Disaster Management- A Distant Dream!

The first thing we do in the morning is to check the newspaper for the weather forecast for the day and within minutes we know if it’s going to rain today or the sun will shining on our head! We can almost predict the conditions of a flood or a draught in this high tech word and still we call Disaster Management........A “Distant Dream?”

The dictionary defines a Disaster as great or sudden misfortune. The first thing that comes to our mind when we hear the word disaster is an Earthquake....or a flood!

As we all must have learnt as toddlers, that disaster’s can be divided into two parts, Natural & Man-made Disasters. Natural disasters include the disasters that are caused by nature, for example, earthquakes, floods, draughts etc. Whereas Man made disasters as the name suggests are the disasters that are caused due to the negligence humans. It is said the Nature is the most unpredictable thing man has ever come across. But isn’t it so strange that even though we can estimate the occurrence of a natural disaster but it is almost impossible to predict disasters like a terrorist attack or plane crash.

We all are given an action plan as to what should be done in case of a natural calamity but there is no action plan as to what we can do in case of manmade disaster. We have the best security systems they say. And still their planes get high jacked? We have the best Law & Order they say. And still crime is a reality?

Let me refer to some examples now, It was a wonderful chilly night of November. Some of the royal families of Mumbai decide to have dine out in a five star hotel. Some romantic newly married couples are staying in one of India’s most prestigious hotels. Who knew that we will never be able to see those people again! Yes I’m talking about the 26/11 terrorist attack. Where a bunch of young outsiders come into our country with Ak 47’s and grenades and ruin the finest hotels of our country and kill hundreds of Indian’s and foreigners who were exploring India. What could we do? Well even though we killed all the terrorists and captured one, we still could not save those precious lives!

Its not only India, This is the case of every country. I’m sure all of you have heard about Osama’s 9/11 attacks in the States.

It is so surprising that we, the Humans are so curiously inventing mechanisms which will be able to device the occurrence of an Earthquake or a Tsunami which is not in our control but we almost ignore the management of the disasters that are created by us our self
Perhaps this is the reason that we still call... Disaster Management........A Distant Dream!

- Mrs. Sarbdeep Kaur
Lecturer (Mathematics)