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Faulty system and poor response: Technology as a tool for disaster management This article is a reprint of a Tribune editorial and is being reproduced here with permission from the author - Hari Jaisingh Publishing Editor, The Tribune

Bhuj scenes from left: A girl appeals to rescue workers for help while escaping from her apartment; a soldier hugs Kusum Soni as she is rescued after 60 hours in her collapsed apartment; and soldiers watch a British rescue team searching for survivors. Tribune photos

IT is not the people but the system, the persons at the helm and the poor standard of governance which have invariably failed the nation. This has once again been proved by the way the people, here and abroad, have responded to one of the biggest disasters ever to hit the country in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Gujarat.

I am very much touched by the splendid public response to the disaster. In splendid Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh even people of modest means have shown tremendous willingness to share the burden of the grief-stricken in Kutch and other parts of Gujarat.

We have carried a number of touching stories of ordinary folks from rural and urban areas rushing to The Tribune's office with donations in response to an appeal for help. This has surely strengthened the silken bond of oneness as stated in my column last week. The message is clear: stand up and be counted in terms of human sensitivity.

Notwithstanding this feel-good human sensitivity, human greed and the tendency to cash in on the miseries of others is also a harsh reality. This is, in a way, a poor commentary on our politico-administrative system which allows operators, manipulators and swindlers to exploit disaster situations for their gains.

During the Orissa cyclone, relief supplies meant for the victims found their way to the black market in Kolkata and beyond. Similar activities must be going on even now. This is a pity. As a nation, we lack basic honesty, integrity and work discipline. That is the reason why the parallel economy not only thrives here, but has also become much stronger than the open economy. This is a paradoxical situation, indeed. But then it is necessary that we grasp the country's darker facets as well so that we are not carried away by superficial feelings.

As a people, we need to show right nerves, a clear perspective and the right degree of dedication. There cannot be a halfway house in managing the affairs of the nation. Harsh facts of the tragedy are before us and they must not be lost sight of.

One, the country's ruling class has not learnt much from experience. It does not know how to react to and manage a disaster situation. The Gujarat earthquake has clearly brought out this bitter truth both at the state and Central levels. It took nearly six hours before the system showed any sign of activity. Apparently, the persons who were supposed to react and manage the crisis were slow in reflexes and response.

I am also not happy with the slow response of an otherwise sensitive Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. At one stage, his misplaced priority took him to Lucknow and Chennai-that too after having visited the site of the calamity. Mercifully, better sense prevailed and he decided to cancel his scheduled visit to Japan and Malaysia. Had he persisted with his overseas visit as some of his advisers wished, it would have been politically suicidal for Mr Vajpayee. The trouble with the government today is the inability of persons at the helm to remain in tune with grassroots-level realities. Why and how this has happened remains a mystery to me. Perhaps, they have got lost in the trappings of power. Maybe, they do not get the right feedback. Maybe, the quality of advice is faulty. Maybe, in the present state of drift, sycophancy has an upperhand in the corridors of power. It is also quite possible that several undesirable elements have become part of the system which tends to be self-centred and not people-oriented as it should be.

Two, despite numerous natural calamities in the past, a viable disaster management system is missing. There is no point in boasting about our information technology revolution. We have hardly used IT power for the service of the people. It needs to be realised that information technology has made today's statecraft and politico-economic management virtually outdated. It is, therefore, necessary to shed the old mindset.

Three, the collapse of high-rise buildings during the earthquake shows poor quality of construction. Apparently, builders, architects and officials who cleared the plans are guilty of genocide for their failure to ensure the quality of building material and construction. Such dubious practices can be seen everywhere.

Laws are flouted. Rules are circumvented. Those in positions of authority are bribed. Honest persons are either sidelined or punished. This is how the real India often works to the disadvantage of ordinary citizens. Here, we need to recognise the battle between honesty and dishonesty, between straight talk and double-speak.

Four, there is no dearth of information about the proneness of Kutch and other regions to earthquakes. Expert reports have underlined this point time to time. Still, no one cared to initiate an action plan. As in other walks of life, we have never cared to follow up what the experts have been suggesting. This is a poor reflection on the quality of leadership at different levels of governance.

Fortunately, we live in an age of cyberspace where information and opinions can be quickly shared. But the moot point is: who cares? In fact, we need to review the system and ask what has worked, what has not, and why. In doing so, we have to also think about the quality of politico-bureaucratic response in a disaster situation.

Certain reports suggest that the whole of India is earthquake prone. What is worse, the most dangerous zone in the world is the India-China border along the Himalayas. This is pointed out in the international map on seismicity produced by world experts and released last year. It is, therefore, necessary that we draw up the latest seismic map of India and update related information in this area.

Satellite imagery can also help us interpret linear features of vulnerable areas. This calls for a fresh look at our satellite deployment with the requisite technical backup.

As already stated, there are reports of the vulnerability of the Himalayan region, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Chandigarh, as also Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and some other parts of the country in the North East. We hope right lessons will be learnt and our leaders will now be able to save the nation from further destruction by taking the correctives on a priority basis.

We can surely manage things provided we muster enough political will to face the challenges ahead. I understand that the Department of Earthquake Engineering in Roorkee University has produced low-cost earthquake resistant technology. It has even come out with a manual, which needs to be regularly updated.

The Central Building Research Institute is another organisation which has reportedly done good work in connection with earthquakes. For example, it has produced low-cost shelters to accommodate victims of cyclones and earthquakes.

However, nothing can work unless the government moves in the right direction and reforms itself by evolving community-based participatory structures and subjects itself to strict accountability. It also must overcome its various disabilities, particularly the lack of skills through networking. In this lies the seeds of hope for tomorrow.

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