)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's pro-active role to rescue those trapped in the Uttarakhand disaster has been praised even by his political rivals. In an exclusive interview with Sanjay Jog, the CM explains the implementation of relief plan carried on a mission mode. Excerpts:
How did the state government swing into action and implement relief plan for those trapped in the Uttarakhand disaster?
The Maharashtra government stepped in to rescue the stranded passengers in time. On June 16, I talked to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and offered all possible help. I have been in constant touch with him since then. On June 18, when the Uttarakhand government and the central agencies were also roped in to fight this disaster, I personally instructed and deputed a team under the guidance of Additional Resident Commissioner of Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi. We immediately set up a special relief coordination unit at Dehradun. It is because of our timely action that we were able to establish contacts with the stranded people from the state and start coordinating things.
How did the state coordinate in relief efforts?
The main factor was to coordinate between Uttarakhand authorities, the national disaster management team and the Army. It was decided on the very first day itself to continue the relief camp until the last Maharashtrian is shifted to his or her destination safely. To ensure safety of the pilgrims, a disaster management committee has started monitoring operations in Mumbai and a 24-hour relief coordination control centre has been set up in New Delhi at the MP cell of Maharashtra Sadan under the leadership of the Resident Commissioner.
How many officials are engaged in relief work?
We have sent 49 officers through various teams to help the tourists and facilitate their passage back home. Our Minister of State for Relief and Rehabilitation Suresh Dhas, who has been inducted in my ministry recently, rushed to Dehradun and actively supervised the relief measures. He has been camping there for the past one week. Our team comprised two principal secretaries including the resident commissioner, one secretary, one joint secretary, 10 deputy collectors, four under secretary-level officers, four RTOs (regional transport officers), four Naib Tehsildars (deputy Tehsildars), and five medical doctors. Also, 150 staff from the resident commissioner’s office and Maharashtra Information Centre have been engaged 24X7 for this humanitarian mission.
How much money has been spent?
Rs 10 crore has been given to the Uttarakhand government immediately. In addition, Rs 1 crore has been provided from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the team of officers from Maharashtra for the logistics of the safe passage of the families to their native places in Maharashtra. Also, Rs 2 lakh has been disbursed from the resident commissioner’s office.
How was the evacuation managed on the spot?
We contributed two hired helicopters to the fleet to strengthen the joint rescue mission of the Army and Civil authorities. Stranded passengers were offered free travel from Dehradun or other points to Delhi and from Delhi to their native places. We also offered medical treatment, train tickets up to 3-tier AC, bus facility for dropping and pick-up, hired light vehicles, vegetarian meals, tea coffee snacks, lodging, pocket money of Rs 2,000 per person. Logistic expenses such as tents, chairs, fans, lights, mattresses, linen, etc. are incurred separately. I also talked to Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and solicited the cooperation of the railway ministry for facilitating smooth transit of the pilgrims. I had been at New Delhi, Haridwar, Dehradun during June 22-24 and personally monitored the relief activities. I also interacted with affected pilgrims who have safely reached the Maharashtra Sadan relief camp.
I think this is the first time in the history of the state that our disaster management machinery has participated on such a large scale, extending help in disaster in another state.
Shiv Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray has heaped praise on you for being broad-minded and not parochial like Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in providing relief. Was it a big surprise for you?
This calamity was the world's worst natural disaster. Not only the government, but various organisations and agencies came forward to help at their level best. The people stranded there were of different caste and creed and religion. They were from Maharashtra, Gujarat, southern India, eastern parts of the country. So, you can't be selfish in extending help to these stranded people. There is no point in politicising this issue. I don’t want to react more on this.
How did the government coordinate its relief operation with the Uttarakhand government and various central agencies?
As I told you, it was a natural calamity which unexpectedly turned into one of the major disasters that our country has ever seen. Our team worked in coordination with the Uttarakhand government and the Army. I had suggested a few things when I met the Uttarakhand CM, such as distributing tokens to the stranded people who were waiting anxiously to be airlifted. In such situations, you cannot dictate your own terms. The Army and other agencies were doing an excellent job in evacuating people. In such calamities, you have to work in accordance with the disaster management strategy. And I am happy to say that the Uttarakhand CM also appreciated our coordinating efforts in this situation.
What were major hurdles the state government and the officials deployed on the spot had to cross to reach out to those trapped in the disaster and rescue them?
I will not say this as a hurdle, but right from the beginning we had to face the challenge of acting as a bridge between stranded persons and their families. We had to collect the information across the state, contact various travel agencies, and tabulate the whole information. Now we have a challenge ahead to collect the information of missing persons and try to locate them.
Is the government contemplating adopting some villages for rehabilitation?
Right now, our task is to facilitate everything and help tourists, devotees from Maharashtra. We have concentrated on relief work. Our teams are still working there. So, there is no question of adoption and their rehabilitation right now.
What are the major lessons learnt by the state government?
Our state is learning new lessons every time a tragedy hits. I must say that though the tragedy has not occurred in our state, we have been able to show our disaster management capabilities, our style of handling relief work and also our coordination techniques.
We still have to go a long way, but I am sure we will be able to build an advanced control room with proper technical manpower that will combat any kind of disaster and guide people extensively. Today, we have taken a few steps towards this. However, we have to build dedicated human force for that.
We must take recourse to continuous modernisation of flood forecasting and other natural calamities early warning and strengthening decision support systems. It should ensure regular monitoring of the effectiveness and sustainability of systems, besides improving the compliance regime.
Is your government serious to delegate adequate powers to the state disaster management authority?
It is under consideration. As I said, we will have to build a system for that. We can't act piecemeal on this issue. It’s a very delicate issue. But I am sure we will form such a system in which participation from all segments and their responsibilities will be defined and fixed.
How did the state government swing into action and implement relief plan for those trapped in the Uttarakhand disaster?
The Maharashtra government stepped in to rescue the stranded passengers in time. On June 16, I talked to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and offered all possible help. I have been in constant touch with him since then. On June 18, when the Uttarakhand government and the central agencies were also roped in to fight this disaster, I personally instructed and deputed a team under the guidance of Additional Resident Commissioner of Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi. We immediately set up a special relief coordination unit at Dehradun. It is because of our timely action that we were able to establish contacts with the stranded people from the state and start coordinating things.
How did the state coordinate in relief efforts?
The main factor was to coordinate between Uttarakhand authorities, the national disaster management team and the Army. It was decided on the very first day itself to continue the relief camp until the last Maharashtrian is shifted to his or her destination safely. To ensure safety of the pilgrims, a disaster management committee has started monitoring operations in Mumbai and a 24-hour relief coordination control centre has been set up in New Delhi at the MP cell of Maharashtra Sadan under the leadership of the Resident Commissioner.
How many officials are engaged in relief work?
We have sent 49 officers through various teams to help the tourists and facilitate their passage back home. Our Minister of State for Relief and Rehabilitation Suresh Dhas, who has been inducted in my ministry recently, rushed to Dehradun and actively supervised the relief measures. He has been camping there for the past one week. Our team comprised two principal secretaries including the resident commissioner, one secretary, one joint secretary, 10 deputy collectors, four under secretary-level officers, four RTOs (regional transport officers), four Naib Tehsildars (deputy Tehsildars), and five medical doctors. Also, 150 staff from the resident commissioner’s office and Maharashtra Information Centre have been engaged 24X7 for this humanitarian mission.
How much money has been spent?
Rs 10 crore has been given to the Uttarakhand government immediately. In addition, Rs 1 crore has been provided from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the team of officers from Maharashtra for the logistics of the safe passage of the families to their native places in Maharashtra. Also, Rs 2 lakh has been disbursed from the resident commissioner’s office.
How was the evacuation managed on the spot?
We contributed two hired helicopters to the fleet to strengthen the joint rescue mission of the Army and Civil authorities. Stranded passengers were offered free travel from Dehradun or other points to Delhi and from Delhi to their native places. We also offered medical treatment, train tickets up to 3-tier AC, bus facility for dropping and pick-up, hired light vehicles, vegetarian meals, tea coffee snacks, lodging, pocket money of Rs 2,000 per person. Logistic expenses such as tents, chairs, fans, lights, mattresses, linen, etc. are incurred separately. I also talked to Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and solicited the cooperation of the railway ministry for facilitating smooth transit of the pilgrims. I had been at New Delhi, Haridwar, Dehradun during June 22-24 and personally monitored the relief activities. I also interacted with affected pilgrims who have safely reached the Maharashtra Sadan relief camp.
I think this is the first time in the history of the state that our disaster management machinery has participated on such a large scale, extending help in disaster in another state.
Shiv Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray has heaped praise on you for being broad-minded and not parochial like Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in providing relief. Was it a big surprise for you?
This calamity was the world's worst natural disaster. Not only the government, but various organisations and agencies came forward to help at their level best. The people stranded there were of different caste and creed and religion. They were from Maharashtra, Gujarat, southern India, eastern parts of the country. So, you can't be selfish in extending help to these stranded people. There is no point in politicising this issue. I don’t want to react more on this.
How did the government coordinate its relief operation with the Uttarakhand government and various central agencies?
As I told you, it was a natural calamity which unexpectedly turned into one of the major disasters that our country has ever seen. Our team worked in coordination with the Uttarakhand government and the Army. I had suggested a few things when I met the Uttarakhand CM, such as distributing tokens to the stranded people who were waiting anxiously to be airlifted. In such situations, you cannot dictate your own terms. The Army and other agencies were doing an excellent job in evacuating people. In such calamities, you have to work in accordance with the disaster management strategy. And I am happy to say that the Uttarakhand CM also appreciated our coordinating efforts in this situation.
What were major hurdles the state government and the officials deployed on the spot had to cross to reach out to those trapped in the disaster and rescue them?
I will not say this as a hurdle, but right from the beginning we had to face the challenge of acting as a bridge between stranded persons and their families. We had to collect the information across the state, contact various travel agencies, and tabulate the whole information. Now we have a challenge ahead to collect the information of missing persons and try to locate them.
Is the government contemplating adopting some villages for rehabilitation?
Right now, our task is to facilitate everything and help tourists, devotees from Maharashtra. We have concentrated on relief work. Our teams are still working there. So, there is no question of adoption and their rehabilitation right now.
What are the major lessons learnt by the state government?
Our state is learning new lessons every time a tragedy hits. I must say that though the tragedy has not occurred in our state, we have been able to show our disaster management capabilities, our style of handling relief work and also our coordination techniques.
We still have to go a long way, but I am sure we will be able to build an advanced control room with proper technical manpower that will combat any kind of disaster and guide people extensively. Today, we have taken a few steps towards this. However, we have to build dedicated human force for that.
We must take recourse to continuous modernisation of flood forecasting and other natural calamities early warning and strengthening decision support systems. It should ensure regular monitoring of the effectiveness and sustainability of systems, besides improving the compliance regime.
Is your government serious to delegate adequate powers to the state disaster management authority?
It is under consideration. As I said, we will have to build a system for that. We can't act piecemeal on this issue. It’s a very delicate issue. But I am sure we will form such a system in which participation from all segments and their responsibilities will be defined and fixed.
