Skip to main content

Need to prepare, implement Corona Disaster Management Plan


Letter* to the Gujarat Chief Secretary, the Gujarat Disaster Management Authority chairman, and the Amreli district collector, demanding relief to the common people during the epidemic of COVID-19, and regarding the preparation and implementation of Corona Disaster Management Plan according to the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Gujarat Disaster Management Act, 2003, and guidelines for preparation of the District Disaster Management Plan:
***
Our suggestions on the preparation and implementation of Corona Disaster Management Plan:
In Section 37(1) and Section 32 and Section 31 of the Central Disaster Management Act, 2005 and Sections 15 and 16 of the Gujarat Disaster Management Act, there are provisions for the preparation of Disaster Management Plan. Such provisions are present in the rules as well.
Demand for preparing and implementing the “Corona Disaster Management Plan,2020” as per the above legal requirements set forth and existing Corona Disease Epidemic:
Guidelines for preparation of Disaster Management Plan provides for ‘Information consolidation, interpretation and demand survey’:
  • In the covid-19 epidemic, the health staff, hospitals, 108 van staff, Asha worker, Anganwadi workers, police system etc. play the most important role. Hence, survey is necessary to assess their needs. They do not have safety suits, ventilators are insufficient and the staff is insufficient. All such things like body disposal system should be surveyed and managed. They are coming in direct contact with people, hence what is needed for their security is also to be surveyed and their demand based requirement should be met with.
  • Surveys should be conducted for calculating the costs for test and medicines for one covid-19 patients and the government should bear all the expenses.
  • The police system is trying to keep people under control in lock-down situation. So their needs against the potential threat of corona should be evaluated. Whether the police need a safety suit or corona protective items, it should be surveyed and demand-based requirements should be put forth.
  • Municipalities, Metropolitan Municipal Cleaning Workers, sanitation personnel, direct dirt cleaning people, sanitation workers are undertaking the work to sprinkle toxic drugs to prevent the further spread of covid-19. In such a situation, all of them are likely to be infected with coronavirus and likely to have adverse impact on their health. Therefore, the needs of all those should be assessed and survey should be conducted the supply should be provided as per their demands.
  • Because of the lock down, employment of thousands of migrant local and inter-state labourers has stopped. They want to move to their village or state. In these circumstances all the needs of their livelihood, employment, return, travel to their village or state, etc. should be surveyed and supply should be provided as per Demand.
There are provisions for ‘communication’ in the guidelines for preparation of disaster management plan. So in the context of corona epidemic, “communication” should be specified and covered under the “Corona Disaster Management Plan, 2020”.
The guidelines for preparation of disaster management plan include advance arrangement for “Alert and Warning”. Instead of making such arrangements people held rallies thereby increasing the chances of covid-19 infection. 
 We demand that in “Corona Disaster Management Plan,2020” this issue should be included and implemented. The guidelines for preparation of disaster management plan include advance arrangement for Transport (ESF, evacuation, relief supply).
At present, instead of making such arrangements by the system, inter-state workers and labourers of Gujarat are walking back to their respective states or villages and they do not have any arrangements for food. In the present circumstances, no arrangements have been done by government for the family in their village or state hence action should be taken to identify these groups and their housing and food supplies should be managed under the Corona Disaster Management Plan,2020″.
Announcement of food arrangements for people with ration card of Gujarat has been made but there is no ration card of laborers from outside state so such labourers should be identified and food arrangements should be made for them.
To provide food supply to migrant farm labourers, fishermen and other workers in other districts of the state of Gujarat, arrangements should be made and implemented in “Corona Disaster Management Plan,2020”
Guidelines for preparation of disaster management plan provides for provision of RAS (search and rescue):
Currently, in the entire country, covid-19 is spread through people coming from abroad. According to media reports, 27000 people have come to Gujarat from abroad and in industrial units, this number is high. So action to find such people should be taken fast. And for the prevention and spread of infection, search and Rescue should be fixed and implemented in the “Corona Disaster Management Plan,2020”.
Also, foreign ships are operating at Pipavav Port, Mundra Port, etc.
It is possible to spread the infection through the disposal of seawater or by contact with people in the port area. Hence, for fishermen and villages near the port area, movement of foreign ships arriving at port should be restricted and it should be fixed and implemented in “Corona Disaster Management Plan, 2020”.
Guidelines for preparation of disaster management plan provides for search Emergency Public Information:
In recent times it was very important to make people aware of the seriousness of the corona. Despite the rapid spread of covid-19 worldwide, efforts started too late for awareness and containment about the emergency situation. Therefore, people, not having a proper understanding of the emergency situation, went out to celebrate the situation with plates, bowls, shell etc. The conflict between the police and the people is increasing. People still get out on public roads, hold meetings on the streets, eventually the conflict between the police and the people has increased. Hence, this should be taken care of in “Corona Disaster Management Plan,2020”.
Guidelines for preparation of disaster management plan provides for Law and order / public protection:
In the current Corona epidemic, people are operating black market for such things as masks and sanitizers. It is necessary to identify several such law and order violation cases so that the Corona Disaster Management Plan calls for these issues to be addressed.
The District and Taluka Legal Services Authority Board should also hold certain responsibilities in this regard.
Guidelines for preparation of disaster management plan provides for Public Work:
In the present time, there is a complete lack of public service such as cleaning of dirt, disinfection by the Gram Panchayat or Municipality, Metropolitan Palika etc, and there is no modern equipment for this so this the arrangements should be made under Corona Disaster Management Plan for the same.
Under the current circumstances, the need for proper disposal of the medical waste, providing masks to the people, providing sanitizers should also be covered in the public service and sought to be fixed in “Corona Disaster Management Plan 2020”.
Guidelines for preparation of disaster management plan includes provision of Mass care / Emergency Assistance / shelters:
Those who have currently migrated to other villages or district or out of their home state for work are walking back to their respective states. So, some arrangements should be made under Corona Disaster Management Plan for their living in a community care / emergency care / shelter site.
Guidelines for preparation of disaster management plan include provision of “Health and Medical Services, psycho social care ie Social Services:
At the present time, most of these issues need systematic planning on issues such as health staff, medicines, safety equipment, hospital building, medical waste disposal, deed body disposal system, hospital and public sanitation.
It is our demand that provisions should be made in the “Corona Disaster Management Plan 2020” for the long-term health care arrangements for Anganwadi Workers, Asha Workers, Contract Base Workers and the staff of the police system who are working with public contact directly.
In the guidelines for preparing disaster management plans there is a provision for “Electricity purveyance system”.
In the context of the current corona epidemic, it is demanded that the “Corona Disaster Management Plan 2020” should be prepared in advance for the proper preparation of the power supply to the specialty hospitals.
In the guidelines for preparing disaster management plans the provision is made for “Resource management (including food and relief supplies and other logistic support)”.
In view of the corona epidemic, Demand Note for all the equipment needed by the hospital, police system, Gram Panchayat, Municipality, metropolitan corporation, rescue force, fair price shop should be prepared.
Not only people who are below poverty line but all those trapped in this situation should get food supplies and arrangement for their shelters should be made. All such minute details should be included in the “Corona Disaster Management Plan 2020” and should be implemented with full vigour.
In view of the points stated above, all the demands are pursuant to Section 37(1), 31 and 32 of the “Disaster Management Act-2005” as well as Section 15 and 16 of “Gujarat Disaster Management Act 2003” and Disaster Management Plan rules and the guidelines for the preparations of District Disaster Management Plan. So, the said demands should to be implemented immediately.
Our Demands to deliver reliefs and goods to common people during the epidemic of Covid 19 are as follows:
  • It came to our knowledge from the village of Thoradi, Taluka Savarkundla, Amreli district that the vegetable traders are ordering vegetables worth Rs 10,000 to 12,000 but due to closed auctions those vegetable stocks are deteriorating. So, in such situations the District Collector should give orders that by the use of transportations they buy the vegetables directly from the farmers and distribute them directly so that the farmers will not suffer major losses and the shortage of vegetables in the market won’t be created.
  • Dhirubhai Ravjibhai Unawa, who is currently in Chataria village of the Dhuri taluka, but lives in Abhrampura village of Savarkundla Taluka as a labourer is not getting ration because of lockdown and there are number of such laborers living in each village. It is a request to do survey by anganvadi or Asha workers and make arrangements for their ration from respected village.
  • From Savarkundla taluka, it has been observed that the farmers have sown the winter crop due to which many farmers’ wheat, Chickpeas are growing in the field. Due to lockdown, farmers are neither able to go to the farms nor able to kept them safe in the farms. Such a situation may lead to huge losses to the farmer. So, it is a request to make an arrangement of government vehicle that can be used as a transportation for farmers to reach at farm, this work can be completed within some days.
  • In every PHC, order should be given that if a woman comes for delivery, then delivery should not be denied and every arrangement should be made. By field experiences it has come to our knowledge that in Loki village, Liliya taluka, Ashaben Batukbhai was taken to the Liliya PHC, and she was denied admission for delivery and asked to go to the Amreli Civil hospital, where too admission for delivery was denied. She was asked to go to Bhavnagar. Considering the emergency situation of the woman they went to the Private Radhika Hospital and the admission cost amounted to Rs 40,000/-. It is a responsibility of the government to take care that such kind of situations won’t arise.
  • Sikandarbhai, who runs a small grocery store in Amba village, Taluka, Lilia, says that there are more people working in the village and they cook from local groceries bought from the markets. Due to the lockdown, people in the village buy the groceries from the same shop and the stocks have now been exhausted. They cannot go to the city to purchase goods. So, in such a small village arrangements for groceries and ration should be made.
  • In the villages of Saldi, Punja Padar, Nanalilia, Gundaran, Bhoringada, Loki, in Taluka Lilia and Khakariya, Kotada Peetha, Untvad, Nilwada, Nawaniya, Charakha in Taluka Babra and Chittal taluka in Amreli, Aanganwadi sisters and Asha workers are not provided masks or sanitizers. This threatens the safety of these women.
  • Talking to the Safai Kamdar Area of Chittal village Amreli taluka, it was found that the drugs and medicines were being sprayed in other areas but were not being spread in their area. Sanitation workers are serving as day laborers but no safety equipment is provided to them.
  • There is a sub-centre in Khakhriya village but not enough medicines are available, arrangements for the same should be made and likewise request to stock enough medicines in every sub center and PHC.
  • More than 3,000 people are currently living in Shiyalbet, Taluka Jaffarabad, District Amreli. The ration shop has not been opened in this village, so the food supply is not available to the people The village is an island, so all the food supplies are brought in from outside. Since the food has to come from outside, the situation is going to get worse in the coming days, even the gas cylinders are brought from Jafarabad which is 40 Km away. It is a request to give special attention to the matter as there will be a need to provide supplies.
  • Work is underway in Pipavav Port, and there are more than 500 laborers in Rajula and surrounding villages. The workers are concerned about their own safety, but the order of Collector Amreli has continued to make the port work as a necessary service. These 50 laborers travel in the same bus, which gives rise to the possibility of infecting each other and hence the port should be closed immediately and the child laborers should be quarantined and the necessary relief supplies should be provided.
  • People of Una taluka’s Tad, Deshar, Kalapan, Delvada, Anjar, Paldi Pawana, Vasoj, Khan have been taken to Mumbai for labour work and now they have become unemployed due to lockdown and there are various problems, mostly related to food. Most of them are ready to move back. Identification, of the which area in which they are in, should be done and special bus facility to bring them should be started.

*Prepared by the Centre for Social Justice, Ahmedabad

Comments

TRENDING

Eight years of empowering tribal communities through water initiatives in Chhattisgarh

By Gazala Paul*   In the heart of Chhattisgarh, amidst the echoes of tribal life, a transformative journey has unfolded over the past eight years. The Samerth organization has diligently worked to elevate the lives of indigenous communities in the Kawardha district through the project, "Enabling Baiga Community to access safe drinking water." 

Martin Crowe played instrumental role in making New Zealand a force in world cricket

By Harsh Thakor* Late Martin Crowe was the perfect manifestation of how mere figures could not convey or do justice to the true merit of a batsman. Crowe was arguably the most complete  or majestic batsmen of his era or the ultimate embodiment of batting perfection, or the classical batsmen. He perished 7 years ago, due to a rare and aggressive form of cancer, follicular lymphoma, which originated in 2012. In September, we celebrated his 60th birthday but sadly he left for his heavenly abode.

Regretful: Kapil Dev retired not leaving Indian cricket with integrity he upheld

By Harsh Thakor  Kapil Dev scaled heights as an entertainer and a player upholding the spirit of the game almost unparalleled in his era. In his time he was cricket’s ultimate mascot of sportsmanship On his day Kapil could dazzle in all departments to turn the tempo of game in the manner of a Tsunami breaking in. He radiated r energy, at a level rarely scaled in his era on a cricket field. Few ever blended aggression with artistry so comprehenisively. Although fast medium, he could be as daunting with the ball as the very best, with his crafty outswinger, offcutter, slower ball and ball that kicked from a good length. Inspite of bowling on docile tracks on the subcontinent, Kapil had 434 scalps, with virtually no assistance. I can never forget how he obtained pace and movement on flat pancakes, trapping the great Vivian Richards in Front or getting Geoff Boycott or Zaheer Abbas caught behind. No paceman carried the workload of his team’s bowling attack on his shoulders in his eras muc

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on.

Towards 2024: Time for ‘We the People of India’ to wake up before it is too late

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  It is Constitution Day once again! We, the people of India, gratefully remember 26 November 1949 when the Constitution of India was passed and adopted by the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly comprised women and men of distinction, who were able to represent the heart and soul of the people of India without fear or favour. They gave of their best, so that we may a visionary Constitution, which would be the mainstay for and of democracy in India!

Ceasefire a tactical victory for Palestinian resistance, protests intensify across globe

By Harsh Thakor*  The Zionist leadership and Netanyahu’s government were compelled to concede the defeat of their first attempt after almost 50 days of daily fighting in the Gaza Strip.  Netanyahu was forced to concede that he was unsuccessful in suppressing the Palestinian Resistance; and that the release of the prisoners was only plausible because they accepted Hamas’ terms.

Odisha leadership crisis deepens: CM engages retired babus to oversee depts' work

By Sudhansu R Das  Over decades, Odisha has lost much of its crop diversity, fertile agriculture land, water bodies, employment potential, handicraft and handloom skills etc. The state has failed to strike a balance between the urban and rural sector growth; this leads to the migration of villagers to the urban areas leading to collapse of the urban infrastructures and an acute labor shortage in rural areas.  A large number of educated, skilled and unskilled Odia people have migrated to other states for higher education, quality jobs and for earning livelihood which plummet the efficiency level of government departments. Utmost transparency in the recruitment and promotion in the state government departments will improve governance mechanisms in the state.  "No near and dear one approach" in governance mechanisms can only achieve inclusive growth for the state on payment basis. This is a moral hazard. When so many educated young people seek employment outside the

1982-83 Bombay textile strike played major role in shaping working class movement

By Harsh Thakor  On January 18th, 1982 the working class movement commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Textile Workers Strike that lasted for 18 months, till July 1983. It was landmark event that played a major role in shaping the working class movement. With more than 2.5 lakh workers from 65 textile mills joining in this strike for almost two years, this strike became one of the most significant strikes in terms of scale and duration All democrats should applaud the mill workers’ united battle, and their unflinching resilience an death defying courage continues to serve as a model for contemporary working-class movements. Many middle class persons harboured opinions that the Textile workers were pampered or were a labour aristocracy, ignorant of how they were denied wages to provide for basic necessities. The Great Bombay Textile Strike is notably one of the most defining movements in the working class struggles in Post-independent India. Bombay’s textile industry flourished in

Massive tropical deforestation: Big finance's $307 billion go to forest-risk commodities

A note on report by Forests & Finance coalition -- Rainforest Action Network, TuK Indonesia, Profundo, Amazon Watch, Repórter Brasil, BankTrack, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Friends of the Earth US: *** A new report released on ‘Finance Day’ at COP28 by the Forests & Finance Coalition , provides a comprehensive look into the role big finance plays in driving deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change and human rights abuses in tropical forest regions. The report reveals that since the Paris Agreement, banks have pumped over $307 billion into high risk forestry and agriculture companies linked to tropical deforestation, proving that the policies of major global banks and investors are failing to prevent continued widespread forest and biodiversity loss.

20% of Indian businesses have no emission plan in place despite climate emergency: Report

By Jag Jivan   New research underlines urgent need for strategies and transition plans to combat climate change, remain successful and meet stakeholder expectations.