A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India - Geological & Mining ...

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Chapter 1 - Introduction1.1 Background and problem statementThis thesis analyses the role of Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in thefield of disaster mitigation and preparedness (DMP). NGOs offer a unique positionto mobilize communities at the grassroots level into developing better awarenessstrategies while at the same time are able to advise and advocate change in policy.To illustrate the vital role NGOs can play in disaster preparedness, results from acase study on the effectiveness of earthquake safe preparedness strategiesconducted through the People’s Science Institute (PSI) in Uttarkhand, India will bepresented.Northern India is highly vulnerable to many natural disasters including landslides,cloudbursts, floods, and forest fires. It lies in zones IV and V (V being of greatestseismic risk) of the Indian seismic hazard map and is therefore also prone to largemagnitude earthquakes. Devastating earthquakes such as those at Uttarkashi(October 1991, magnitude 6.5 on the Richter scale) and Chamoli (March 1999,magnitude 6.8 on the Richter scale) have instilled a sense of urgency and anincreased need for preparedness and disaster management planning in the state.More and more emphasis is being placed on activities in research anddevelopment, education, and improving technologies for mitigating naturaldisasters and increasing levels of awareness and preparedness in regions closelyaffected by these disasters. One example of such efforts is provided by theextensive range of programmes offered by PSI; these programmes aim atincreasing disaster awareness by means of developing task forces, providinginformation sessions on disaster awareness, street theatre etc., and throughtraining local masons in earthquake safe construction design and practice througha series of six-day-long workshops in the district of Rudraprayag.The Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitigation and Response – A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India 1
This case study investigates the impact these initiatives have had on increasinglevels of awareness among community members and improved earthquake safebuilding practices in the region.Chapter 1 presents the objectives, methodologies and utility of the study. Chapter2 provides the contextual framework, namely definitions and terminology foundwithin the text, natural disaster in the Indian context, the role of NGOs in DMP andlastly an overview of PSI’s assessed programmes. Chapter 3 presents the findingsof the case study with discussion and conclusions.1.2 Study Objectives and UtilityRecent disasters in India such as the cyclone in Orissa in 1999 and the 2001earthquake in Gujarat provide valuable lessons in preparedness and mitigationstrategies. In addition to problems with the overall response (lack of coordination,short term involvement, charity without respect for human dignity, growingdependence) a lack of community preparedness was noted in both cases. Forexample, Gujarat lies in Zone V of the Indian seismic hazard map and yet little tono information was disseminated prior to the event regarding the regionsvulnerability to earthquakes. Palakudiyil and Todd (2003) reported that a lack ofpreparedness was evident at nearly every level, for example with respect tocommunication, coordination and control, search operation and medical relief. Thelessons learned from such events should not be ignored. Instead they should beused in a way that respects the views of the community and encouragesparticipation at all stages including prevention and mitigation (Palakudiyil andTodd, 2003).The main objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the PSI disastermitigation and preparedness strategies, mainly mason training programmes anddisaster preparedness initiatives in earthquake safety. The success of theseThe Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitigation and Response – A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India 2
Page 1 and 2: The Role of Non GovernmentalOrganis
Page 3 and 4: Table of contentsChapter 1 - Introd
Page 5 and 6: List of figuresFigure 1.1: Study re
Page 7: preparedness, and has potential to
Page 11 and 12: • What are homeowner perceptions
Page 13 and 14: Seismic activity in this area is du
Page 15 and 16: The study comprises two regions: St
Page 17 and 18: 1.4.1 - b Study Area B- Almora dist
Page 19 and 20: etc. operational). The study involv
Page 21 and 22: Chapter 2 - Theoretical Orientation
Page 23 and 24: 2.1.2 VulnerabilityVulnerability is
Page 25 and 26: of a disaster everyone knows how to
Page 27 and 28: disaster management in the country,
Page 29 and 30: Despite the apparent increased cons
Page 31 and 32: 2.3.1 Disaster Mitigation and Prepa
Page 33 and 34: save lives. This event marked a pri
Page 35 and 36: Systems technologies and education
Page 37 and 38: As suggested previously, there is a
Page 39 and 40: on the main agenda (Benson et al, 2
Page 41 and 42: Frame structureFramed structures ha
Page 43 and 44: The curriculum of the PSI workshops
Page 45 and 46: Figure 2.2a: Community based disast
Page 47 and 48: district irrespective of the fact t
Page 49 and 50: etrofitting, monitoring and homeown
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Page 53 and 54: Reponses for what features masons t
Page 55 and 56: trained masons in the Study Area A
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3.1.2b Awareness and Dissemination
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It is interesting to note that when
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Community based disaster preparedne
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3.1.3 - Section 3 Housing Impact As
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Load-bearing1.single steel rod in e
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The overall proportion of newly bui
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etween stirrups of 6-12 inches. Alt
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Table 3.7: Percentage of safe house
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3.2 DiscussionThe discussion segmen
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In Study Area A the number of earth
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2) mitigation measures were taken i
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3.3 ConclusionsIn conclusion, the s
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ReferencesAlexander, D., 1997. The
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Guptasarma, D. 1996. Is the Seismic
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Telford, J. and Cosgrave, J., 2007.
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Annex I - Earthquake safe featuresT
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The Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitiga
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Annex 2 - Mason Interview ResultsSt
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11. How to make such a course more
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sloped roof 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 1 2.78s
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17. Do homeowners request earthquak
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light roof 1 0 1 2.78 0 0.00RCC 1 3
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6. How long have you lived in the v
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16. Do you have an emergency commun
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26. What activities related to the
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36. Would you prefer traditional ma
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Appendix IV - Breakdown of earthqua
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Appendix IV - Breakdown of earthqua
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