Unprepared for disasters

India’s risk mitigation plans flawed

A national risk index, prepared by the Union home ministry with the help of the United Nations Development Programme, shows just how unprepared Indian states are to deal with natural and manmade disasters. It factors in not just susceptibility to natural disasters and actions taken by the states to mitigate risk, but also economic vulnerabilities of the people — this is key, as the underprivileged often bear the brunt of a disaster — and growing challenges posed by environmental changes. Maharashtra is the most vulnerable state, followed by West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. That states like Uttarakhand and others in the Northeast — prone to earthquakes, floods or even forest fires — have a lower hazard ranking indicates the woeful state of disaster management in the high-risk states.

A common thread is the combination of institutional indifference and inertia of public authorities when it comes to implementing measures that can avert a crisis. All this ensures that the preparedness of Indian states on paper does not match the situation on the ground. This is worrying given that extreme weather conditions associated with climate change are rearing their ugly head. The State and the citizens must find ways to establish the links between disasters and climate change and other consequences of human depredations on the environment.

The Telegraph, June 15