NOVEMBER 2019

AAPDA
SAMVAAD
Chemical Industrial
Mock Exercise
 IN THE NEWS

Chinese Delegation visits NDMA Government of India in providing support for post-
A high-level eight-member delegation from China earthquake reconstruction of houses in Gorkha
led by Mr. Zheng Guoguang, Vice Minister, Ministry district of Nepal. Under the GoI-UNDP Owner
of Emergency Management (MEM) and Driven Reconstruction Collaborative of India
Administrator of China Earthquake Administration (ODRC), local community members are involved in
(CEA), visited NDMA on November 9, 2019. The the construction process so as to built a culture of
discussions explored ways to further the cooperation safety with greater ownership of villagers in the
in the field of emergency management between the reconstruction process.
two countries. NDMA suggested that the Nepal Government
NDMA made a presentation on the global trends in could consider involving Non Government
disasters, India's institutional mechanism for DRR Organisations in the reconstruction process and
and the functioning of the Authority. The adapt owner driven construction for ensuring
presentation also covered the various projects being community participation. Restoring/generating
implemented by NDMA with effective community livelihood was emphasised upon as an important
participation such as the National Cyclone Risk area of concern.
Mitigation Project (NCRMP), National School
Safety Programme (NSSP) and other Capacity Bhutanese Delegation visits NDMA
Building projects. A 15-member Bhutanese delegation visited
NDMA also made a presentation on the Coalition NDMA on November 18, 2019, with an aim to share
for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), which cross-country experiences, institutional
was launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India arrangements and the role of media during various
at UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019. phases of disasters.
Mr. Guoguang provided a detailed profile of Discussions were held on the role of print and
natural calamities faced by China and existing electronic media in Information, Education and
institutional arrangements for Disaster Management Communication. NDMA's initiatives for effective
in the country. He also informed about the various awareness generation through various social media
projects being undertaken by China for effective platforms and digital newsletter “Aapda Samvaad”
preparedness and strengthened response to disasters. that publish success stories, expert interviews and
best practices were showcased.
Nepalese Delegation visits NDMA The need to take up holistic measures to reduce
A 20-member Nepalese delegation visited NDMA
on November 15, 2019, with an aim to share cross-
country experiences, institutional arrangements and
best practices in areas of reconstruction and
recovery, and to further explore the areas of
cooperation in the field of disaster management.
To set the tone of the interaction, NDMA made a
presentation outlining the global trends in disasters,
the institutional mechanism for DRR in India and the
functioning of the Authority.
The delegation appreciated the efforts of

AAPDA SAMVAAD | NOVEMBER 2019

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 IN THE NEWS

disaster risks and blending traditional cultural this project, a two-week training of trainers
architecture with modern technology were programme was conducted from November 4-16,
discussed. 2019 at the National Disaster Response Force
Both India and Bhutan are highly vulnerable to (NDRF) 5th Battallion location near Pune. The
earthquakes and other common hazards like Glacial programme was inaugurated by Dr. D.N Sharma,
Lake Outburst Floods, Landslides, etc., and they Member, NDMA.
have a cooperation agreement on Disaster Thirty six police personnel from 14 States/UTs and
Management as member countries of South Asian a few NDRF personnel participated in the
Association for Regional Cooperation. programme. The participants were requested to take
the programme forward by training their colleagues
Vietnamese Delegation visits NDMA for effective implementation of the programme.

Training programme for CBRN emergencies

NDMA conducted a basic five-day training
training programme at the Kolkata Port Trust from
November 18-22, 2019. The programme was aimed
at enhancing the preparedness of Seaport
Emergency Handlers (SpEHs) to respond to CBRN
emergencies at the seaports.
CBRN emergencies pertain to threats emanating
due to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and
Nuclear material.

An eight-member Vietnamese delegation visited

NDMA on November 22, 2019, with an aim to
discuss institutional arrangements and best
practices, and explore further areas of cooperation in
the field of disaster management.
Preparedness for non-seasonal hazards such as
earthquakes and CBRN (Chemical, Biological,
Radiological and Nuclear) disasters, institutional
and financial arrangements for disaster
preparedness, response and relief, and restoring
livelihoods were discussed.
The training programme was conducted in
ToT programme on MRDS collaboration with the Indian Port Association and
NDMA has been running a pilot project on Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences
radiological emergency management and Mobile (INMAS).
Radiation Detection System under which police The programme consisted of lectures as well as
personnel are being equipped and trained on field training, including live demonstrations of
management of radiological emergencies. Under detection and decontamination including use of
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Besides
equipping the SpEHs to handle CBRN emergencies,
the training programme also enabled them to provide
medical first aid and initial psycho-social support.
Experts from domain departments such as
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), National
Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences
(NIMHANS) and National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF) trained the participants.
Participants representing various agencies
responsible for operation and maintenance of the

AAPDA SAMVAAD | NOVEMBER 2019

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 IN THE NEWS

seaport were trained on various aspects of CBRN

emergencies. Working level staff were sensitized on
the subject in a half-day module.
This is the eighth in a series of such programmes
being conducted at seaports across the country to
enable SpEHs to respond suitably till the arrival of
specialised response teams.

Earthquake Mock Exercise in Tripura

NDMA in collaboration with the Government of
Tripura conducted a mock exercise on earthquake
preparedness on November 28, 2019. The exercise monthly progress report on documentation of
helped participating agencies and stakeholders in manuscripts and trainings/ workshops/ seminars
evaluating the effectiveness of their disaster held in this regard. The ASI shall prepare DMP for at
response plans. least 4 protected monuments.

Meeting on domestic support for disaster

relief guidelines
NDMA conducted a meeting of the expert
committee for formulating policy guidelines on
channelising domestic support/assistance for
disaster relief and recovery on October 22, 2019.
NDMA clarified that the provisions of Chief
Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) and Prime
Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) exist for
providing relief to disaster victims. However,
alternatives other than the existing provisions need
In the run-up to the mock exercise, a coordination to be discussed by the Committee. Representatives
and orientation conference and the table-top exercise of various State Governments, Central Ministries
was held on November 27 with all the districts and NGOs offered their views in the matter.
through videoconferencing for working out the Issues to be addressed in the draft Standard
detailed modalities and preparations required for the Operating Procedure (SOP) were identified such as
exercise. provision for receiving online voluntary donations
This exercise is significant as Tripura falls under by SDMA/ Relief Commissioners from individuals/
seismic vulnerability zone V. organizations, providing relief to family members of
missing persons, clear communication strategy for
management of relief work and utilising social
Meeting on museums and media for disseminating information to the
cultural heritage issues voluntary organizations and victims of disasters,
NDMA held a meeting with representatives of among others.
National Mission of Manuscripts, National
Museum, National Archives of India and
Archaeological Survey of India on October 24,
2019, to take stock of the progress on decisions taken
in the NDMA's meeting in October 2018 concerning
museums and cultural heritage issues under the
chairmanship of the Hon'ble Prime Minister. Earlier,
a meeting was held in this regard in August 2019.
It was decided that the National Museum will
prepare a draft Disaster Management Plan for the
Museum, which will serve as a model for preparation
of DMP for other museums. The NMM will give

AAPDA SAMVAAD | NOVEMBER 2019

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 IN FOCUS

Workshop on
Reservoir Management
E
very time a major flood makes headlines, and another few hundred under construction. In
a reservoir also makes it under the addition, there are several thousand smaller dams.
spotlight. This is because reservoirs are These dams are vital for ensuring water security in
one of the most important structural measures for the country; and meeting irrigation, hydropower
reducing the impact of floods, and their well thought- generation and other water needs of communities
out operationalization is a pre-requisite to living in their vicinity.
minimizing the frequency, duration and impact of Moreover, there have been instances of
floods in downstream areas. unregulated release of water from the reservoirs
India has more than 5,000 large dams in operation resulting in an increase in the impact of flood events

AAPDA SAMVAAD | NOVEMBER 2019

5
 IN FOCUS

(Kerala 2018 and Madhya Pradesh 2019). In June Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, Department
2014, sudden water release from Larji Hydroelectric of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
dam in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, resulted in the Rejuvenation emphasized the need for judicious
death of several tourists. operationalization of dams by State authorities based
Reservoirs may not offer absolute flood protection on the data provided by India Meteorological
and embankments along the downstream river are Department (IMD) and Central Water Commission
often required as a supplementary measure to contain (CWC). “There is a need to revisit our policies as the
the residual floods. However, they are an important changing climate has posed new challenges,” he
component in flood management and also ensure said. He also stressed the need to have proper
optimum utilization of water resources. Reservoir dissemination of flood-related alerts and
Management thus constitutes a major responsibility in transparency in reservoir operations.
terms of asset management and safety.
Stakeholders discussed a range of issues
National Disaster Management Authority pertaining to better management of reservoirs and
(NDMA) in collaboration with Ministry of Jal Shakti
the role of rainfall prediction, flood forecasting and
conducted a national-level workshop on the
early warning and wide dissemination of advisories
Management of Floods: Reservoir Management, in
and alerts. The need to manage gaps in reservoir
New Delhi on October 18, 2019.
operations and to remove encroachments on flood
To set the tone of the workshop, NDMA made a
plains were also highlighted. State governments
presentation highlighting the progress made so far,
presented case studies on the management of dams.
key issues and challenges, and the way forward for
improving our management of reservoirs for better It was decided to work towards an operational
flood control. mechanism that would ensure timely exchange of
information among all stakeholders so that reservoir
Speaking on the occasion, Shri G. V. V. Sarma,
operation during floods can be better regulated,
Member Secretary, NDMA, referred to NDMA
Guidelines of 2008 and 2010, which elaborated a based on advanced forecasting techniques.
number of action points by various agencies and NDMA Members and officials, senior officials
State governments. He urged all stakeholder from IMD, CWC, National Remote Sensing Centre
agencies and State governments to coordinate their (NRSC), National Disaster Response Force
efforts towards improved reservoir management in (NDRF), representatives of State Governments and
the country. "There is a need for better flood response representatives of the civil society participated in the
and preparedness in terms of overall coordination event.•
among all stakeholder agencies," he said.

AAPDA SAMVAAD | NOVEMBER 2019

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 COVER STORY

Preparing Gujarat for

Chemical emergencies
NDMA conducts first-ever State-wide Chemical Industrial Disaster Mock Exercise

T
he chemical industry forms a major part of the flourishing industrial sector in
India. Gujarat has one of the largest Industrial sector which makes the State
vulnerable to chemical Industrial disasters. These may occur due to human
error, accidental exposure, terrorist attacks and sabotage. Such disasters may also get
triggered as a secondary disaster after an earthquake, cyclone or a Tsunami, etc.
Handling such emergencies need specialised skills and efforts, and coordination among
all stakeholders. Any major Chemical accident can lead to a situation faced during the
Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

AAPDA SAMVAAD | NOVEMBER 2019

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 COVER STORY

Chemical disasters, though few Objectives Major Accident Hazard (MAH)

and far between, can cause industrial units. The vulnerability
immense immediate as well as
To review DM Plans of the of these districts increases
State/Districts
long-term losses to both lives and manifold as huge quantities of
p r o p e r t y. I t i s , t h e r e f o r e , To evaluate Standard hazardous chemicals are stored
important to ensure the Operating Procedures and transported at industrial
preparedness and resilience of To highlight roles & plants, and even a mild earthquake
regions with vulnerable responsibilities of all can cause major damage and
establishments. One way to stakeholders destruction. Add to that the coastal
achieve that is through conducting location of these districts and the
To generate awareness by
Mock Exercises on the principles risk of cyclones and tsunamis can
involving NGOs,
of the Incident Response System, community, etc. also not be ruled out.
which clearly attributes roles and Prior to this exercise, NDMA
responsibilities,to each
Identify gaps in resources,
manpower, has conducted 87 Chemical
stakeholder thus resulting in a Industrial exercises across the
communication, etc.
swift, effective and streamlined c o u n t r y. " N D M A h a s b e e n
response. constantly striving to upgrade the
In October this year, National Disaster capacities at the State, multi-State and national
Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration levels. Over the years, we upscaled these exercises
with the Gujarat State Disaster Management that we had started at the industry level, graduated to
Authority (GSDMA) conducted the first-ever State- industrial areas and then to the district level. We
wide Chemical Industrial Disaster Mock Exercise have now conducted our first-ever State-level wide
covering six districts - Vadodara, Valsad, Jamnagar, Chemical Industrial Disaster Mock Exercise," said
Ahmedabad, Surat and Bharuch - and more than 216 Lt. Gen. N. C. Marwah, Member, NDMA.

AAPDA SAMVAAD | NOVEMBER 2019

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 COVER STORY

In the run-up to the exercise, an Orientation and a Force, Police, Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard,
Co-ordination conference was conducted on health department, local administration, Aapda
September 25, which was followed by a table-top Mitras (disaster volunteers) and resources from the
exercise on October 10. These exercises helped industrial establishments. The Emergency
prepare the State and the participating districts for Operation centres at the State and the District level
the actual exercise. were activated and the Crisis Groups planned the
response and Mobilised the resources in all the
On October 11, the exercise began at 9 AM with
Districts.
the simulation of an earthquake with a magnitude of
7.7 on Richter scale near Bhuj in Kutch district, In the post-exercise analysis, done through video-
causing damage to various industries and its conferencing, all the participating districts and
secondary effects on the neighboring areas. Industries discussed the challenges faced during the
Immediately, sirens blew out at the State Emergency exercise. Ways to fix the gaps were also discussed.
Operation Centre (SEOC) at Gandhinagar, IRS got "Such exercises help improve coordination among
activated and all stakeholders were informed about participating agencies, which plays a crucial role
the situation through the SEOC. during an actual disaster situation. It also helps
revise, upgrade and streamline SOPs for emergency
As the communication network and power lines
situations," said NDMA's Maj. Gen. V.K. Datta
were affected, satellite phones were used to gather
(Retd.), who led the exercise.
information on the resultant damage at various
locations. Multiple scenarios - gas pipeline leakage, This exercise is significant as any disaster in the
involving Ammonia and Chlorine gases, rupture in country's chemical corridor can lead to severe
Naphtha Storage and crude oil and other situations economic losses affecting the regional as well as the
which led to offsite scenarios - were simulated national economy. •
during the mock exercise to test the efficacy of the
Emergency Response Plans of the districts as well as
the industries.
The exercise tried to create a scenario close to
reality so as to assess and improve the preparedness
and response mechanism of all stakeholder agencies
in the event of a disaster situation. Vulnerable people
were evacuated and the injured were taken to
hospitals. The drills were carried out with support
from all stakeholder agencies such as National
Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response

AAPDA SAMVAAD | NOVEMBER 2019

9
 NODAL OFFICERS MEET

Sensitisation Workshop for

Nodal Officers

T he Disaster Management Act 2005

mandates all the Central Ministries /
Departments to prepare their Disaster
Management Plans in line with the template
prescribed in the National Disaster Management
Plan. Each of these Ministries / Departments have
appointed Nodal Officers to coordinate with NDMA,
Home Affairs (MHA) and NDMA on the directions
get their Disaster Management Plans approved and
of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The
oversee all the activities of their respective
workshop was held on October 10-11, 2019, at
Ministries/Departments related to Disaster Risk
Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
Reduction (DRR).
Speaking on the occasion, Shri G. V. V. Sarma,
As these Disaster Management Plans include
Member Secretary, NDMA, said that nodal officers
measures for mitigation, preparedness capacity
are the key sources in implementing policies during
building and response for effective management of
disaster and post-disaster events. He urged the nodal
disasters, their preparation and implementation is
officers to prepare, periodically update and take
measures to ensure the effective implementation of
their DM Plans.
Presentations at the workshop were aimed at
enabling the nodal officers to understand the process
of developing and implementing their DM Plans.
Issues of climate change adaptation, ecosystem-
based resilience, housing and structural safety,
governance and financial instruments, participatory
approach and integration of disaster management
important for promoting the resilience of into plans and schemes of the government were
infrastructure systems, an area that India has taken a discussed.
lead in with the Prime Minister recently launching Around 120 persons participated in the workshop,
the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure including senior officials from MHA, NDMA,
(CDRI) during the Climate Action Summit at New National Disaster Response Force (NDRF),
York. Further, integrating disaster resilience into all National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM),
facets of development is also a critical attribute India Meteorological Department (IMD), disaster
towards the vision of 'ease of living' for all, and a 5 management experts and technical institutions. •
trillion economy by 2024.
To sensitise the nodal officers on the framework for
DRR; coherence among the Sendai Framework,
Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris
agreement; and the global perspective on DRR, a
two-day workshop was organised by the Ministry of

AAPDA SAMVAAD | OCTOBER 2019

10
Warming up to Cold Wave
Follow simple precautions
Ÿ Have adequate winter clothing
Ÿ Stay indoors as much as possible
Ÿ Prefer mittens over gloves; mittens provide more warmth and insulation from cold
Ÿ Listen to radio, watch TV, read newspapers for weather updates
Ÿ Drink hot drinks regularly
Ÿ Take care of elderly people and children
Ÿ Store adequate water as pipes may freeze
Ÿ Have emergency supplies ready

Address:
NDMA Bhawan
A-1, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi - 110029
Telephones : +91-11-26701700
Control Room : +91-11-26701728
Helpline Number : 011-1078
Fax : +91-11-26701729

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