Plan for disasters keeping local terrain in mind, officials told
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a meeting of the officials concerned to take their inputs for the implementation of the Incident Response System (IRS) for efficient disaster response in the UT.
Besides Principal Secretary, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRR&R), the meeting was attended by Financial Commissioner (Revenue); Divisional Commissioners, Kashmir and Jammu, besides other officers concerned.
The Chief Secretary enquired from each of the participants about the effective method of its implementation. He asked about the roles and responsibilities of different government departments and law enforcement agencies as well.
Dulloo observed that this system has an added significance for our part of the globe as it is prone to certain disasters. He further noted that since the UT has diverse topography and climatic conditions across its divisions, it is imperative to strategise and plan keeping these challenges in mind.
He called upon all to give it a considerate thought so that a best possible response mechanism is put in place with a right mix of professionals to deal with the circumstances. He stressed on adoption of ‘whole of the government approach’ in creating such plans as most of the disasters are incidental in nature.
Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Shaleen Kabra, while giving his insights about the adoption of IRS in the UT, remarked that there should be disaster and location-specific plans for smoothly steering the response mechanisms at the times of eventualities.
He said different states/UTs would be having their own response systems based upon their susceptibility to disasters. He also suggested certain roles and responsibilities for different government officers based upon the nature and location of the disasters.
Principal Secretary, DMRR&R, Chandraker Bharti, while giving introduction of IRS, said that it is a structured approach designed to streamline disaster response by integrating facilities, equipment, personnel and communication systems under a unified command.
He further elaborated that development of this system aims at ensuring swift, coordinated and effective disaster management by pre-designating the officials and training them for their roles in handling emergency situations.
The meeting, besides deliberating on the need for IRS, also stressed on identification of critical gaps in disaster management, including lack of coordination, communication failures and unclear role definitions among agencies.
About the evolution of IRS in India, it was said that after getting inspired by global best practices, the Government of India found the Incident Command System (ICS) from the United States best in dealing with disaster aftermaths effectively.
Providing details about IRS, it was revealed that this system would ensure synergy among the districts, states and national response teams, reducing chaos and improving coordination. This will be done by integrating all government departments, including police, agriculture, health, revenue, transport and social welfare, ensuring a ‘Whole- of- Government’ response at the time of disasters.
