Gaon Panchayat EMEx 2017 Towards a Disaster Resilient State Gaon Panchayat EMEx 2017 Gaon Panchayat Emergency Management Exercise 2017 Be Prepared… Stay safe Vulnerability Analysis: Assam, which was well known as Entire Assam falls under Seismic “Pragjyotishpura’’ in Mahabharata times, Zone V. High density urban has a rich green land of rolling plains and population combined with dense forests. Assam is the gateway to the haphazard growth exposes the north eastern part of India viz. Arunachal major city dwellers to high risk. Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Rainfall ranges between 1500 mm to Tripura and Meghalaya. These states are 2600 mm under normal connected to the rest of India via Assam’s circumstances. However, the city border with West Bengal and a narrow strip also experiences high intensity called the “Chicken’s Neck.” Assam also rainfall in short durations which shares international borders with Bhutan results in Urban Flooding. and Bangladesh. It spans around 78,438 km2 Unplanned land use pattern in and population over 3,11,69,272 (Census surrounding hills aggravate the 2011). The mighty Brahmaputra River that landslide risk in the city has its origins in Tibet flows through the The city experiences multiple waves state. of storms on the onset of the monsoon season impacting public Assam is a multi-hazard State prone to utilities. floods, earthquake, storms and landslide Besides, natural hazards, the city is besides man-made disasters. It falls under also vulnerable to human induced seismic zone V making the entire State prone hazards like accidents, fires, blasts to earthquake of moderate to very high etc. intensity. Also the State faces acute flood & erosion problem. Assam has a history of Why GP EMEx? disaster ranging from large earthquake to severe floods. This has impeded the Building Community Resilient has always development gains of the State by many times. Therefore, to sustain the pace of development initiative by minimising losses, the Government of Assam envisages building a State Prepared and Disaster Resilient. Assam State Disaster Management Authority Page 1 Gaon Panchayat EMEx 2017 been on the Agenda of the Assam State PURPOSE OF GP EMEx: Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). It The purpose of the G.P Level EMEx is to help has been our endeavor to establish a community discover what it needs to care meaningful dialogue with the community to about and create an institutional framework build a robust understanding around the for critical thinking on challenges organic and integrated concept of disaster confronting it. The real face of Disaster management. The Living Planet Report 2016 Management presents itself in the ability of comes with cogent support for this the people to discern the small issues that a approach. It underlines the alarming big impact on the ecology and lives of increasing in the ecological footprint of people. It is pertinent here to quote Trevor human activities and says that we are Nunn – I always believe it is better to have consuming as if we had 1.6 Earths at our 30 imaginations working on a project rather disposal. The Report emphasis that if we than one imagination telling the other 29 have to protect and sustain the bio-capacity what to do. H. E. Luccock beautifully makes of land, it is necessary to take into account the same point when he says – No one can nine critical aspects of conservation, which it whistle a symphony. It takes an Orchestra. calls as nine Planetary boundaries. These The EMExes are intended to create a include, land use changes, Green Cover, symphony of creative and imaginative minds Water Resources etc. The Report presents and voices at the grass-root level. adequate evidence to suggest that the efforts at keeping the ecological footprint at a sustainable level have succeeded only when local communities were integral part of these efforts. The idea of conducting Emergency Management Exercises at the grass root level has evolved from this need of reinforcing the understanding of the multi- dimensional nature of conservation and Disaster Management at the community level. Assam State Disaster Management Authority Page 2 Gaon Panchayat EMEx 2017 BASIC STRUCTURE OF GP EMEx: Organizing demonstration on First-Aid and injury management, Effective In the two rounds of training of Village Management of Relief Operations and Land Management and Conservations Camps etc. Committees (VLMCC), several areas like management of flood, earthquake, For all these activities, IEC materials landslide, wetlands, open and Green were shared with key stake holders, Spaces etc. were discussed. A Task Force for each of the Emergency The Emergency Management Exercise Management Exercises was created. The was aimed to sharpen the experiential Task Force was headed by the GP learning of the community by involving President, Presidents of all the VLMCC in them in a mix of knowledge sharing and the GP, Member Secretaries of the skill demonstration activities. This VLMCC, One of the Principals of the included, Procession by School Children Schools and three- four active and and Villages, decorating the Village with enthusiastic persons from the GP. The Poster and Pamphlets made by the Member Secretary of the Village where School Children and Community Emex was organized functioned as the Members, exhorting every household in Convener of the Task Force. the village to display at least One Slogan on Disaster Management issues, MAJOR STAKE HOLDERS organizing debate and drawing competition in the Schools, Organizing Students, Teachers, Principal/Principals Earthquake Safety Drill in the School, of Schools in the selected Village, Organizing a Mock Drill on preventing Supervisor/ Anganwadi Worker, ANM measures to cope-with floods, holding a and ASHA Worker, VLW, Veterinary Field Street Plays on Disaster Management Assistant, Field Level functionary of PHE issues involving local youth, Organizing Department and Gram Sevak, VLMCC practical demonstration at different members and community as a whole places in the village on the measures that can be taken to protect the grazing lands, wetlands and Open Spaces, Assam State Disaster Management Authority Page 3 Gaon Panchayat EMEx 2017 GP EMEx 2017: AT A GLANCE Total Number of Total number of No. of School Districts GP EMEx Participants involved conducted 26 2088 3,65,254 2272 DATE ON WHICH GP EMEx WAS HELD: 5TH JUNE 2017 (GP EMEx was not conducted in the Sixth Schedule Districts because they do not have Panchayati Raj System. The Districts are Udalguri, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Chirang, Kokrajhar and Baksa) ACTIVITIES HELD IN GP EMEx entities that came up to us to move on Before the Event- GP EMEx: with this cause. Apart from this the The main motto behind conducting such volunteers of some of the NGOs were a program on large scale was to generate also trained by the NDRF team so as to awareness and so as to undertake this carry on the various activities of GP- noble cause it was important to go EMEx related to presentation of various through a pre-publicity process. To mock drill easily and precisely. undergo this pre-publicity process banners, leaflets and posters were During The Event printed. The banners and posters were Prabhat Pheri/ Procession: The day projected all around the GPs for full began early with this activity wherein a participation of the people from all strata huge procession was carried out of the society, VIPs, villagers, kids, involving School Children, teachers, others. This helped in creating a mass NGOs, Local functionaries, ASHA/AW awareness that something was going to Workers, GP members, VLMCC be organized named as GP-EMEx and it members, & other community members. also helped to increase the number of It is known as “Prabhat Pheri” in attendants on the day of the program. colloquial language. The rally started The pre-publicity and display of IEC from a specific point and moved along materials also helped us in through the G.P and ended up at the understanding and identifying the point where it started. The rally included slogans of environment safety by all, Assam State Disaster Management Authority Page 4 Gaon Panchayat EMEx 2017 which were voiced by all of them programme was carried out by NDRF present. It also displayed some placards and SDRF, Circle Officers, Field Officers, prepared by the children on environment GP members, others. safety, awareness, etc. Mock Drill on Flood Preparedness: Public Meeting: This was conducted to Mock drills were organized to make the generate mass awareness and to make community people aware of the do's and people understand the significance of don'ts during the time of any sort of the occasion and the importance of disaster. In some districts the drills were safeguarding the environment. Another carried out by SDRF, NDRF Civil Defence, objective was to make people aware of Indian Red Cross Society. In some venues the prominence of the necessity of in some districts Mock drill were carried preparedness and risk reduction and out by volunteers from the NGOs who how each member of the community has were previously trained by the NDRF a huge role to play and can bring in a team. The Mock Drill was on Rescue, huge difference in preservation of the Injury Management and First Aid environment. Street Plays Debate and Drawing Competition and Street plays were organized in GPs to Quiz Competition in the School: bring the disaster related awareness. The street plays were performed by To involve children and youth of the Gaon Panchayat, various competitions Prize Distribution & valedictory like, Extempore speech competition quiz function: competition, debate,. It is believed that After the day long programme, the they are the torch bearers of the society children were facilitated in a ceremonial and they would internalize the message function. Children and youth who won in and deliver to a larger audience different categories of competitions Plantation Drive: were duly awarded in the function.