Airports Safety Regulations in India

The flight, carrying 71 passengers and crew, crashed while landing at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport on March 12, 2018, killing 49 people. It is the worst aviation disaster to hit Nepal in years. South Asia has a chequered history when it comes to air safety, with crashes involving planes and helicopters since the year the first aircraft landed. Flooded airports are not a new scene.

Airports are an important asset to the nation as they facilitate the rapid transportation of people and ideas. Built at exorbitant costs, these airports are designed to be safe and robust megastructures for scores of air commuters. However, even these airports are not spared the wrath of disasters and emergencies.

Some recent examples of airports affected by natural disasters in India are as follows: 
1. Gujarat Floods, 2017-affected Ahmedabad International Airport.
2. Chennai Floods, 2015-affected Chennai Airport.
3. Cyclone Hudhud, 2014-affected Vishakhapatnam Airport.
4. Heavy Rains in Delhi, 2013 and 2011-affected Terminal 3 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
5. Mumbai Floods, 2015-affected MumbaiAirport.

Disasters and emergencies can lead to a lot of adverse impacts on the airports, some of them are listed below:
1. Inundated runways leading to disruption of flights.
2. Damage to runways jeopardising the take-offs and landings.
3. Damage to air surveillance installations leading to impairment of Air Traffic Control operations.
4. Damage to fuel systems and fuel farms which in turns poses a great potential risk for aircrafts.
5. Cancellation of flights due to inclement weather conditions.
6. Emergency landing/crash due to bad weather.
7. Partial to substantial damage to the airport infrastructure due to cyclones.

One of the most recent instances that highlight the vulnerability of airports in India to the ravages of natural hazards was the plight of Chennai airport during the floods of December 2015. In what was referred to as the worst floods in 40 years in Chennai, the Chennai Airport was submerged leading to disruption of operations. More importantly, 3500 passengers were left stranded at the airport because of the floods.

More recently, during the 2017 Gujarat Floods, the Ahmedabad Airport also sustained severe damages. Due to the heavy torrential downpour, the Ahmedabad airport's runway was damaged leading to the diversion of flights to Mumbai airport. As India's civil aviation sector expands, it behoves the decision makers to incorporate risk sensitive planning in airport construction and maintenance to ensure the functioning of airports during exigent circumstances.

Since 1958, India has witnessed 19 airplane mishaps that have caused to several deaths. At present there are 122 airports in India operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). To protect these airports and the flights operating there needs to be concerted airport disaster management provisions. Another important factor to consider is that the resilience of airports and airport staff is of paramount importance to ensure an effective and immediate response to crisis and disaster. This is because airports are key to ensuring the smooth and quick flow of relief in the aftermath of a disaster or emergency.

There has been an effort to address airport safety need in India. In a workshop jointly organized by AAI and UNDP in October 2015, several issues concerning the safety of airports in the face of emergencies brought about by natural hazards was discussed. Follow up actions were enlisted.

Speaking at this workshop, the then Chairman of AAI said, "The surge in demand for transporting lifesaving supplies in the immediate aftermath of disaster can often delay or stop relief from being delivered to people in need. Airports need to prepare themselves effectively for natural hazards."

UNDP and AAI have jointly organized Get Airports Ready for Disasters (GARD) workshops at Guwahati and Patna airports. The workshops examined the capacity of these airports to deal with sudden increases in volumes after disasters; finalize detailed preparedness and actions plans; and develop capacities of airport personnel to respond more efficiently to emergencies. UNDP also supported the pilot implementation of a disaster management planning and preparedness in Bagdogra and Vishakhapatnam airports.

To counter the vulnerability of the airports to such disasters, the following Airports Safety Regulations have been promulgated:

1. Corporate Safety Management System Manual has been prepared by Airports Authority of India (AAI) in 2015, on the lines of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Guidelines. It is applicable at all locations/ aerodromes, and also details the practices, processes and procedures to achieve these Safety Requirements, which are essential for safe Air Navigation Services & Airport Operations in air space & at airports. 
2. ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Safety Management Manual, 2013 is intended to provide Countries/States with guidance on development & implementation of a State Safety Programme (SSP), in accordance with International Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). The manual also provides guidance material for the establishment of Safety Management System (SMS) requirements by States (Countries).
3. Communication, Navigation & Surveillance (CNS) Manual 2015 by AAI is intended to establish the CNS procedures and to provide information and instructions pertaining to CNS facilities, which are essential for the provision of safe and efficient air traffic services by AAI, including the coordination with neighbouring / adjacent states.
4. Air Safety Procedures Manual, 2014 has been prepared by DGCA. The Manual has been developed for use and guidance for officers of Air Safety Directorate in the performance of their duties. All matters pertaining to Air Safety Officers duties, responsibilities and procedures have been covered with clarity, to the fullest extent possible, in this detailed manual.
5. Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) were issued to specify the detailed requirements and compliance procedures for the establishment of Safety Management System. Primarily the thrust of CAR is on the aviation safety-related processes, procedures and activities for establishment of SMS, also including the safe transportation of dangerous goods, flight crew standards and air traffic management etc.
6. Aircraft Act 1934 confers power to Central Government to regulate Civil Aviation in India. As per Section 4A of the Act, DGCA or any other officer empowered by Central Government shall perform safety oversight functions in respect of matters specified in this Act.  Section 5A of the Act empowers DGCA to issue directions for securing safety of aircraft operations.
7. Aircraft Rules 1937:  In the exercise of the powers conferred under the sections of Aircraft Act 1934, the Central Government has made the Aircraft Rules, 1937. Part III of the Aircraft Rules is specifically focused on General Safety Considerations, which addresses the Rules 21 to 29 applicable to the Aircraft, including the safety management system, safety of the aircraft etc.
8. Airports Authority of India Act 1994 (Amended in 2003) provides undertaking of the airports to AAI for better administration and cohesive management of airports and civil enclaves. The Act highlights the functions of AAI, including the provision of air safety services, search & rescue operations, in coordination with other authorities and ground aid support facilities.
9. The Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation (Amendment) Act 1994 mainly highlights the safety and security related offences and committing of unlawful acts at the airport, followed by the powers of investigation, and the subsequent judiciary mechanism to address the same. 
10. Airport Fire Service in India  Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) services provided at 67 airports as per guideline provided by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) & Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
11. Fire Training establishments which are responsible for ensuring that safety services are well organized, equipped, staffed in such a manner to fulfill its principal objectives of Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFF).

Time has come for AAI and NDMA to join forces to ensure safety of India's airports from national disasters as well as enhancing the role and performance of India's airports before, during, and after a disaster to manage and reduce risks. Perhaps such joint action will place AAI and NDMP of India is a lead position in South Asia. 

— AIDMI Team

for any further information please contact: bestteam@aidmi.org 

Agenda for 2018: Disaster Displacement

India has made commendable efforts in implementing the mandate of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). Through its National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) launched in June 2016, India became one of the first nations to have an NDMP aligned with the priorities of the Sendai Framework. However, there are several challenges that can impede the implementation of India's NDMP.

Perhaps the most pressing of these challenges is that of disaster induced displacement, which has an adverse impact on all kinds of development outcomes. Unfortunately, the understanding of the true extent and scale of the impact of disaster induced displacement is at best limited.

Estimates (limited officials numbers are yet available) suggest that two out of five families who move from rural to urban areas in search of work and income move due to loss of livelihood or assets caused by floods, droughts, cyclones and other smaller local disasters.

Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, has recently said to Economic Times  that "reform, perform and transform" to move ahead. So NDMP needs to perform, reform and transform to directly address disaster related current and future displacements.

The recent South Asia Disaster Report (SADR) 2016 by Duryog Nivaran (DN) titled, "Are We Building Back Better" (http://www.duryognivaran.org/images/Reports/sadr/SADR%202016_v6.pdf) has implied that taming the factors that cause displacement after a disaster must be urgently addressed.. These factors include loss of livelihoods, productive assets, and basic services such as water, health, education, and connectivity.

India's development is more and more linked with the USA and Japan's economic development in the recent years. The ongoing USA-Japan talks to better coordinate in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) areas has not directly addressed the challenge of displacement and disasters that they may individually or jointly have to address in the event of a major disaster in India as both these countries are India's major partners in its economic development and strategic matters.

The UNDP project in India titled "Enhancing Institutional and Community Resilience to Disaster and Climate Change" has indicated the need for more focus on disaster related displacement from rural to urban area and account disaster related displacement.

The on-going work of Dr. Uposana Ghosh on social network analysis in Sunderbans delta in India  shows that disasters destroy social networking as well. The loss of social networking is not accounted for in the current post-disaster loss and damage assessments. The disrupted social networks when rebuilt can accelerate recovery.  Accelerated recovery reduces the negative impact of displacement on the displaced.

A policy event organized by UNICEF and Gorakhpur Environmental Action Group (GEAG) in Delhi titled National Workshop on Climate Change and Disaster Resilience for Urban Children focused on children and the risks they face from extreme events. In the session titled, "Resilient Development Planning" it was highlighted that a greater focus is required on planning the prevention of displacement and the rehabilitation of displaced children after disasters in India. Almost three out of seven destitute children in India lose their family members or get separated from them due to extreme climate events or disasters like floods and cyclones.

In India, regional priorities for disaster related displacements are different.  In the North East, there is a possibility of trans border displacement both, across the states and across the international borders.  A major earthquake can easily lead to the movement of tens of thousands of  distressed families from Nepal or Bhutan or Bangladesh into Assam or Sikkim or West Bengal.

Dr. Walter Kalin who chairs the Platform on Disaster Displacement as a follow up to Nansen Initiative has attracted global policy attention to disaster related displacement at Sendai and has recently offered a detailed report on how national governments can take steps to move ahead in addressing disaster related displacement.

The following three steps need to be taken to address the rising challenge of disaster induced displacement in India. One, disaster induced displacement needs to be explained with evidence to policy makers and practitioners.  Two, the measures to address displacement must be institutionalised; and three a few pilot projects may be taken up.  Key partnerships and stakeholders from global to local level must be identified to join in this initiative.

Policies, regulations, and accountability will be the three strategic areas to address a wide range of displacement related issues. In a vibrant democracy like India, bottom-up community level displacement measures will be far more effective than top-down legal measures.

– Vandana Chauhan, AIDMI

for any further information please contact: bestteam@aidmi.org 

India Accelerates in Building Resilience

Southasiadisasters.net issue no. 166, February 2018:

This issue of Southasiadisasters.net is titled "India Accelerates in Building Resilience" and tries to capture the various efforts in the form of international cooperation undertaken by India to foster resilience regionally and globally. For instance, India's efforts to leverage cooperation with countries like Russia and Bangladesh to pursue risk reduction outcomes are meticulously documented in this issue. Similarly, positive regional developments like the endorsement of the Disaster Management Bill in Nepal have also been highlighted in this issue.

This issue's contents includes: (i) India Accelerates in Building Resilience; (ii) Delhi–Dhaka Cooperation in Risk Reduction; (iii) India–Russia Coordinated Action on DRR; (iv) Nepal Endorses Disaster Risk Reduction Bill; (v) Potential Areas of Using Social Science To Reduce Disaster Risks In India; (vi) Rains in Chennai, 2017: A Historic View; (vii) Amadora Local Campaign — Making Cities Resilient; (viii) Unlikely Nuclear Disaster: Likely Preparedness Planning;and (ix) Facebook Steps up Efforts for Disaster Response in India.

Some of the best thinkers, researchers, experts, and activists, including Mihir R. Bhatt with AIDMI Team; Shabana Khan, World Social Science Fellow, ISSC and Director, Indian Research Academy, New Delhi; SubirDey, Assistant Professor (Ad hoc), Department of History, University of Delhi; Luis Carvalho, Civil Protection Chief, Municipal Commander, Amadora, Portugal; and Gautam Kamath, Public Policy Manager - India, South Asia & Central Asia, Facebook.

see more: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xxqumzq4b29l2u4/166%20Snet%20India%20Accelerates%20Building%20Resilience.pdf?dl=0

Why DDMP should be Child Centric? —Ten Reasons

Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, Country Representative, UNICEF launched Child-Centric District Disaster Management Plan, Raipur along with Prasanta Dash, CFO UNICEF Chhattisgarh; O.P. Choudhary, District Collector Raipur; Nileshkumar Kshirsagar, CEO, Jila Panchayat Raipur (right to left); December 22, 2017, Chhattisgarh.

District Disaster Management Plans (DDMPs) are important policy instruments that help in disaster governance at the sub-national and local level in India. Mandated by the Disaster Management Act of 2005, these DDMPs have become increasingly central in guiding administration's response to a disaster or emergency. The following ten points capture the importance of having child-centric DDMPs:

1. Children are a vulnerable group primarily because of their age. Their dependency on adults for food, hygiene, care, shelter and protection has bearing on their survival and development.
2. During the last decade of the 20th century, disasters affected an estimated 66 million children around the world each year (children typically represent 50-60 percent of those affected by a disaster). This number is projected to more than triple over the coming decades.
3. In the aftermath of a disaster, children face a range of risks, from death, injuries, and diseases related to malnutrition, to poor water and sanitation, and psychological trauma and its debilitating effects. Displacement and separation from guardians and support networks, and the increased impoverishment of already poor households further exposes children to abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. Further adding to the long-term effects of disasters is the disruption of education during critical development years.
4. Children's rights to survival, clean water, food, health, sanitation, shelter, education and protection are compromised by disaster risk and climate change. When a disaster occurs, schools are frequently used as shelters, depriving children of their learning spaces. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have inalienable rights in all circumstances - including during disasters when they are most exposed to risks. Children also have the right to participate in decisions that affect them, risk reduction and resilience building decisions at district level.
5. Governments in South Asia have demonstrated their commitment to the survival, development and protection of children by being signatories of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 and its two Optional Protocols in 2000. They have further adopted the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in 1990. Regionally, the Heads of States and Governments of South Asia signed the SAARC Convention on Regional Arrangements on the Promotion of Child Welfare in South Asia in 2002 and adopted the SAARC Social Charter in 2004, which places strong emphasis on the promotion of the rights and well-being of the child. School Safety Guidelines of National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, focus light upon the urgent need to strengthen risk resilience of schools in urban as well as rural areas of the country.
6. Child-centred DRR and programming for children have long-term development gains for children and for the society at large. Investments in child health, nutrition, education and child protection not only result in child survival, development and well-being but also in poverty reduction and increased resilience of societies to withstand shocks and stresses. Participation, empowerment and equitable development further help stabilizing fragile states and building stable societies.
7. In 2000, all South Asian governments endorsed the Millennium Development Goals with six out of eight goals related directly to children. South Asia governments have also played an active role in formulating the 17 new Sustainable Development Goals that are emerging as a result of the post-2015 development debate.
8. Vulnerability assessment is a critical task for governments working for the survival, well-being and protection of their citizens. Children's vulnerability and exposure to disaster risk are largely shaped by their birthplace and the period in which they are born. The socioeconomic status and educational level of family members also matter and so do their own physical and mental condition.
9. A child-centred risk assessment brings children onto the national DRR and CCA agendas by making use of child vulnerability data from sectors such as health, nutrition, WASH, education and child protection. The point is that child vulnerabilities often serve as a better proxy for community vulnerabilities than monetary values used by insurance companies and development banks. This is particularly true for South Asia, a region with a high proportion of children and youth. 'SAARC Framework for Care, Protection and Participation of Children in Disasters' emphasis on the need for mainstreaming the issues of children in the policies, strategies, programmes of projects in all relevant sectors including DRR and emerging management in South Asia.
10. Migration, urbanization, slum settlements and rapid growth contribute to the risk profile of South Asia. Population movements from rural to urban areas remain unplanned. People from rural areas often end up living in slums as squatters in cities due to lack of affordable and safe shelters. The region has nine mega-cities with a population of more than 10 million including Delhi, Mumbai, Karachi, Dhaka, Kolkata, Lahore, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. While most countries have adopted national land-use policies and implemented area-based development plans in priority areas, no countries have enforced comprehensive spatial planning. Although natural hazard maps are available, seismic, landslide and flood assessments have rarely been incorporated into development plans. In most South Asian countries building codes are seen as complex and costly, and building standards rarely enforced.

All the aforementioned reasons have enhanced the exposure and vulnerability of children in South Asia to multiple disaster risks. Therefore, the district disaster management plans (DDMPs) of the region should be child centric to protect the children against such risks.

– Vandana Chauhan and Brij Chauhan, AIDMI

for any further information please contact: bestteam@aidmi.org 

Coastal Preparedness and Response in India

India has the longest coastline among all the countries in South Asia. The country's 7,517 kms of coastline gives it unparalleled access to the seas, it also makes India highly prone to coastal disasters such as cyclones, storm surges and tsunamis. The coastal areas and coastal communities of India that bear a major brunt of these disasters must appear more often in the disaster management plans of various states and districts. Oddly enough, this is not the case.

As mentioned earlier, the coastal areas face an increasing risk of cyclones, floods and salinity ingress in addition to tsunamis. The delta areas, such as the Sundarbans, are especially vulnerable.

Recent cyclone Okhi in November and December, 2017 caused severe damages to structures and property claiming the lives of 218 lives in the Southern parts of Tamilnadu and Kerala in India.

The Government of Gujarat has decided to establish a satellite-based tracking and warning system on about 12,000 fishing boats at a cost of 95 crore INR.

Maharashtra has begun colour-coding fishing boats district-wise rather than assigning a common colour to all boats registered in the state. Since 2015, the Mumbai police have been using 18 boats to patrol Mumbai's coastline every day.

Kerala had set up a coastal police force to add an extra layer of protection and prevent the intrusion of any anti-national elements or illicit items through the sea. (PwC, 2017)

India is investing public money to develop ports and harbours. Private corporations—Indian and others— are investing in coastal ports and harbours as they have the potential to become the hub of economic activity in the country in the next 3 to 5 years.

An estimated US$ 18.6 billion will be invested in major ports and US$ 28.5 billion in non-major ports by 2020. Under the Sagarmala Programme, the Government of India has envisioned a total of 189 projects for modernisation of ports involving an investment of INR 1.42 trillion (US$ 22 billion) by the year 2035. (IBEF, 2017)

One of the key areas for coastal preparedness and response is mobility and connectedness after a disaster. In the aftermath of a disaster, the citizens often get cut from land and sea both, and have to wait for days or over weeks for basic heavy supply of food, water and health inputs. Seaplanes offer one more choice to deliver relief and rescue on land and in sea to Indian citizens.

Seaplanes, planes that land and take-off from sea (or large suitable water body) may be a step in the direction of coastal preparedness and response in India.

The Transport Ministry as well as Civil Aviation Ministry have shown interest in developing seaplanes as an additional measure to connect citizens and growing trade and commerce within India and abroad. 

The interest in widespread use of seaplanes is also shown by private sector organizations such as Spice Jet in India, which has announced a plan to buy 100 seaplanes from Setouchi Holdings, Japan.

Spice Jet is a private airline in India recovering, from an economic loss with vitality and vision.

Setouchi Holdings of Japan is a leading actor in seaplane making and related investments. 

In many ways seaplanes offer connectivity for disaster response and preparedness in coastal areas.

Last month, China unveiled its domestically developed AG600, a massive four-engined amphibian plane that can carry 50 people and suck in upto 12 tonnes of water in 20 seconds for firefighting operations. Such crafts can deliver a wide range of relief supplies in coastal areas and ports.

Russia has the Beriev Be-200, a twinjet amphibian that's mainly used for firefighting operations. It also manufactures ekranoplans, which skim a short distance over water at great speed. They are distinct from hovercraft in not requiring a cushion of air. Be-200 remain close to sea water.

As a follow up to National Disaster Management Plan, India is developing a national community development road map. This road map will include, special roles for coastal states such as Andhra Pradesh on the east and Gujarat on the west coast.

The ongoing World Bank program in coastal India titled Integrated Coastal Zone Management has so far depended only on existing modes of transport. It has not explored the potential use of seaplanes in both, preparedness and response in coastal areas such as Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. 

Perhaps the most important need is to initiate a scoping study that not only reviews the existing needs but also looks at emerging transportation needs from the point of view of the National Disaster Response Force in coastal locations.

— AIDMI Team

for any further information please contact: bestteam@aidmi.org 

Retelling Disasters

Disasters are often viewed as abrupt cataclysmic events that cause widespread death and destruction. However, it should always be borne in mind that disasters are complex phenomena that culminate due to a variety of underlying factors. Reducing them to isolated and abrupt events dilutes the narrative surrounding disasters, which in turn limits our understanding of them. Thus, it is important to focus on the narrative surrounding disasters by telling or retelling their stories.

Hardly any telling or retelling of stories of disasters is taking place in spite of the fact that disasters offer one of the most dramatic stories to tell. Similarly, the literature from the area is so loaded with jargons that it rarely is understandable or appealing to those who should know about disasters: at risk citizens.

Fortunately, there is a welcome break from this trend. Dr. R.K. Bhandari has authored "Disasters:  Short Stories, Essays & Anecdotes," published by National Book Trust (NBT), India (171 pages, September 2017).

Dr. R.K. Bhandari is an icon in the field of housing, settlement planning and risk reduction with over five decades of contribution to India's growing urban and housing sectors.

The book is of use to both, students in school as well as to the citizens of India with interest in new ideas and insights emerging from Indian experience.

AIDMI had the opportunity to work with Dr. Bhandari when the High Powered Committee was set up by the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to review India's relief and rehabilitation administrations. Those who have worked with Dr. Bhandari know that he moves from one task to another with ease and clarity finishing each task effortlessly.

NBT is India's leading public domain publication effort to capture all that is best of India in the form of books for experts and citizens alike.

NBT needs to continue the disaster theme as a series of publications covering important individuals whose stories must be told as well as the disasters that are worth recording in stories for both general as well as educational purpose.

Dr. Bhandari tells the reader that traditional methods for testing new ideas, insights, products and process to reduce risk are becoming expensive, even when done as pilot studies, they consume time and resources. A highly agile approach that is based on flexible problem solving and innovation is needed in India. 

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) needs to be solution focused and action oriented. How can India keep logic, imagination, institution, and systematic reasoning away from each other to explore our way ahead to a safer India? All must be merged into stories, powerful and compelling.

Indian disasters are a bit special.  Any flood or drought or cyclones get a bit tinted with Indian colours when told outside UN reports and government memorandum. P. Sainath, India's eminent journalist, in his book "Everybody Loves a Good Drought" has made this clear. Droughts in India gain their own life and persona. Dr. Bhandari gives us more evidence in this direction in his book. Once read and rested, the reader gets a clear view that disaster risk cannot be reduced by anyone acting alone-UN or government or NGOs or citizens-but only through coordinated action by all. Unless we as Indians unite across all categorisations, we cannot reduce disaster risk and build a resilient India.

Since 2005, the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute's (AIDMI's) regular publication called Southasiadisasters.net has been empowering at risk local communities and authorities by telling their stories of resilience. Documenting disasters and community voices around them has indeed proven that disasters in India do have a persona of their own and only through a united effort could India achieve resilience against these disasters.

Perhaps this is what India should focus on in its offer to South Asia to connect India's powerful National Knowledge Network (NKN) for sharing scientific database and remote access to advance research facilities.

NKN is a multi-gigabit pan-India network which facilitates the development of India's communications infrastructure, stimulates key research and creates next generation applications and knowledge services. NKN enables collaboration among researchers from different educational networks such as TEIN4, GARUDA, CERN and Internet2. NKN also enables sharing of scientific databases and remote access to advanced research facilities. Such stories can be a welcome addition to NKN in South Asia.

With its multi-gigabit capability, NKN aims to connect all universities, research institutions, libraries, laboratories, healthcare and agricultural institutions across the country to address paradigm shift. The leading mission oriented agencies in the fields of nuclear, space and defence research are also part of NKN. To strengthen research facility in various critical and emerging areas for NKN community, the network has established its international points of presence (PoP) in Geneva, Amsterdam and Singapore, and plans to soon establish a PoP in New York too. Let disaster stories populate the NKN for a joint web connect on DRR. 

— AIDMI Team

for any further information please contact: bestteam@aidmi.org   

National School Safety Program: Reflections

Safer Schools are one of the top ten ways to ensure that National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) launched in June 2016 achieves success in making India reduce risk and build resilience.

The "National School Safety Programme (NSSP)—A Demonstration Project" approved by Government of India in June, 2011 with a total cost outlay of Rs. 48.47 Crore was a 100% Centrally Sponsored Demonstrative Project. It was implemented by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and in partnership with the State and UT Governments within an initial time frame of 24 months.

NSSP was a holistic project to promote the culture of Safety in Schools and is covered 200 schools in each of the selected 43 districts spread over 22 States/UTs of the country falling in seismic zone IV & V.

The highlights of the NSSP: 

•  NSSP was designed to cover both the Stru

   cultural and Non-Structural measures, especially to reduce the risk from Earth Quake and Fire
   Hazards in the School.

•  Since its inception, NSSP built a good partnership between Local Governments and Civil Society.

•  Appropriate and innovative approaches were undertaken in this process.

•  The ICT/IEC tools were developed at National Level and shared among the implementing partners 

    to outreach the targeted schools and school students.

•   NSSP initiated mainstreaming the process with Ministry of Human Resources Development and 

    Education Departments at National and State level respectively.

•   The NSSP focused on Development of School DM Plan, DM kit for each of the selected schools, 

    Training of schools staffs, trainers and engineers in various aspect of school safety. Mock drills are      regular affair and developing a training manual for teachers and management and students is a  

    way  ahead.

The communication tools were developed at the National Level embedding all the best practices and products collected from a varied number of expert agencies/organisations and shared among the implementing partners to outreach the targeted schools and school students.

Dialogues and debates started at National and State level to mainstream the process with Ministry of Human Resources and Education Departments at National and State level respectively. Several states such as Assam and Odisha, Gujarat and Bihar have taken innovative steps.

The partnership needs to be built up or further strengthened with the Ministry of Human Resources and Education Departments, those who can really make some differences in terms of structural, non-structural measures and behaviour change among the students and the peers and it has happened in a few states.

The experience of those states may be replicated among others and convince them to take lead for Safer Schools, while investing for the infrastructural development and innovative methods of pedagogy. This is because, in our country, if we are trying to cover the most vulnerable schools then it can be only those schools in rural areas having minimum or no infrastructural facilities and being covered under various National/State programmes of Education Department for their improvements.

The number of such schools in rural India is very high as compared to the public schools in urban areas having good infrastructural facilities and strong awareness on Safety Measures.

A time has came to mount a national effort for making schools safe and secure in India.

– AIDMI Team

for any further information please contact: bestteam@aidmi.org