16^th September 2004
Civilizations have advanced and the quality of life has improved with the contribution of science and technology. In India, development has been a tedious and difficult process. Hard-earned development gains are often lost when a disaster strikes, bringing human material loss.India is cone of the most disaster prone countries in the world. Its unique Geo-physical characteristics make different areas vulnerable to various disasters. Around 65% of the land area is vulnerable to earthquakes. 70% of the land area is prone to drought, 12% to floods and 8% to cyclones. The socio-economic backwardness of the majority of our population, coupled with the lack of skills in preparing for responding to disasters increasing their vulnerability negatively affecting their ability to respond and recover from periodic and intense disasters.  Prevention is better than cure, is an old saying which is very apt in the context of disasters management. Every year, colossal amounts of resources are used by our Government as well as aid agencies in relief and rehabilitation measures. It has now become increasingly evident that an investment in disaster preparedness can save thousands of lives, vital economic assets, livelihoods and reduce the cost of overall relief assistance. Further, disaster mitigation is a step forward in attempting to conserve development gains before a disaster strikes.Awareness and education is an important tool in creating this culture of prevention and preparedness. The need of the hour is to sensitize the young learners to the basic elements of management of these disasters. NEXT...