India is regarded as one of the most disaster prone nations in the world. A big chunk of its population resides at places that remain susceptible to natural hazards like cyclones, floods, droughts and even earthquakes. Whenever we see a tragedy hitting people, we start blaming God or nature without realising the root-cause behind these calamities. The India Disasters Report states that several development projects invite these calamities and nature is not responsible for this.
The study also suggests the central government and other stakeholders to implement stricter action to avert future disasters and also adopt a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ on safety and disaster management issues. Even as India has taken several parameters during the last decade to tackle these disasters by establishing a national law and the National Disaster Management Authority, it has failed to reduce risks prior to the actual havoc. So, it is high time for the country to establish cyclone shelters and early warning signals to avoid massive destruction in future.
Mohd Zeyaullah Khan
Nagpur, MS