GARHWAL POST / editorial / 14th August 2013 Prepare, Prevent Forewarned is forearmed. This has become amply evident in the aftermath of Cyclone Phailin that hit Odisha on Saturday night. Compared to an earlier similar cyclone that took a toll of over ten thousand lives, the prior evacuation of over 7.5 lakh people from its predicted path ensured that the fatalities till Sunday afternoon were reported at a mere nine. Having learned a harsh lesson only recently from the Uttarakhand tragedy, the governments and agencies involved did not leave anything to chance. From the moment the forecasts came in, evacuation was begun, with people being provided refuge in previously identified safe shelters. It is clear that experience is imparting greater sophistication to NDMA’s ability to respond on an all India basis in diverse terrain and conditions. It is said that earthquakes don’t kill, buildings do. Similarly, the experience of the past few months has shown that events only happen; it is bad administration and threat response that costs lives. The tragedy in Uttarakhand was many years in the making, with governance and regulation retreating in the face of unbridled economic growth. There has been no objective analysis of what happened before and after the disaster, but it has become clear that an inert government and administration failed to anticipate and respond. There is no doubt that Phailin lost its sting because of superior governance in Odisha, which is otherwise considered one of the backward states. On Sunday, itself, reports were received that at least sixty persons died in an MP temple stampede. There was no natural disaster there, just mismanagement and failure to adequately prepare. In the thinking of district administrations, festive gatherings may be routine, but they can cost even more in human lives than a cyclone. It is just a question of having an intelligent imagination. One of the tragic consequences of complacency in government functioning is the gradual decline in services that ought to be rendered to the public. These incidents also highlight the role played by science & technology in mitigating the impact of disasters. It is an unfortunate fact that Indians over the years have become quite adept at utilising high-technology consumer goods, but increasingly unscientific in their temperament. Increasingly – as is evident from the deficiencies in the economy – they are consumers and less manufacturers and producers. In that sense, problem solving has to be delivered to them in pre-prepared packages by ‘consultants’ of various kinds – preferably from abroad – and they are happy to ‘receive’. This has meant either an intellectual retreat from the challenges of the present day, or a resort to Gods and Godmen, or imported solutions. Even today, the response to the disaster in Uttarakhand has been WB and ADB funds, foreign road technology – of what use are COT in Pantnagar and IIT Roorkee? – with few local solutions and ingenuity on display. The concept of self-reliant villages promoted by NGOs promotes a return to a primitive lifestyle, with some token acknowledgements towards appropriate technology. It leaves little for the youth to look forward to in life except a constant struggle against harsh conditions. In this context, Uttarakhand clearly lacks the vision thing. A grand vision formulated by the state’s public representatives that takes into account the aspirations of the people, the present shortcomings, the resources available and the possibilities, should inspire government and its agencies from top to bottom. Everybody should know what they are working for, which would ensure nobody ever sleeps on the job or fails to take the initiative when needed.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 09:50:33 +0000
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