Disaster Management

Be Prepared, Stay Safe

What is disaster?

• A sudden event [man-made or natural] that causes great damage or loss of life
• Types
• Natural: earthquake, floods, cyclone, etc.
• Man-made: factory fire, stampede, etc.

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Flood

Disaster management

• Steps taken to reduce harm BEFORE, DURING and AFTER a disaster.
• Example
• Building earthquake-resistant structures
• Develop early warning systems
• Conducting emergency drills
• Providing search and rescue
• Offering post-disaster rehabilitation

Phases in disaster management

1. Prevention and preparedness

• Advance training regarding any specific disaster
• Example
• Mock drills in schools and factories
• Developing emergency plans
• Stockpiling essential supplies

Fire safety training

Earthquake training

2. Response (during disaster)

• Actions taken immediately
• Aims
• Save lives and provide first-aid
• Follow pre-planned recue plans
• Evacuate people from impactful places
• Provide local support to rescue teams

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3. Recovery (after disaster)

• Steps taken to rebuild things like before

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NCC in 1965 (Indo-Sino war)

Topics

• Civil defense organisation and NDMA
• Types of emergencies/ natural disasters
• Fire services and fire fighting
• Traffic control during disaster under police supervision
• Essential services and their maintenance
• Assistance during natural and other calamities
• setting up of relief camps during disaster management
• Collection and distribution of aid material

Civil Defence Organisation & NDMA

Topic - 1

Civil defence

• The Civil Defence Act of India was enacted by Parliament on May 1968.
• Today, Civil Defence includes many measures for affording protection to any person, property, place or thing in India or any part of the territory
• against any hostile attack, whether from air, land, sea or other places

Civil defence measures

• Protective preventive measures
• taken before an air raid
• dispersal of population and industries, preparation of shelter, warning and training etc.
• Control measures
• taken immediately after the raid
• reporting of damage and unexploded bombs, rescue of casualties, control of services, clearance of debris and extinguishing of fires.
• Restorative measures
• Taken after an air raid to normalize things
• feeding, providing shelter and clothing, disposal of dead, control of infection and contamination, repair of damages caused to utility services etc.

Civil defence organisation

National level

• Ministry of Home Affairs [MHA] is responsible
• Directorate of Civil Defence, headed by a Director General [senior police officer] is responsible to advise the Home Ministry on all matters relating to Civil Defence.
• The Civil Defence organization basically comprises of the Home Guards, NCC and the Fire-Fighting Units.
• Most of the central ministries have a civil defence cell which gets activated during emergency
• In addition, The Ministries of Defence and Railways are responsible for civil defence on properties owned or managed by them.

State level

• The control goes to IG [Inspector General of Police]

District level

• DM [District Magistrate] designated as the Controller of Civil Defence.
• responsible for implementation of all Civil Defence measures by the district departmental heads such as Civil Surgeon, Superintendent of Police, PWD Engineer, Publicity Officers etc.
• He also constitutes an Advisory Committee out of the people possessing qualities of leadership and discipline who can arouse and sustain public interest in the Civil Defence Services.

National Disaster Management Authority

• India is vulnerable, too large number of natural as well as man-made disasters.
• Indian landmass is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity.
• Hectares of land is prone to floods and river erosion.
• Coastline is prone to cyclones and tsunamis.
• Cultivable area is vulnerable to drought.
• Hilly areas are at-risk from landslides and avalanches.
• On 23 December 2005, the Government of India took a defining step by enacting the Disaster Management Act of India, which envisaged the creation of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister.

NDMA organisation

National level

• Headed by prime minister
• trained to deal with all type of disasters [natural/ man-made]
• Responsible for
• Laying down policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management
• Authority to make emergency procurement of materials
• National Disaster Management Authority [NDRF]
• Lay down framework for National Institute of Disaster Management

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National executive committee [NEC}

• Executive committee of NDMA
• monitor the implementation of guidelines issued by NDMA.
• prepare the National Plan for Disaster Management based on the National Policy on Disaster Management
• Comprises of
• Union home secretary (chairperson)
• Secretaries in the Ministry of External Affairs, Earth Sciences, Human Resource Development, Mines, Shipping, Road Transport & Highways
• Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff of the Chiefs of Staff Committee

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State Disaster Management Authority

• At state level, headed by CM
• State Executive committee [SEC]
• Headed by chief secretary
• Monitor the implementation of the National Policy, the National Plan and the State Plan.
• The SEC will also provide information to the NDMA relating to different aspects of Disaster Management.

District Disaster Management Authority

• At district level, headed by DM
• The DDMA will ensure that the guidelines for prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response measures laid down by the NDMA and the SDMA are followed by all the Departments of the State Government at the District level and the local authorities in the District.
• act as the planning, coordinating and implementing body for DM at the District level and take all necessary measures for the purposes of DM in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the NDMA and SDMA.

Local authorities

• Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI), Municipalities, District and Cantonment Boards, and Town Planning Authorities which control and manage civic services.
• These bodies will ensure capacity building of their officers and employees for managing disasters, carry out relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the affected areas and will prepare DM Plans in consonance with the guidelines of the NDMA, SDMAs and DDMAs.

National Disaster Response Force

• Operated by NDMA
• Headed by
• DG of civil defence and National Disaster Response Force

Types of natural disasters

Topic - 2

Volcanoes

• Volcanoes erupt when the lower levels of the earth‘s crust push up on hot magma causing the volcano to burst through the top layer of the earth.
• When a volcano erupts, magma, ashes, and other gases are released
• Melted molten rock referred as
• Lava [above land]
• Magma [below land]
• 2 types
• Active
• Dormant
• Found in both land and sea

Landslides

• Landslides are mostly caused by movement in the ground and the force of gravity pulling down on all earthly objects.
• Landslides can also be caused by heavy rain, earthquakes, and even some man-made causes such as road work.
• Effects of landslides include collapsing buildings, collapsing roads and even sometimes causing death.

Earthquakes

• Earthquakes consist of shaking and displacement of the ground.
• Usually occur on the boundaries of lines where the Earth‘s tectonic plates collide and slide past each other
• The Richter Magnitude Scale is used to classify and measure the magnitude of earthquakes
• it has a scale from 1-9.

Tsunamis

• Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning ―harbor wave.
• Tsunamis usually take place in the ocean, but can also occur in large lakes.
• Caused by an underwater earthquake, volcano, landslide, or other type of explosion

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Hurricanes

• Sometimes called Tropical Cyclones, Typhoons, or Willy-Willies.
• Hurricanes begin when the Sun heats moist air over the ocean.
• At first, the storm's center (eye) can be very wide with only strong winds (gale force).
• But as the eye shrinks the winds around it speed up to hurricane strength and start swirling violently.

Floods

• It can arise from abnormally heavy precipitation, dam failures, rapid snow melting, river blockages or even burst water mains.
• Types of floods can further be classified into Inland and Coastal floods.

Droughts

• If, over about two weeks, there is less than 0.2 mm (1/100in) of precipitation, there is said to be a drought.
• Without reservoirs, there is not enough water for people and crops.
• Droughts have disastrous and long-term impact on the economy and can affect a large segment of the society which may last for months and in some cases several Terms.

Fire fighting

Topic - 3

Fire

• Fire is the outcome of either heating or over heating of a combustible substance to the required temperature or igniting an inflammable material.
• The following three elements are essential for creation of fire and its continuation
• Oxygen
• Sufficient heat to raise the temperature
• Combustible material (Solid, Liquid or Gas).

Types of fire

Mode of spread

• Conduction
• Transfer of heat by the intermediary material.
• Convection
• Transfer of heat through gases or smoke
• Radiation
• Radiation means transfer of heat from the source of fire, without heating the midway media
• The effect of radiation can be countered by forming a water curtain between the fire and the object to be protected or the object may be removed or cooled
• Direct Burning.

Prevention of fire

Domestic fire

• Kitchen fires
• Don‘t keep any inflammable material near the fire or the gas.
• Always check the gas cylinder, gas pipe for leakage.
• Keep the kitchen well ventilated to prevent leaking gas accumulation.
• Switch off the regulator when the gas is not in use.
• Other fires
• Ensure that no electrical circuit is overloaded
• Ensure that all electrical gadgets are switched off
• Ensure that smokers do not leave any burning cigarettes or stubs in ashtrays near inflammable material.

Fire in public places

• Ensure that smokers do not leave any burning cigarettes or stubs in public dustbins or near inflammable material in closed AC offices, shopping malls or cinema halls
• Don‘t ignite any fire cracker near petrol pumps, in crowded markets, near inflammable material or inside malls.

Fire fighting

• Starvation
• removal of fuel combustible material
• Cooling
• removal of heat to lower the temperature of burning material to a point below its ignition point
• usually achieved by water.
• Smothering
• restricting the supply of Oxygen (Air) to the burning material.

Fire fighting equipment

Fire extinguishers

• Soda Acid Extinguishers.
• Used for ordinary fire
• cooling effect is achieved by water
• Foam Type or Dry Chemical Powder Extinguishers
• Used for inflammable liquids such as oils, fats, or grease
• blanketing the fire to isolate it from Oxygen (Air) is required
• CTC Carbon dioxide and Dry Chemical Extinguishers.
• Used for electrical fire
• Use of an electrically non-conductive extinguishing agent

Soda acid fire extinguisher

Foam type fire extinguisher

CTC carbon dioxide fire extinguisher

Stirrup pumps

• The stirrup pump is designed for use on small fire
• very useful in localizing and controlling fires with limited water supplies
• generally operated by a team of four members but in an emergency a team of two members can also operate it effectively.
• The spray produced by this pump can reach 15 to 20 feet away from the nozzle

Buckets

• Buckets are ideal for storing water and sand for fighting small fires.
• They could be easily carried by one person, from one place to another.

Fire beaters/ hooks

• Beaters made of wire net in a rectangular shape and hooks made of iron fitted on bamboo poles are ideal for separating the burning and unburnt combustible material, and extinguishing by beating the small fires.

TRAFFIC CONTROL DURING NATURAL DISASTERS UNDER POLICE SUPERVISION

Topic - 4

Responsibilities of traffic police in disaster management

• Smooth flow of traffic
• Provide safety and security to people
• Assist in securing property of people
• Assist in evacuation of injured people
• Crowd control
• Help to fire services, medical and other paramedical personnel

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Things happen during disaster management with NCC

Cadet need to know these things for disaster management

• List of vital installations and buildings falling in the jurisdiction of a district.
• List of major hospitals/nursing homes, causalities and ambulances service functioning in the district.
• List of licensed Blood Banks.
• Availability of heavy-duty cranes.
• List of persons/agencies having earth moving/rescue equipment’s.
• List of market associations.

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• Important telephone numbers for disaster management authorities/ groups.
• List of Fire Static water tanks.
• List of Officials of Home Guard and Civil Defence and NCC Directorate.
• List of NGOs/Voluntary organization to be contacted at the time of disaster
• List of colleges and schools falling in the sector.
• List of big temples, Gurudwaras, Masjids and Churches situated in district.

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Essential services and their maintenance

Topic - 5

Essential services can be categorized

• Postal, telegraph or telephone services
• Transport Services like rail, road, air and sea
• Running of air / sea ports
• Provision of water, electricity and sanitation services
• Medical services and essential supplies
• Production and supply of essential commodities
• Running of government mint and security presses.

Type of maintenance

Medical

• Running of medical facilities and hospitals
• Providing nursing and first aid
• Immunization of the population in relief camps
• Rescue of trapped persons and causality evacuation
• Disposal of dead bodies and carcasses.

Communication

• Maintenance of uninterrupted telecommunication through telephone services /tele fax, mobile phones, VHF transmitters etc
• Dissemination of information, monitoring media coverage and quelling of rumours.

Transport

• Maintenance of rail/road communications with special attention to:-
• Repairing damaged rail/ road network, as it directly relates to the delivering of relief supplies by vehicles
• Creating diversions of bypassing damaged sections of the roads
• Extent of containers that can be moved inland
• Availability of maintenance facilities and spare parts
• Measures for security of cargo in transit.

Infrastructure

• Infrastructure of roads and bridges, communications, water and electricity supply, sewerage and essential buildings such as schools/ colleges and health centers may be required to be rebuilt/ repaired.
• Housing and rehabilitation
• For economic rehabilitation, funding and various new opportunities to be created, in addition to getting the destroyed stocks replenished, for restoration of livelihood.

Role of NCC

• As operators in Telephone Exchange
• As nurses in Hospitals or as links between doctors, nurses, patients and hospital technicians.
• They could also help in maintaining hospital discipline and security
• Assist in establishment and running of First Aid Centers
• Assist civil defence wardens in carrying out their duties
• Carry out neighborhood campaigns by motivating people to create self assistance groups
• Counter act gossip and rumors to restore the morale of the people
• Assist the civil authorities whenever feasible

What a can cadet do

• Search for and rescue trapped people.
• Salvage destroyed structures and property
• Distribution of relief material to the affected population for their temporary sustenance
• Coordinate the relief flow from out-side and ensure maximum coverage of territory in provision of relief stores, food and water avoiding wastage and duplication of work in the same area
• Repair and restore essential services to enable rescue and relief work and for normalization of activities.

ASSISTANCE DURING NATURAL/OTHER CALAMITIES

Topic - 6

Effects of calamities

• Too many deaths or injuries because people get buried
• Flooding in cities, towns, or villages, forcing hundreds to leave their homes and move to safer places.
• People or villages getting trapped (e.g., by floodwaters or debris).
• Houses and buildings collapsing in towns or villages.
• Complete breakdown of basic services like phone networks, electricity, water supply, and hospitals.
• Major damage to roads, railways, and bridges, making travel difficult or impossible.
• Domestic and wild animals lost or forced to flee.
• Crops and people’s livelihoods ruined (e.g., farms destroyed, jobs lost).

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Type of assistance required

• Setting up information centers / restoring phone services – Creating places where people can get updates and fixing communication lines.
• Repairing roads and railways – Making travel and transport possible again.
• Opening relief camps / shelters – Providing safe places for people who lost their homes.
• Evacuation & rescue operations – Helping injured people and moving them to safety.
• Setting up medical camps & first aid – Giving immediate health care to the hurt.

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• Restoring sanitation services – Ensuring clean water and proper waste disposal to prevent diseases.
• Distributing relief supplies (food, water, etc.) – Providing basic needs to affected people.
• Disposing of dead animals (carcasses) – Safely removing animal bodies to stop disease spread.
• Patrolling & coordination (liaison) – Keeping order and working with different teams for smooth operations.
• Searching for victims / survivors of air crashes in remote areas – Looking for missing or injured people after plane accidents in hard-to-reach places.

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Method of providing NCC assistance

After received any request

• Gather Enough Cadets & Staff
• Collect SD/JD cadets quickly, along with ANOs (officers) and PI Staff.
• Use all communication methods (phone, radio, etc.) to call the cadets.
• ANOs must ensure their cadets arrive as fast as possible.

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• Form Action Groups
• Divide cadets into small teams of 20-30 members each.
• Each team should have an ANO and a PI Staff member in charge.

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• Brief the Cadets Properly
• Explain the task clearly to all cadets before starting.
• Give instructions on what they need to do.

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• Assign Teams to Agencies
• Send each action group to different agencies (like disaster relief teams).
• Ensure they report to the right authorities for assistance.

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Creation of group

• Traffic Control Group – Helps police manage vehicle/pedestrian flow during emergencies.
• Relief Group – Distributes food, clothes, and essentials to affected people.
• Shelter Management Group – Runs safe shelters with food, water, and medical care.
• Evacuation & Rescue Group – Physically strong cadets trained to save and move people from danger.
• First Aid Medical Group – Provides emergency medical help; prefers cadets with basic nursing skills.
• Sanitation Group – Ensures cleanliness in shelters and surroundings to prevent disease.
• Carcass Disposal Group – Safely removes dead animals/bodies to avoid health hazards.

Additional

• Command and Control�The Group Commander has overall responsibility for operations, reporting to ADG/DDG at directorate level. A dedicated unit should coordinate with flood/cyclone liaison officers. Since phone networks often fail during floods, alternative communication methods must be established.
• Honors and Incentives�Disaster response is voluntary service beyond normal duties, deserving special recognition. Positive media coverage motivates NCC volunteers, so liaison officers should actively engage with local and national press.

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Setting up relief camp

Topic - 7

Site selection

• Social Needs
• Available land is often limited, so evaluate why a site should be accepted/rejected (e.g., flooding risks, water access).
• Ensure the location is viable for displaced people's needs.
• Water Availability
• Reliable year-round water access is critical—don’t assume drilling or hauling will suffice.
• Sites must be ≥3 meters above the water table, on gently sloping land, avoiding marshes or flood-prone areas.

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• Open Space
• Minimum 30 m² per person (3.5 m² for shelter), plus space for communal activities/livestock.
• Allow room for expansion; avoid conflict zones if displacement is due to violence.
• Accessibility
• Must be reachable by vehicles, near supply sources (food, fuel) and services (healthcare, communication).
• Environment
• Free of disease vectors (mosquitoes, tsetse flies) and extreme climate risks.

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• Soil & Ground Cover
• Soil should absorb water/waste; avoid rocky/impermeable sites. Prefer land suitable for small-scale farming.
• Land Rights
• Ensure no ownership disputes; formal legal agreements must govern land use.
• Transit Centers
• If needed, temporary centers must meet the same standards as long-term sites.

Site planning

• Immediate Needs First
• Focus on delivering essential goods/services rather than reorganizing displaced populations.
• Flexible Site Design
• Plan for potential expansion to accommodate future arrivals or growing needs.
• Community-Centric Approach
• Prioritize individual family needs and respect community preferences in layout decisions.
• Address Special Needs
• Displaced settlements lack natural social structures; actively identify and support vulnerable groups (e.g., elderly, children).
• Decentralized Layout
• Organize sites into smaller units (by family, village, or ethnicity) to foster community cohesion and ease management.

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Infrastructure design considerations

Physical layout

• The basic principle of any physical layout of a camp is that it should be organized into small community units.
• The location of centralized services will depend on the specific situation and in particular the space available.
• Warehouses should be located near the administrative office for security reasons.

Shelters

• Basic Needs
• Must provide safety, living space, privacy, and cultural familiarity
• Avoid prefab/tented shelters (costly, impractical) - local solutions work best
• Construction Standards
• Roof: Weatherproof (sun/rain/wind resistant)
• Walls: Provide privacy and climate protection
• Floor: Raised in wet areas; cement/washable for hygiene
• Safety: Fire-resistant materials in crowded areas; hazard-proof in disaster zones

Administrative block

• Centralized Services (Single location for management)

Camp administration office

Coordination centers (healthcare, water supply)

Tracing/repair services

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• Decentralized Services (Spread across settlement)

Bathing/washing areas

Community centers (health/social services)

Nutrition centers

Schools/education spaces

Special care facilities (for disabled, elderly, unaccompanied children)

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Additional

• Roadways and pathways
• The site should be accessible from other sites and contain all weather roads and pathways connecting the various areas and facilities.
• Toilets
• Ratio: Minimum 1 toilet per 20 people
• Placement: Must prevent water source contamination
• Drainage: Requires easy-to-maintain systems for wastewater and rainwater
• Water Distribution
• Method: Pump to elevated storage for gravity-fed distribution
• Priority: Ensure reliable access to clean water sources

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COLLECTION & DISTRIBUTION OF AID MATERIAL

Topic - 8

Emergency aid categories

• Personal Essentials
• Clothing, bedding, raincoats, blankets, shoes
• Medical Support
• Medicines, medical staff, ambulances, mobile hospitals
• Shelter Solutions
• Tents, prefab huts, waterproof materials for temporary housing
• Transportation
• Vehicles for evacuation and relief distribution
• Debris Clearance
• Heavy equipment (cranes, bulldozers) and hand tools (shovels, pickaxes)

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• Animal Care
• Livestock fodder and veterinary services
• Mortuary Services
• Body recovery, identification, and dignified burial equipment
• Communication
• Radios and equipment to restore phone lines
• Food/Water
• Survival kits, dry rations, water dispensers/tankers
• Power/Lighting
• Emergency lights (lanterns, gas lamps) and electricity restoration

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Source of aid supplies

• Government Agencies
• Central Government (including Defense)
• State Government
• Humanitarian Organizations
• Red Cross
• International bodies (WHO, UN agencies)
• Civil Society Groups
• NGOs (local and national)
• Educational institutions
• Social welfare organizations
• Resident welfare associations
• Individual Donors
• General public contributions

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Collection of aid items

• Strategic Setup
• Establish local collection centers matching area capacity
• Smart Sorting
• Accept pre-categorized donations (no repacking)
• Create separate hubs for perishables
• Quality Control
• Reject non-essential items
• Maintain real-time inventory logs
• Priority Pipeline
• Fast-track medical supplies through dedicated channels
• Implement triage system for urgent needs

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Distribution of aid items

• Base Network
• Utilize existing Public Distribution System (PDS)
• Augment with extra staff/situation-specific adjustments

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Key Actions

• Targeted Setup -- Align distribution with population clusters & refugee camps
• Coordinated Effort -- NGOs/groups must sync with govt on priorities & logistics
• Fair Allocation -- Distribute by family size (start with basics, scale up later)
• Maintain real-time records

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Efficiency Boosters

• Pre-Disaster Prep -- Grid-map zones & pre-position resources
• Smart Transport -- Pre-sort items during collection
• Use multi-modal transport (air/road/rail/boat) for critical supplies

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Role of NCC cadet

Collection stage

Planning Phase

• Involve cadets early to:
• Identify supply sources (local/regional)
• Map critical areas (high-risk zones, relief hubs)
• Coordinate with partner agencies (govt/NGOs)

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Collection & Logistics

• Record-Keeping: Track donations/inventory
• Sorting & Packing:
• Categorize relief items (food, meds, clothing)
• Repack bulk supplies for efficient distribution
• Dispatch Support: Assist in loading/unloading goods via road/air/rail

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NCC-Specific Advantages

• Wide Network:
• Utilize school/college units as local collection hubs (even in remote areas)
• Operate at unit/group levels for decentralized response
• Govt Collaboration:
• Leverage central/state/district-level ties for seamless coordination
• Serve as a parallel network alongside NGOs/govt agencies

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Distribution stage

• Can be co-opted with the PDS system.
• Work along with NGOs or other organizations.
• Work independently in the chain of NCC collection and distribution system.
• Work along with Defence Forces, who are major contributors in crisis management
• Operate and man various posts established for escorting and guiding delivery agents with adequate signal communications.