Development of Disaster Management Equipments in India: A Way towards Resurgence
D. N. Singh, Vipin Chandra Shukla · 2003
Year after years devastating disasters ravage the land mass and leave behind countless victims. Pre-disaster planning can have a significant impact on minimizing the effect of tragedy and sufferings, and may result in a more efficient and coordinated (non-panicked) response in saving lives and properties. With seismic studies revealing sizable portions of the Indian Sub-continent prone to earthquake(s), it is desirable for India to be equipped with disaster management equipment at all times. The country is also prone to other calamities like cyclones, droughts, floods, fires etc. In a report by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Gujarat earthquake, it is mentioned that in such situations for saving of lives and rehabilitation to be taken on a war footing, it is imperative to develop disaster management equipments on priority such as cutting concrete slabs, mobile communication equipment etc. which can be deployed for clearing debris (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). After Gujarat earthquake disaster on 26th January 2001 in which thousands of people were killed and Lac rendered homeless, Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council (TIFAC), New Delhi (Under the Government of India) has taken initiatives to help the nation in design and development of such equipments in the country. In this context, TIFAC has commissioned projects for the development of two different types of equipment namely Disaster Management Equipment and Radio Control System with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), a public sector in India, that has expertise in developing these types of equipment. In earthquake-hit areas, disaster management equipment will demolish the effected buildings prone to fall or big blocks required to be removed for saving the underlyings and then radio control system to remove the debris from remote distance. Presently these equipments are not manufactured in the country and unavailability of these causes huge loss to the country in such situations.