Acehtsunami

The enormity of the tragedy that scarred Orissa in the aftermath of the super cyclone is yet to be assessed. But a question arises: Is nature biased against poorer people and developing countries? Even a cursory analysis of the scale of natural disasters, whether floods, earthquakes or hurricanes, would show that economically developed countries have a much greater resilience to withstand calamities and suffer far lower loss of life.

In Orissa the human tragedy was clearly the handiwork of man. Orissa is a state rich in natural resources. Its people, among the poorest, can not be accused of over-consumption and greed. Policies of the state at the Central and state levels have ensured that much of these resources are utilised or underutilised. In India, this lack of development has been the result of 50 years of state control over the economy. As a result, there are no resources left to deal with calamities like the recent cyclone.

Even 10 days after the cyclone, no clear information had emerged about the scale of destruction. The communication system, which has almost been a handmaiden of the state in India, as is now clear, was totally inadequate. Instead of a wide range of technology, from local broadcasting stations, wireless, telephone and satellites, continuously informing the people of the impending disaster and advising them of precautions to be taken, the information barely flowed.

The first, foremost and cheapest method is sensitization of public about the do’s and don’ts to be followed to avoid casualty. The following tips may help reducing casualty to a great extend which needs mass awareness through leaflets, pamphlets, brochures etc.

• With the first sound of thunder one should be cautious and try to stay inside except unavoidable circumstances.

• Stay away from fireplaces, radiators, stoves, metal pipes, sinks, and phones.

• Stop using electrical appliances, telephone, metal objects.

• Don’t get out of car if on road but make a quick retreat from water, tractors, and lawn mowers.

• If no building is available nearby recline in the lowest possible area; avoid trees.

• On the top of mountain, one should retreat as far as possible and sit on ones pack, coiled ropes, camping mattress or other such insulated items.

Floods that have displaced and stranded at least 2 million people in Northern Bihar continue to worsen. The flooding began last week when the Kosi River, known as the Saptakoshi in neighboring Nepal, burst its banks and changed course, inundating three of Bihar’s northeastern districts - Supaul, Madhepura and Araria - an area that has not been affected by major monsoon flooding in more than 50 years.

Because prolonged flooding is a rarity in the area, it has been difficult for authorities to convince most people to evacuate. The Prime Minister visited the affected areas in Bihar and declared Bihar floods as national calamity. He also announced an immediate release of Rs 1,000 crores (US$244 million).

As of 28 August the damage details in the state (Central government figures) are:

· Population affected: 2,668,000

· No. of human lives lost: 47

· No. of districts affected: 16

· No. of villages affected: 1,598

The state government is engaged in rescue and relief operations and claims to have adequate food. However, the lack of adequate drinking water and the unhygienic conditions in the camps are posing a high health risk. The National Disaster Management Authority has therefore, expressed the urgent need of Water purification/treatment plants in large numbers to take care of the flood affected people both in India and Nepal.

Effective communication among the stakeholders is one of the vital pillars for the success of any type of programme and it is worth appreciating that Tata-Dhan Academy has attempted to use folk media for enhancing community’s understanding and knowledge on vulnerability & disaster risk reduction (DRR).

Basic objective behind using folk media among the community is because of its clear-cut advantages over other forms of media (print and electronic). The languages and dialects are their very own, because of which, intelligibility is very high. Apart from familiarity of language, gestures, music and rhythm is what makes this media acceptable among the rural folks (who mostly have low education, limited outlook and face difficulty in understanding different concepts). This media creates a forum, where there is direct personal contact between the sender of the message and the receiver. Thus the personal contact and the various factors of familiarity, makes the messages more credible and acceptable than if it were transmitted through the electronic media.

Community has been exposed to these art forms for centuries and it has become a part of their ethos. So, the effective method of communicating with the backward population in rural areas is to talk to them in terms of myths and legends which are a part of their religion. The farmers and the fishing folk residing in Tamil Nadu’s countryside (coastal districts) must be having their own god and goddesses and myths (mythology and folklore), and if such myths are combined with DRR concepts, and communicated in their own local dialects, then it would go a long way rather than a performance by an urban group. In most of the folk art forms, audience participation is an integral part, and it is this all important aspect of everybody being able to participate that encourages greater attentiveness and therefore greater and better understanding of a message.