Awareness about Landslides,floods and cyclones

 Landslides: 

Landslides are caused by rain, earthquakes or other factors that make the slope unstable. They are of four types - fall and toppling, slides (rotational and translational), flows and creep.

Warning systems

Indian Meteorological Department(IMD) issues 'Very Heavy Rainfall Warning' when two days of cumulative rainfall exceeds 8 cm in a rain station, landslide warning is issued to the respective districts.

Standard Operating Procedure

Initially, Emergency time functions are activated by SEOC and DEOC. All necessary forces are pre-positioned as per the direction of the state incident commander, and the defense wing along with the central force is ready to move into any location in the state.

BSNL and Police are deployed with all the proper equipment to set up emergency communication systems.

Hospitals, CHCs and PHCs in the landslide prone villages of the district will function at full strength 24 hrs. as per requirements by making necessary human resource arrangements from district level. Medical teams should be kept ready for field level disaster management. Ensure control measures for epidemic prevention

Tahsildar along with the local government alert the public - living close to small rivulets and in hilly segments with >20 slope and take control of the identified relief shelters. Quarry blasting to be banned until 24 hours of rain free situation arises in the quarry locality based on evaluation by the village officers

The electricity board and public works department make Emergency repair teams to be ready for deployment and Police will regulate vehicular traffic along the Ghat roads

Tourism & Forest Departments will advise tourists not to stop in the sides of streams and rivulets that intersect Ghat (Hilly) roads and take bath in streams and bathing Ghats when it is raining as these are possible tracts of landslides and flash floods.

Holidays are declared in the district and all mass gatherings along with the social events.

Floods:

Floods are the most common natural disaster in India. Several states have been affected over the years by heavy floods. Recent examples include 2015 Gujarat floods and 2018-19 Kerala floods.

Warning systems

Initially, Emergency time functions are activated by SEOC and DEOC. All necessary forces are pre-positioned as per the direction of the state incident commander. And the defence wing along with the central force is ready to move into any location in the state.

Flood Preparedness

If each one of us is better involved in the process of preparedness, creation of awareness and the working of skilled emergency response teams, we can reduce loss of life and minimize human suffering.

BEFORE FLOODING OCCURS

Identify the nearest shelter and know the route. Prepare an emergency kit which includes:

First aid kit with extra medication for snakebite and diarrhoea

Strong ropes for tying things

Radio, torch and spare batteries

Stocks of fresh water, dry food, salt and sugar, kerosene, candles and matchboxes

Water-proof bags

Umbrellas and bamboo sticks(for protection from snakes)

If in rural areas, identify areas which are higher than your surroundings or build an earthen mound to locate cattle etc in the event of a flood

WHEN FLOODING APPEARS LIKELY

Tune in to radio or Tv for warnings and advice

Keep vigil about warnings from local authorities

Keep the emergency kit ready

IF YOU NEED TO EVACUATE

Inform volunteers or DMT the address of the place you are moving to.

Raise furniture, clothes, appliances onto beds or tables

Turn off power

Put sandbags in the toilet bowl or cover all drains to prevent sewage back-flow

Lock your house and take the route to nearest shelter

Do not get into water of unknown depth and current

DURING FLOODS

Drink boiled water

Don’t eat heavy meals

Use raw tea, rice water, tender coconut water etc during diarrhoea

Do not let children remain on empty stomach

Use bleaching powder and lime to disinfect surroundings

Avoid entering floodwaters

Do not eat food that got wet in floodwaters

Use halogen tablets to purify water before drinking it

Be careful of snakes

Manmade Disaster:

Disasters that are caused by human beings are called man-made disasters. Examples are nuclear bombs, transportation accidents etc.

The most serious threats occur due to nuclear, biological and chemical warfare which are collectively known as WMD or Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous weapons on earth. One can destroy a whole city, potentially killing millions, and jeopardizing the natural environment and lives of future generations through its long-term catastrophic effects. The dangers from such weapons arise from their very existence. Although nuclear weapons have only been used twice in warfare—in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945—about 13,400 reportedly remain in our world today and there have been over 2,000 nuclear tests conducted to date. Disarmament is the best protection against such dangers, but achieving this goal has been a tremendously difficult challenge.

Biological Weapons

Biological weapons disseminate disease-causing organisms or toxins to harm or kill humans, animals or plants. They can be deadly and highly contagious. Diseases caused by such weapons would not confine themselves to national borders and could spread rapidly around the world. The consequences of the deliberate release of biological agents or toxins by state or non-state actors could be dramatic. In addition to the tragic loss of lives, such events could cause food shortages, environmental catastrophes, devastating economic loss, and widespread illness, fear and mistrust among the public.

Chemical Weapons

The modern use of chemical weapons began with World War I, when both sides to the conflict used poisonous gas to inflict agonizing suffering and to cause significant battlefield casualties. Such weapons basically consisted of well known commercial chemicals put into standard munitions such as grenades and artillery shells. Chlorine, phosgene (a choking agent) and mustard gas (which inflicts painful burns on the skin) were among the chemicals used. The results were indiscriminate and often devastating. Nearly 100,000 deaths resulted. Since World War I, chemical weapons have caused more than one million casualties globally.

Petrochemical Transportation Accidents

Warning Systems

Emergency Response Vehicles of Oil Companies are under the control of State Emergency Operations Centre.

Standard Operating Procedure

Revenue department will Evacuate 500 metre radius and ensure compliance of all procedures by concerned departments along with informing SEOC for availing the services of the Emergency Response Vehicle of Indian Oil Corporation.

Fire & Rescue Services Will Avoid ‘Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE)’ by continuous cooling with water and foam till the fuel is removed by the Emergency Response Vehicle or until the containment gets exhausted.

Police will ensure that no public shall be permitted within 500 m radius and stop all transport from and leading to the site within this radius. They will ensure that no vehicle shall enter the 100 m radius of the site other than Fire Force vehicles and the Emergency Response Vehicle of the petroleum companies and no one other than Fire & Rescue Service Personal and the experts of oil companies shall be permitted within the 50 m radius of the event site.

The electricity board will disconnect electricity to the panchayats falling within the 500 m radius and BSNL along with other private mobile telephone companies will switch off mobile towers within 500 m radius of the event.

Oil Companies will honor the directions issued by SEOC immediately for operational deployment of ERVs and they shall specifically designate officers not below the rank of General Managers to liaison with SEOC for operational deployment of the ERVs. The Oil PSUs shall ensure that ERVs have permanent mobile numbers issued and the numbers shall be intimated formally to SEOC such that SEOC can track the movement of the ERV during emergency deployment and ensure smooth movement through traffic control and Police escort.

Cyclone:

Cyclones account for 30% of the total occurrences of disasters in India. It is defined as a region of low atmospheric pressure surrounded by high atmospheric pressure resulting in swirling atmospheric disturbance and accompanied by powerful winds. The Odissa super-cyclone in 1999 had a wind speed of 260-300 km/hr and killed thousands.

EOCs are required to disseminate warning to all the line departments & activate the emergency time functions.

All control rooms should function 24 hours.

Navy, Coast Guard and other central forces should be ready to move into any location.

BSNL should sent early warning SMS to public as per the information from EOC. Police should deploy emergency communication systems

Hospitals, CHCs and PHCs in the districts predicted to be affected by the cyclone should function at full strength 24 hours as per requirements by making necessary human resource arrangements from district level. Medical teams should be kept ready for field level disaster management. Ensure control measures for epidemic prevention. Adequate quantities of medicines, bleaching powder, chlorine tablets and trained manpower have to be ensured.

Relief camps should start functioning and relocation of the vulnerable population should be given priority.(particularly those living in kutcha houses and low lying areas) to the relief camps and other safe locations

The electricity board and public works department should be ready with emergency repair teams for deployment. Make necessary arrangements for drinking water distribution.

Police should stop vehicular traffic other than that of emergency services via roads prone to inundation. Collect and intimate the details of mainland fishermen to EOC, if stranded.

Declare holiday for all educational institutions

All mass gatherings and social events to be stopped

Adequate lifeguard, rescue boats, life lines/buoys to be positioned near the beaches.

Fisheries - Keep record/data of fishing boat /number of fishermen venturing to sea for fishing in particular islands. Advise fishermen to not venture into sea.