DISTRICT DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2016 - 17 NORTHNORTH 2424 PARGANASPARGANAS,, BARASATBARASAT MAP OF NORTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT DISASTER VULNERABILITY MAPS PUBLISHED BY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA SHOWING VULNERABILITY OF NORTH 24 PGS. DISTRICT TO NATURAL DISASTERS CONTENTS Sl. No. Subject Page No. 1. Foreword 2. Introduction & Objectives 3. District Profile 4. Disaster History of the District 5. Disaster vulnerability of the District 6. Why Disaster Management Plan 7. Control Room 8. Early Warnings 9. Rainfall 10. Communication Plan 11. Communication Plan at G.P. Level 12. Awareness 13. Mock Drill 14. Relief Godown 15. Flood Shelter 16. List of Flood Shelter 17. Cyclone Shelter (MPCS) 18. List of Helipad 19. List of Divers 20. List of Ambulance 21. List of Mechanized Boat 22. List of Saw Mill 23. Disaster Event-2015 24. Disaster Management Plan-Health Dept. 25. Disaster Management Plan-Food & Supply 26. Disaster Management Plan-ARD 27. Disaster Management Plan-Agriculture 28. Disaster Management Plan-Horticulture 29. Disaster Management Plan-PHE 30. Disaster Management Plan-Fisheries 31. Disaster Management Plan-Forest 32. Disaster Management Plan-W.B.S.E.D.C.L 33. Disaster Management Plan-Bidyadhari Drainage 34. Disaster Management Plan-Basirhat Irrigation FOREWORD The district, North 24-parganas, has been divided geographically into three parts, e.g. (a) vast reverine belt in the Southern part of Basirhat Sub-Divn. (Sundarban area), (b) the industrial belt of Barrackpore Sub-Division and (c) vast cultivating plain land in the Bongaon Sub-division and adjoining part of Barrackpore, Barasat & Northern part of Basirhat Sub-Divisions The drainage capabilities of the canals, rivers etc. have been reduced due to unplanned manmade activities and some ecological changes like silting of the rivers etc. So, the flood/heavy water logging has been common occurrence every year in the most parts of the aforesaid sub-divisions. Similarly, Cyclone and High tide has been commonly found in the reverine belts of Basirhat sub-division. Strangely, several focal areas of Gaighata Block of Bongaon sub-division had been found to be hit by tornado several times in the past. Not all disasters can be predicted or prevented. However, precautionary measures taken within the existing infrastructure, in the form of preparedness, can considerably mitigate the human sufferings, loss of life and property and restore normalcy at the earliest. The course of a disaster is dependent on how early the same is identified and how effectively specific control measures are applied. The impact of the disaster control measures can be expected to be significant only if proper measures are applied in time. Scarce resources are often wasted in undertaking such measures after the disaster has already peaked and the outcome of such measures in limiting the damage and in reducing human sufferings; morbidity with loss of life and property becomes negligible. It is therefore, of paramount importance to formulate an action plan to face the situation arising out of the same. The rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities are not the work of a single department, rather constitute best co-ordinated activities amongst the concerned Government departments, 3-tier Panchayat Raj Institutions, N.G.Os., peoples’ representatives of Assembly / Parliament, CBOs and the Community as a whole. Experience of past decades has proved that unprecedented flood, heavy rainfall and cyclones highly affect the normal life and livelihood of people of this densely populated district. The very highly vulnerable costal area suffers most from loss of life and property accompanied by environmental damage. This plan for the year 2016-17 has been prepared by the Disaster Management Section of the District Administration of North 24 Parganas using information received from the blocks and Government line departments. In this year’s plan contact details of more key stake holders and more GPS coordinates of rescue shelters as well as air dropping points have been provided compared to the last years plan. We hope that this plan will be more effectively used by all stake holders in the event of a natural calamity striking this district. Thanks to the all officials of District Disaster Management Section, North 24 Parganas. Any suggestion for betterment of this plan is always solicited. Smt. Antara Acharya, IAS District Magistrate North 24 Parganas INTRODUCTION This District Disaster Management Plan for the year 2016-17 for the District of North 24 Parganas has been prepared by the Disaster Management Section of the Office of the District Magistrate, North 24 Parganas. The entire North 24 Parganas district is vulnerable to multi-hazards e.g. natural calamities like Flood, Cyclone, Hailstorm - Kalbaishakhi, Earthquake, Drought and Embankment Erosion. In fact there are High Risk Multi-Hazard Zones. Apart from these natural hazards occurrences of man-made disasters like major fire, roadway/ railway/ waterway accidents, industrial/chemical hazards, terrorist attacks etc. are also possible. This disaster management plan has been formulated in the context of both natural and man-made disasters to tackle the multi-hazard risks in the current year 2016-17 and includes the factors like ever-growing population, rapid unplanned urbanization, increasing industrialization, development within high risk zones, environmental degradation, climate change, state and national security, economy and sustainable development etc. Causes of Flood There are 18 rivers running through the district and as it is situated at the downstream of these rivers. Embankments of all the rivers are made of Soil and the river beds are getting high day by day due to Siltation. All inhabitants are situated in the area comparatively at the lower level than the water level of river, so they face a water logging in almost every year due to heavy rainfall. Average rainfall of this district is 1579 mm. In the year (2015) rainfall has occurred in 2491.50 mm. Due to heavy rainfall and breach of embankment maximum area of this district are water logged. As a result huge nos. of houses are damaged, agricultural crop, fishery, and other infrastructure like roads, tube wells & schools etc. are also damaged. BASIC OBJECTIVES: 1. To minimize loss of human lives and property by adopting preparedness measures to effectively handle disaster situations. 2. To make the government and other stakeholder organizations able to get prepared and act in time to manage any disaster in a pro-active preplanned well coordinated manner. NORTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT AT A GLANCE Name of the District: North 24 Parganas Population: 1, 00, 09,781 (2011) Population Below Poverty Line: 20.15 % Literacy rate: 76% (M-41%; F-35%) Physical Between 23152 and 22116North latitude and 895 and 882 Geographical location: East longitudes in the South-Eastern part of West Bengal. Area: 4094 Sq.Km. (4.61% of the State) North - Nadia , South - Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, East – Adjoining Districts: Bangladesh (International Border), West - Howrah, Hooghly. Ashoknagar, Baduria, Bangaon, Baranagar, Barasat, Barracpore, Basirhat, Bhatpara, Bidhannagar, North Dum Dum, DumDum, Major Urban Centres: Gobardanga, Habra, Halisahar, Kanchrapara, Madhayamgram, Naihati, New Barrackpore, Panihati, Rajarhat, Sodepur, South Dum Dum, Taki, Titagarh. Betna,Betrabati,Bhagirathi,Bidhyadhari,Dantbhanga, Haroagong-Kultigong, Ichhamati, Jamuna, Kalindi, Kodalia. Major Rivers: Naobhanga, Nonagong, Padma, Sarat Khali, Sealdagong, Sonai, Suti, Tentulia Sub-Divisions - 5 (Bangaon, Barasat (Sadar), Barracpore, Bashirhat, Bidhannagar); Blocks – 22; Panchayat Sam ities – 22; Administrative Units: Gram Panchayats – 199; Mouzas – 1,606; Municipaliti es – 25, Corporation - 01, Non-Municipal Towns – 33; Outgrowths – 11; Cantonment Board– 01; Police Stations – 35; Inhabited Villages – 1599. Demography (Figures are as per 2011 Census Report) Population: 1,00,09,781 (11.05% of the State) Men: 51,19,389 (51%) Women: 48,90,392 (49%) Total Rural Population: 42,77,619 (43%), Male-21,96,554(22%) Female-20,81,065(21%) Total Urban Population: 57,32,162 (57%), Male-29,22,835(29%) Female-28,09,327(28%) 9,02,537 (8.94%) 0-6 Population (M) – 4,63,542 (51.36%) (F) – 4,38,992 (48.64%) Scheduled Caste Population: 21,69,084 (22%), Male-11,15,458(11%) Female-10,53,626(11%) Scheduled Tribe Population: 2,64,597 (3%), Male-1,34,179(1%) Female-1,30,418(1%) Litterate Population: 76,08,693 (76%), Male-40,56,046(41%) Female-35,52,647(35%) Illitterate Population: 24,01,088 (24%), Male-10,63,343(11%) Female-13,37,745(13%) Sex Ratio(females per 1000 males): 949 Language Bengali is the main language and some Hindi speaking people are also there in the industrial areas. Food Habit Rice is the staple food of the people. Culture and Religion Fairs and festivals: There are a number of fairs and festivals in the district. The major ones are – Durga Puja, Rath Yatra, Aam Barun i mela (commonly known as PR Thakur mela), Ghosto Bihari mela, Charak,Urs, Pagla pir mela, Maharam, Ban Bibir Puja, Chakla Dham mela, etc. Of these, Durga Puja, Maharam, Eed, Charak, etc. are observed all throughout the State. Famous Religious places: Dakhsineswar Kalibari, Manosa Bari, Adya Pith, Chakla Dham, Thakur nagar. History: The great epic Mahabharata, Raghuvansa and in some the Puranas refer the Gangetic delta lay between the kingdom of the Suhmas live in Western Bengal and that of the Vangas in Eastern Bengal at the dawn of the history. At the time of Raghu Vansa, the country was dominated by the Vangas. But the naval force of the Vangas were defeated by Raghu, who set up pillars of victory on the islands in the midst of the Ganges. Probably, these islands represented the present area of the district of 24 Parganas. A few details in Ain-i-Akbari reveals that the district formed part of Satgaon revenue division, the jurisdiction of which was from Sagar islands on the south to a little above Palashi on the north and Kabadak river on the east, beyond the Hooghli on the west.