National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has taken a slew of initiatives on disaster management by involving states and concerned agencies. In an interview with Sanjay Jog, NDMA vice chairman M Shashidhar Reddy takes reviews the present state of disaster management. Excerpts:
Is India equipped to handle earthquake and tsunami similar to Japan?
About 59 per cent of India’s land mass and 78 per cent population could face moderate to severe earthquakes; 78 per cent of total cities having population more than 10 lakh are falling in seismic zone III, IV & V. Seven out of 31 such cities are in Seismic zone IV. The most vulnerable areas are along the Himalayan range from J&K to the Northeast and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Earthquake cannot be predicted and its impact comes within seconds. Long-term preparedness and mitigation measures to respond are important. To mitigate its impact, we have to make sure that all built environment is disaster resilient. NDMA has initiated policies in coordination with the Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance to ensure that disaster resistant features are built into all the developmental projects.
National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project (NERMP) is the first national level project in the country with special focus on 239 districts in 22 states of zone IV and V. The objectives of this project are techno-legal regime for safe building construction and land use zoning; institutional strengthening; training and capacity building for engineers, architects and masons; public awareness and selective retrofitting of district hospitals. Besides, National School Safety Programme, a demonstration Project is also being launched covering two districts each of 22 states/UTs in zone IV and V with the aim of formulating National School Safety Policy. There are lakhs of such buildings all over the country, especially in metros, cities and towns in Zone V, IV and III, which need to be looked at and possibly retrofitted.
How well is India equipped to handle a disaster of the magtintude of a tsunami?
As far as tsunami to hit Indian coasts is concerned, it is necessary that earthquake of magnitude more than seven should occur. Two such possible zones are — Andaman — Sumatra in the Indian Ocean and Makran in the Arabian Sea. We have commissioned one of the best Tsunami Early Warning Systems in the Country. As far as other measures are concerned, we are putting in place communication systems for last mile connectivity to disseminate the tsunami warning, states are also activating the emergency operation centres in the coastal districts 24x7.
Fukushima nuclear disaster is also an eye opener for India’s nuclear sector in particular. Can NDMA handle such a mishap?
All the nuclear facilities in the country are fully equipped to handle any Fukushima type situation. The Prime Minister recently reviewed the safety of all the nuclear facilities after the accident and directed that a comprehensive review of the safety arrangement be carried out. It has also been recommended by the experts that design of the facilities be reviewed for enhanced level of seismic motion and their protection from higher tsunami waves and localised extreme rainfall events.
We are also constantly reviewing the on-site and off-site plans. While on-site plans are the responsibility of plant management, the off-site plans have to be worked out in close coordination with the local administration.
Are you satisfied with the safety and disaster management applications currently in place at India’s nuclear plants?
India has an enviable record of nuclear safety. So far, only 50 cases of radiological incidents (non-nuclear) have been reported which are all related to orphan sources like the one at Mayapuri in New Delhi. Notwithstanding this highly satisfactory record of the nuclear facilities, the safety and emergency preparedness plans are constantly under review. Off-site emergency plans to handle Design Basis Accidents (DBAs) exist for all nuclear power plants. However, in light of recent Fukushima Accident at Japan, we are preparing for Beyond Design Basis Accidents (BDBAs) as well.