weather
over the coastal areas. It contains information on the location and intensity of
the storm likely direction of its movement, intensification, coastal districts
likely to experience adverse weather and advice to fishermen, general public,
media and disaster managers. This is issued by the concerned ACWCs/CWCs
and CWD at HQ.
3. The Third Stage warning known as “CYCLONE WARNING” issued at least
24 hours in advance of the expected commencement of adverse weather
over the coastal areas. Landfall point is forecast at this stage. These
warnings are giving the latest position of cyclone and its intensity, likely point
and time of landfall, associated heavy rainfall, strong wind and storm surge
along with their impact and advice to general public, media, fishermen and
disaster managers.
4. The Fourth Stage of warning known as “POST LANDFALL OUTLOOK” is
issued at least 12 hours in advance of expected time of landfall. It gives likely
direction of movement of the cyclone after its landfall and adverse weather
likely to be experienced in the interior areas.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Different color codes as mentioned below are being used since post-
monsoon season of 2006 the different stages of the cyclone warning bulletins
as desired by the National Disaster Management.
LEC:15 FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS – ROLE OF NGO’S AND OTHER
ORGANISATION
Financial Arrangements

The financing of disaster relief has been an important aspect of federal

fiscal relations. The primary responsibility for undertaking rescue, relief, and
rehabilitation measures during a disaster lies with the State Gpovernments.
The Union Government supplements their efforts through logistic and financial
support. The DM Act 2005 provides the legal framework for disaster
management and all related matters, including the financial aspects. The
Act envisages the constitution of two types of funds: response and
mitigation, which are to be set up at the national, state and district levels.
Thus, for disaster response, there is a National Disaster Response Fund, a
State Disaster Response Fund in each State and, within the States, a District
Disaster Response Fund in each district.

Financial Measures for Disaster Management

For a very long period, disaster management in India was considered
only as an issue of providing relief and rehabilitation to the people
affected by natural calamities. There was hardly any attempt to look into the
impact of disasters on the economy and development. In recent years, the
Government of India has brought about a change in the approach to disaster
management from a relief-centric to a holistic and integrated approach
covering the entire scope of disaster management encompassing
preparedness, prevention, response, mitigation, relief, reconstruction and
rehabilitation in order to achieve sustainable development.

State Disaster Response Fund

Allocations to the State Response Funds have been made based on the
recommendations of the successive Finance Commissions. While allocating the
funds to various States for a period of five years, the factors considered
include the expenditure incurred by the State Government on relief
operations during the last about 10 years, vulnerability to natural
disasters and economic status of the State.

The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), is the primary fund available with
State Governments for responses to notified disasters. The Central Government
contributes 75% of SDRF allocation for general category States/UTs and
90% for special category States/UTs (NE States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir). The annual Central contribution is
released in two equal installments as per the recommendation of the Finance
Commission. SDRF shall be used only for meeting the expenditure for
providing immediate relief to the victims.

Disaster (s) covered under SDRF: Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood,

tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost
and cold waves.

National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)

Section 46(1) of Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides for constitution

of NDRF for meeting any threatening disaster management situation or
disaster. Accordingly, MHA issued notification for the constitution of National
Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on 28.09.2010. The Finance Ministry has also
issued guidelines to the States for operation of NDRF.

The National Disaster Response Fund is a fund managed by the Central

Government and is used for meeting the expenses incurred during
emergency relief, disaster response and rehabilitation in the event of a
disaster.

● It was earlier called the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF)

which had been operated as per the guidelines laid down by the 11th
Finance Commission.
 ● The NDRF supplements the State Disaster Response Fund in case
sufficient funds are not available with the state funds to facilitate
immediate relief in case of calamities of severe nature.

● The NDRF is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

● The detailed accounts of NDRF are maintained by the Controller General

of Accounts (CGA) through the Chief Controller of Accounts, Finance
Ministry.

The fund is used for providing immediate relief to the people affected by the
above-mentioned disasters when state funds are inadequate. But the NDRF (or
the SDRF) is not used for disaster preparedness, restoration,
reconstruction and mitigation. 

Disaster Mitigation fund

Experience in major disasters in India in the last decade has clearly

established the need for pre-positioning some essential relief and response
reserves at crucial locations, including some for the high altitude areas.
These reserves are intended to augment the resources at the State level.
Mitigation reserves will be placed at the disposal of NDRF for enhancing
their emergency response capabilities for assisting the State Governments
during a disaster or disaster like situation.

Additional Financial Assistance

Over and above the provisions of the State Disaster Response Fund
(SDRF), funding is provided from the NDRF in the wake of calamities of
severe nature. On receipt of the Memorandum from the affected States, an
Inter Ministerial Central Team comprising of representatives of the
Central Ministries/ Departments is constituted and its report, after
examination by the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) headed by Union Home
Secretary, is placed before the High Level Committee (HLC) for consideration
and approval of funds from NDRF.
Monitoring of Expenditure

The Ministry of Home Affairs oversees the operations of SDRF and

monitors its compliance with these guidelines. A format for monitoring the
expenditure in accordance with the extant items and norms of assistance has
been prescribed. The Accountant General of the State maintains the
accounts of the SDRF. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India audits
SDRF every year.

NGO Scenario and Disaster Management in India

NGOs are organizations registered under various Indian laws or State-

specific Public Charitable Trust Acts. NGOs work on a variety of areas like
humanitarian assistance, sectorial development interventions and
sustainable development. NGOs play important roles in different stages of
the Disaster Management Cycle.

NGOs have been playing a significant role in providing humanitarian

assistance to disaster-affected people in most of the severe disasters like the
Latur earthquake in 1993, Orissa super cyclone in 1999, Bhuj earthquake in
2001, Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Kashmir earthquake in 2005, Barmer
floods in 2006, Kosi floods in 2008,cyclones Aila and Laila and the more recent
cloud burst in Leh in August 2010, apart from participating in providing relief
to disaster affected communities in various other localised disasters.

In the recent past, the role of NGOs in disaster management (DM) has
started changing from providing post-disaster relief to strengthening pre-
disaster preparedness and mitigation through capacity building, public
awareness campaigns, mock exercises, workshops and conferences, etc.
Till recently, the work of NGOs in the field of DM has been mostly sporadic,
reactive, responsive and driven by local level compulsions in the geographic
areas where they are implementing development projects and very often they
faced enormous challenges in coordinating with the government machinery and
even among NGOs themselves.
 NGOs are organizations that are non – profit making, voluntary and
independent of government, engaged in activities concerning various
societal and developmental issues. The NGO sector has always been very
vibrant in India, and is based on the concept of volunteerism and care for the
fellow citizens. The strong contact with local community groups like Self Help
Groups (SHGs), farmers groups, youth groups, women’s groups, village health
committees, watershed committees, etc. and their participation in the local
level implementation of government’s flagship programmes and their innovative
approaches in employment generation, income generation, poverty alleviation
and natural resource regeneration and climate change adaptation/mitigation
projects make them ideal partners in mainstreaming disaster risk reduction
(DRR) in development plans at various levels.

There is need to promote quality, accountability and do no harm

principles and standards. Promotion of the principle of collaborative,
consultative and unified action to complement and supplement government
action in DM is of critical importance. The sector also needs to work
concertedly for promoting community participation, good governance,
accountability and transparency. NGOs can bring in the financial resources
from bilateral l and multilateral donors for implementing pragmatic and
innovative approaches to deal with disaster risk and vulnerability, by
effectively integrating and converging the various government
programmes, schemes and projects to create the required synergy in
transforming the lives of at – risk communities.

Role of NGOs in Disaster Preparedness

The NGOs play an important role in different phases of disaster
management and risk reduction, but very often the efforts of the NGOs do
not succeed in achieving desired results due to lack of effective coordination
with other stakeholder groups, especially government machinery, and among
the NGOs themselves. In the absence of proper Guidelines on the role of NGOs
in DM, the huge capacity of NGOs, CSOs and faith – based organizations
available in India is not being optimally utilized. The ad hoc systems of NGO
operations also raise certain concerns. We need to bridge the gaps in
implementation of disaster management framework, to institutionalize the role
of NGOs in disaster management and to strengthen the quality and
accountability of NGOs in India.

Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitigation

Due to India’s geographical topographical and geo – climate
features, the country is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. In the recent
past, India has also experienced several manmade disaster. The MIC gas leak
in the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal in 1984 is estimated to be one of the
most devastating chemical disasters in the recent history. During the past two
decades, India has witnessed several natural disasters, most important of
them being the Uttarkashi earthquake 1991, Latur earthquake 1993,
Jabalpur earthquake 1997, Chamoli earthquake 1999, Bhuj earthquake
2001 and the Jammu and Kashmir earthquake 2005, the Indian Ocean
Tsunami in 2004, the Super cyclone in Orissa in 1999 and a few
devastating landslides and snow avalanches. In addition, several States in the
various regions of the country face recurring floods, while large areas in several
parts of India experience more frequent and longer periods of drought. The
frequency, intensity and the impact of disaster has been increasing in the
recent past. The increasing frequency and impact of disasters is likely to get
further aggravated due to the complex challenges posed by climate change,
exploitation of natural resources.

The lack of development of infrastructure that can directly result in

people’s well being – health, education, power, transport,
communications-renders such areas acutely impacted by disaster and people
more vulnerable to risks. In India, volunteerism and community based
movements have formed the backbone of society since time immemorial
and these efforts have helped to sustain communities through times of shocks
and stresses. The role of NGOs remains crucial in all phases of DM.

This is also in line with the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and the
priority actions stated therein, under which efforts to reduce underlying risks
and mitigating disasters through education and appropriate pre – disaster are
urgently required. The actions stated under this section are very directly
related to community action and the work of NGOs, for both development
and DM related activities.

Inclusive Approach towards Natural Disasters

Till recently, the approach to Disaster Management has been reactive
and relief centric. A paradigm shift has now taken place at the national level
from the relief centric syndrome to holistic and integrated approach with
emphasis on prevention, mitigation and preparedness. These efforts are aimed
to conserve developmental gains as also minimize losses to lives, livelihood and
property.

LEC:16 REHABILITATION – BIO SHIELDS LIVELIHOOD OPTIONS –

INSURANCE AND COMPENSATION

Rehabilitation – Bio shields livelihood options – Insurance and

compensation – Emergency operations centers (EOCs). India’s key hazards
and vulnerabilities and disaster response mechanism

BASIC CONCEPT - REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION

Rehabilitation, reconstruction and sustainable recovery refer to

measures that help restore the livelihoods, assets and production levels of
emergency-affected communities. These measures rebuild essential
infrastructure, institutions, services and restore the means of production
destroyed or made non-operational by a disaster. Rehabilitation and
reconstruction assistance is geared towards limiting the need for relief and
allowing development activities to proceed. Rehabilitation and reconstruction
include measures which help increase the resilience of food systems in
case of future disasters and emergencies. Major emphasis is on
strengthening co-ordination of locally active emergency and development
institutions and on encouraging the participation of the affected
population in designing and implementing interventions to promote household
food security and nutrition. Priority is given to the needs of food-insecure
households and towards promoting sustainable livelihoods.
FAO takes stock of the overall situation of disaster-affected countries
and assesses needs for rehabilitation measures and for sustainable
recovery of growth and development in the food and agricultural sectors in the
medium to long-term. This assistance is aimed at reducing susceptibility to
further disasters and emergencies. FAO identifies investment opportunities
and formulates programmes and projects for donor funding. FAO promotes co-
ordination of development and humanitarian institutions in the planning,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of decentralised plans of action to
promote food security and nutrition in affected areas. FAO plays a key role in
following-up immediate agricultural relief with longer-term programmes. It
provides assistance in restoring extension, veterinary, plant-protection and
input supply services and institutions where these have been disrupted, and
the physical reconstruction of agricultural infrastructure such as dams and
irrigation systems, markets and crop storage facilities.

Bioshield livelihood options

A 'bio-shield' formed by planting a vegetation belt along coastlines

would protect India against future coastal storms, cyclones and
tsunamis.The plantations could play a double role. While absorbing the force
of severe storms and tsunamis, the 'bio-shield' could act as a 'carbon sink'
by absorbing emissions of the greenhousegascarbondioxide. Another key
recommendation is to help local communities build artificial coral reefs, among
which fish could shelter and breed.

Bioshields have been advocated as natural barriers following several

recent coastal disasters. For example, after the devastation of the Indian Ocean
Tsunami of 26 December 2004, a January 2005 report claimed a strong
protective function of coastal vegetation. This report was soon followed by
articles in the scientific literature that supported the bioshield concept with
observational and remotely sensed data. The result was a strong call for the
donor community to invest in planting bioshields throughout South‐East Asia.

Bioshields are the most important protection of the coast from

extreme events such as storms and Tsunamis. It was promoted to protect
at large scale against severe natural disasters, though considerable debate
over their efficacy as protection measures. Lack of awareness and lack of
public involvement, short term projects, lack of follow up programmes,
removal of the sand, short distance from the sea, planting inappropriate time
and not cover the rainy season, and destroyed by visitors/ local tourists were
the important issues addressed should be considered in pre and post
plantation phases could save precious time, effort and financial resources.

However, subsequent work suggested that the correlation between area

of coastal forest and tsunami damage was spurious, using the same datasets.
This subsequent work found that when factors of topography and distance
from shore where included in the regression equations, vegetation could
explain only a slight reduction in damage. In a follow‐up study sponsored by
the UNEP, vegetation was found to have no effect on tsunami inundation at 52
sites from throughout the Indian Ocean. In 2005, the concept of bioshields
gained more support after Hurricane Katrina hit the USA coast, with many
stories in the press and primary literature viewing it as a policy‐focusing event.
In May 2008, a Category Four cyclone, Cyclone Nargis, struck Myanmar
(Burma) causing over 100,000 fatalities. While damage from the 200 km/hr
winds and rain was extensive, the 4 m storm surge inundated large areas of
low‐lying country. Many authors suggested that the destructive power of the
storm surge was exacerbated by recent loss of mangrove forest in Myanmar,
although no primary evidence to support these statements was presented.

In India, the concept of bioshields has moved actively to developing

vast plantations of exotic trees (mainly Casuarina equisetifolia L.) to act
as bioshields. These bioshield plantations are funded and facilitated by
various nongovernment organizations and international bodies like the World
Bank. For instance, under the Emergency Tsunami Rehabilitation Project
funded by the World Bank, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has initiated
large‐scale (∼20 km2) planting of Casuarina along the Kariakal and
Nagapattinam coast, taking up to 41% of the coastline in the area.

The bioshields here are nested within the Joint Forest Management
or Community Forest Management program, which aims to reduce natural
resource dependence on Reserve Forests and improve rural livelihoods. The
economic returns from Casuarina plantations are substantial for the local
communities engaged in these activities in Andhra Pradesh (Rs.
25,000/ha = USD $600/ha after 4 years) . This money has been agreed to
be shared equally, half by the community and the other half to raise more
plantations. In addition, local communities gain access to fuel wood and small
timber after the fourth year of plantation (though tree removal would seem
to counter the justification of the bioshield plantation). For marginalized
fisherfolk living in remote areas along the coast, this could provide a vital
monetary and material resource to meet household needs.
LEC:17 EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER (EOC)

An emergency operations center (EOC) is a central command and control

facility responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency
preparedness and emergency management, or disaster
management functions at a strategic level during an emergency, and ensuring
the continuity of operation of a company, political subdivision or other
organization.

Functions of an Emergency Operations Center

A company’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) serves as the
coordination hub for an incident response. This facility, although identified by
many names (command center, command post, war room, etc.), provides a
central intelligence arena for decision makers and response team personnel to
gather critical information, coordinate response activities, and manage
personnel as the emergency situation dictates. A safe location equipped with
effective e technology allows for communication with staff and response teams. 

The EOC, whether a simple conference room or an extravagant mission

control facility, should be capable of serving as the central coordination point
for:

✔ All emergency operations
✔ Information gathering and dissemination
✔ Coordination with local governments, outside contractors,
mutual aid and volunteer organizations

The EOC should be organized to carry out five major functions: command,
planning, operations, logistics, and finance, each of which may be divided into
sub-functional units. This organization is modeled after Incident Command
System (ICS), allowing all involved parties to establish a common organization
and terminology.

● Command - responsible for overall response management.

 ● Operations – responsible for coordinating all operations to support the
Incident Action Plans.
● Planning  – responsible for collecting, evaluating, and disseminating
information and for coordinating development of Incident Action Plans.
● Logistics – responsible for procuring facilities, services, personnel,
equipment and materials.
● Finance / Administration – responsible for tracking incident costs,
forecasts, and payment of responders, contractors, and claims.

Pre-designated personnel who understand their roles and responsibilities

should staff the EOC. Identified representatives from local response agencies,
contractors, volunteer agencies, and any other group with significant response
roles may also be asked to support the emergency response from the EOC.

When a reportable incident has a probability for a significant negative

impact, the EOC may be activated. Initially the EOC may:

▪ Act as the communications link between corporate headquarters and the

affected facility.

▪ Ensure that specifically trained response individuals are available or are

being mobilized in the event their expertise is necessary.
▪ Ensure that necessary equipment is available on site. This may require
ordering and arranging delivery of equipment and materials from
contractors.
▪ Update relevant information on vendors, contractors, consultants, and
other key resources that the Incident Commander and the Corporate
Support Team will be utilizing.
▪ Monitor TV, radio, and wire services to determine accuracy of public
information
▪ Update executive management as the incident transpires and changes.
▪ Ensure that all regulatory, state and local notifications and procedures
are performed.  Act as a liaison with Federal, State, and local regulatory
 agencies and officials affected by the location and specific nature of the
incident.
▪ Ensure employees and the impacted community is adequately informed
of the incident and response actions.
Simply establishing a specific location, and stocking it with response
equipment and technology is not enough to coordinate an effective response.
The EOC staff must be thoroughly trained, drilled in the proper processes and
procedures, and understand specified roles and responsibilities for
coordinating full-scale emergency response effort.

DISTRICT EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTRE

DEOC will assist the commissioner in performing the roles assigned to him
by DDMA. The DEOC would perform the following functions:-

i. District control room would be the nerve center for the disaster
management;
ii. To monitor, coordinate and implement the actions for disaster
management;
iii. Activate the ESF (Emergency Support Function) in the event of a disaster
and coordinate the actions of various departments/ agencies;
iv. Ensure that all warning, communication systems and instruments are in
working conditions
v. Receive information on a routine basis from the district departments on the
vulnerability of the various places and villages (parts of the districts
vi. Receive reports on the preparedness of the district level departments and
the resources at their disposal to arrange and meet their requirements.
vii. Upgrade the Disaster Management Action according to the changing
scenario.
viii.Maintain a web-based inventory of all resources through the India Disaster
Resource Network (IDRN).
ix. Provide information to the Relief Commissioner’ Office of the disaster/
emergencies/ accidents taking place in the district regularly and maintain a
data base of disasters and losses caused by them.
x. Monitor preparedness measures and training activities
xi. Providing information at district level, local level and to disaster prone
areas through appropriate media
xii. Brief the media of the situations and prepare day to day reports during the
disasters
xiii. To report the actual scenario and the action taken by the District
Administration
xiv.Maintain a data base of trained personnel and volunteers who could be
contacted at any time
xv. Lease with on-site operation center, State EOC and other emergency
services.

Insurance and compensation –

The various stakeholders in the process of disaster mitigation are policy

makers, decision makers, administration, professionals, professional
institutions, R&D institutions, financial institutions, insurance sector,
community, NGOs and the common man. Insurance has played a very
important role. The advanced countries have developed the insurance system
and made it effective and mandatory – as a result the loss of lives and property
is comparatively less. In India, most of the losses suffered in natural disasters
are not insured, for reasons such as lack of purchasing power, lack of interest
in insurance, theory of karma attitude and ignorance of availability of such
covers. Quite large numbers of agencies provide the insurance cover and
foreign insurance companies have already ventured in such areas. This implies
that the commercial and private sector can also play an essential role in
disaster mitigation.

Hazard
 It usually refers to the danger or risk associated with the occurrence of
an extraordinary event of limited duration. It can be understood as any rare
natural or man-made phenomenon which can inflict damage to life and
property by causing a disaster. Thus, hazard is a threat, while disaster is an
event.

Vulnerability

It refers to the extent to which an individual, or a group of people or

some structures in a particular area are likely to be adversely affected by a
particular natural or man-made disaster.