Keduovilie Linyü
DPRO Wokha
Earthquake causes havoc as it strikes without warning and are unpredictable. It creates widespread damage in the shortest time, as a consequence of which people become panicky, which also aggravates the situation. The nature of earthquake calls upon us to be prepared to meet the hazards boldly in a planned and disciplined manner. In order to keep the casualties and damages to the minimum, people are to be educated to take steps to meet the calamitous/disaster situation with discipline and courage. Steps should also be taken for optimum utilization of all available resources. Preventive measures for ensuring safety of building structures, communication facilities, water supply, electricity, life etc are of utmost priority. Relief measures such as rescue, debris clearance, restoration of essential services, fire fighting, temporary sheltering of the affected people and maintenance of public morals are to be maintained and augmented.
During large scale disaster, problems of the following nature may be generally faced: Essential services like water supply, electricity, telephones, roads, hospitals are dislocated, casualties buried under debris, damage of buildings and other structures, loss of properties, aimless evacuation, large scale panic and rumors, occurrence of fire, landslide and polluted water etc. Emphasis has therefore been laid on preparing the people of every locality including rural areas/villages, so that the people in the village can by themselves organize relief and rescue services independently at least for a few days after an occurrence of an earthquake and till the arrival of the rescue and relief parties from outside.
Nagaland state forms part of the most severe seismic zone in the country. In order to minimize and contain the after-effect of the disaster, some committees are formed as the District Disaster management Team (DMT) such as the following:
Search and Rescue Team
Emergency Health Management/First Aid Team
Relief Operation/Distribution Team
Information Dissemination Team
Shelter Management
Water and Sanitation Team
Carcass Disposal Team and
Psychological/Trauma Counseling Team
Suggested functions of the District Disaster Management Committee:
To plan, organize and render relief as per need case.
To co-ordinate efforts of Government Departments and NGOs in connection with relief.
To suggest measures for improvement of relief operation
To advise on any other measures for disaster after-effect operation.
Among others, important cells like Search and Rescue and Salvage should plunge into action on top priority. This cell comprise of trained personnel of Fire Service, Home Guards, Civil Defense, Police, Paramilitary etc. Emergency Health Management Team, First Aid Team is to determine the gravity and general extent of the injury and to collect casualties, render first-aid immediately and to determine priority of evacuation. Information and Dissemination Team Cell as the term implies acts as the eyes and ears of every disastrous occurrence, keeping up-to-date records, statistics, deaths, injured, destruction and the data of gravity of the disaster, maintain correct list to locate the victims either in hospitals or in evacuation camps. The cell has to be prepared and equipped with telephone/cellular phone numbers, wireless and walky-talky. It should publicize to the people and make announcements for enlightening and informing the people and to promptly attend to all questions and clarifications by the public. If clarifications are attended to, it is another mental relief especially in times of disaster.
(Source: Wokha District Disaster Management Committee)
(A DIPR Feature)
