samarth 2011 - hpsdmahpsdma.nic.in/citizencorner/samarth 2011 (iddr) report.pdf · samarth 2011...

Children and Young Peopleare partners in Disaster Risk Reduction!

Government ofHimachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA)

REPORT

Samarth 2011Mass Awareness Campaign for Disaster Risk Reduction

On the occasion of

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2011

“Let us all invest today for a safer tomorrow”Ban Ki-moon

Secretary General, UN

Preface

Due to adverse Geo-physical and climatic conditions, Himachal Pradesh is exposed to various

concrete realities. Frequent natural disasters of various intensities and their impacts on the

people and land are the gravest among such problems, which hamper the development of the

state. Earthquakes, landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods, avalanches, forest fires, droughts etc.

have caused tremendous loss to the state. Besides loss of life, these disasters also strain the state

exchequer. To safeguard the people of Himachal Pradesh from the ever growing risk of disasters, it

is very crucial that development should be envisaged with a holistic approach designed to manage

disasters on a more proactive basis. To do this, capacity building initiatives are needed to be taken

to make communities self-reliant to cope-up with disasters.

Considering this fact, the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HP SDMA)

launched a Mass Awareness Campaign titled as 'Samarth- 2011' which also marked the

celebrations of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2011 (IDDR 2011). 'Samarth' is a

Hindi word which refers to the ability of someone to do something. By launching this programme,

the HP SDMA aimed at making the people of the state more aware and prepared to reduce the

underlying risks of disasters.

'Samarth- 2011' started on 8th of October 2011 (6th anniversary of the Kashmir Earthquake) and

came to a fruitful conclusion on 13th of October, 2011. Different awareness generation and

capacity building programmes were organized at state as well as district level with involvement of

stakeholders like DDMAs of respective districts, Department of Education, Department of Health

& Family Welfare, Himachal Fire Services, Department of Civil Defence, Municipal Corporation,

Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, HP University, etc.

The Secretariat of United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

(UNISDR) commemorates the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR)

every year on 13th of October. The focus of IDDR 2011 was on Children and Young

People and the celebrations of the day echoed by a suitable slogan “Step Up for

Disaster Risk Reduction”.

The specific objectives of the IDDR 2011 were:

�To let the world know that children and young

people are partners in reducing disaster risk

�To promote more partnerships with children and

young people in disaster risk reduction

�To connect and build bridges and understanding

among children and young people

Samarth 2011: State-level events

Through ‘Samarth 2011’, the people and the government of Himachal Pradesh extended

solidarity with the global community and observed the International Day for Disaster Reduction

(IDDR 2011) through a number of thematic events. The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster

Management Authority (HP SDMA) and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) of

district Shimla jointly organized a number of events at the state-level.

The state-level events started in

the morning of 13th of October,

2011 when the hon’ble Chief

Minister of Himachal Pradesh Prof.

Prem Kumar Dhumal flagged off

the Citizen’s Solidarity March from

his official residence. Hundreds of

students and teachers of various

schools of the capital, Scouts of

National Cadet Corps (NCC) and National Services Scheme (NSS), volunteers of Civil Defence and

Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and a number of concerned citizens took part in this

solidarity March. As a symbol of cooperation and solidarity, soldiers of Indo-Tibet Border Police

(ITBP) and Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) also participated in this march and encouraged the

participating children and youth with their presence. Deputy Commissioner of district Shimla Mr.

Onkar Chand Sharma, Advisor-cum-Consultant to the HP SDMA, Dr. R. K. Sood, ADM (Protocol) ,

Shimla Mr. Man Singh Verma and the State Project Officer GoI-UNDP DRR Programme Mr. D. C.

Rana were among the dignitaries present during the flag-off of the Citizen’s Solidarity March.

As another remarkable milestone

in the h i story of D isaster

Management related affairs in the

state, the official website of the HP

SDMA was launched by the hon’ble

Chief Minister. The website i.e.

www.hpsdma.nic.in is a source of

information over

disaster-related subjects and

contains vital pieces of information about the overview of national as well as state and district-

level disaster management set-up, hazard profile of the state, IEC materials etc.

comprehensive

Flagging off of Citizen’s Solidarity March by Hon’ble CM, Himachal Pradesh

Launch of the website of HPSDMA by Hon’ble Chief Minister

Snapshots: Citizen’s Solidarity March


The Citizen’s Solidarity March which was flagged off by the hon’ble Chief Minister of the Himachal

Pradesh reached its destination at the famous Ridge Ground where a team of skilled professionals

and servicemen of Himachal Pradesh Fire Services were ready to demonstrate a variety of

Emergency Rescue & Relief Operations through mock drills based on realistic situations.

Hundreds of participants from diverse occupational backgrounds watched the Firemen perform

some incredible mock drills and learnt the ways to reduce the impact of disasters.

As the main event of the IDDR 2011

celebrations, the Mock Drills organized

jointly by the Civil Defense, Fire Services

and Home Guards were applauded by

everyone present. These mock drills were

so attractive that they even grabbed the

attention of the tourists and people who

were just passing by. The Chief Guest on this

occasion was the Divisional Commissioner

of Shimla, Mr. Kashmir Chand who watched

all mock drills with great interest.

Director of Shimla Centre of Indian

Meteorological Department (IMD) Dr. Manmohan Singh and t

The

Deputy Commissioner, Shimla Mr. Onkar Chand Sharma, The

he State Project Officer, GoI-UNDP

DRR Programme, Mr. D C Rana were among the other dignitaries present for this event.

Students of 15 Government-run as well as private schools of district Shimla watched these mock

drills with enthusiasm. First Round of mock drills was focused on extinguishing different kind of

fires with the help of different types of fire-extinguishers. In what turned out to be a learning

opportunity for everyone present, the

Firemen demonstrated the use of

different types of fire extinguishers for

different classes of fires. The firemen

endorsed how ready they are for major

fire accidents. After this, the Deptt. of

Civil Defense and HP Home Guards

jointly demonstrated the ways of

carrying out different Rescue and Relief

operations in real-life environments

during emergencies.

Mock Drills on Emergency Rescue & Relief Operations

Snapshots: Mock Drills on Rescue & Relief


After the splendid demonstration of Emergency Rescue & Relief Mock Drills by the HP Fire

Services Department, Civil Defense and HP Home Guards, the guests and all participants moved to

watch the ‘Exhibition on Disaster Management Equipments’ hosted by the City Disaster

Management Cell of the Municipal Corporation, Shimla.

After the mock-drills, exhibition

o n D i s a s t e r M a n a g e m e n t

Equipments was another crowd-

puller where people learnt about

various tools and equipments

which are very crucial for

e m e rge n c y re s p o n s e . T h e

Divisional Commissioner and the

Deputy Commissioner visited the

exhibition and watched the items displayed by various companies and departments. The officer at

the exhibition stall of HP Fire Services briefed about various fire safety equipments and the ways

to operate them during emergency situations. The Divisional Commissioner enquired about the

effectiveness of Smoke Detector and some other fire safety equipments.

The next stall was placed by a private company ‘Aska’ which deals in emergency response related

equipments. A motorbike by ‘Aska’ with attached fire extinguishers (cylinders) and some other

useful fire-safety features was the main attraction of this stall. The Deputy Commissioner of

Shimla, Mr. Onkar Chand Sharma said that this motorbike would be of immense potential for fire

fighting in cities like Shimla, especially in the inaccessible areas where we have narrow roads /

paths. Fire-proof apparel and few other fire-safety equipments were also displayed by ‘Aska’.

The stalls set-up by Shimla Centre of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), various models of

weather forecasting systems were displayed. According to the Director of the Shimla Centre of

IMD Dr. Manmohan Singh, these

forecasting systems play a crucial

role in early warning and thus,

help in reducing the risk of natural

disasters. All dignitaries who

visited the exhibition lauded the

efforts of the DM Cell of the

Municipal Corporation, Shimla for

organizing the exhibition.

Exhibition on Disaster Management Equipments

Snapshots: Exhibition on DM Equipments


As the state-level events of Samarth 2011 came to an end on 13th of October, 2011, a Concluding

Ceremony was organized by the HP SDMA and DDMA, Shimla at the Gaiety Theater, Shimla. The

Deputy Commissioner, Shimla welcomed the guests and all participants and presented an

overview of the events organized during the Samarth 2011. The Chief Guest of the Closing

Ceremony was Divisional Commissioner, Shimla who delivered the

valedictory address at the end of the programme.

The Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Mr. Onkar Chand Sharma formally inaugurated the final event

of Samarth 2011 at the famous Gaiety Theater. Mr. Sharma elucidated how different events were

organized in Shimla and other districts to build the capacities of the students, teachers and other

stakeholders in the DRR process. To give a summary of disaster-related facts about Himachal

Pradesh, a brief presentation

o n t h e h a z a r d s a n d

vulnerability in the state was

delivered by the Advisor-cum-

Consultant to the HP SDMA, Dr.

R. K. Sood. In an interesting

presentation, Dr. Sood revealed

different types of hazards

which Himachal Pradesh is

susceptible to and which people of the state need to get prepared for.

After an informative presentation by Dr. Sood, the Divisional Commissioner, Shimla Mr. Kashmir

Chand presented the valedictory address and officially proclaimed the conclusion of the ‘Samarth

2011’. In his address, Mr. Kashmir Chand extended thanks to the DC Shimla Mr. Onkar Chand

Sharma and the State Project Officer Mr. D C Rana and said the professionals of HP SDMA, DDMA

Shimla, Municipal Corporation, Shimla and all concerned agencies deserve praises for all the hard

work they have done to

organize ‘Samarth 2011’

. A f t e r t h e

Valedictory Address, Mr.

Kashmir Chand presented the

awards to the winners of

different school-level events

organized under the ‘Samarth

2011’ on 10th of October.

Shri Kashmir Chand,

s u c c e s s f u l l y

Samarth 2011: Closing Ceremony & Valedictory Address

Snapshots: Closing Ceremony

Samarth 2011: District-level events on IDDR 2011

This was the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh when all districts of the state organized

different events in connection with the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR). These

events witnessed an unprecedented participation of different stakeholders belonging to diverse

backgrounds. While some events were based on promoting awareness about school safety, other

events were focused on building the capacities of health workers, media professionals and

volunteers over disaster-related issues. Brief accounts of the events and/or activities organized by

the District Disaster Management Authorities and concerned departments of respective districts

is given below.

Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction

On the occasion of International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR 2011), a Capacity Building

workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction was organized by the district administration for the

employees of DC Office and officers of different departments of district Chamba. In this

workshop, participants learnt about the ways to reduce the risk of disasters through better

preparedness and following good practices that help in mitigating the disasters. As a larger

area of the district Chamba falls in Siesmic Zone-V, special thrust was given on the "Do"s and

"Don't Do"s to be followed before, during and after an earthquake.

Workshop on the Role of Health Workers in Disaster Management

The Civil Hospital, Nadaun organized a Workshop on the Role of Health Workers in Disaster

Management on 13th of October, 2011 in which staff nurses and other hospital staff were

oriented on providing and resuming and medical services in Disasters. The resource person for

the workshop Dr. Praveen Chaudhary informed the participants about the safety and health

care of patients and their safe evacuation in a disaster situation. The participants also learnt

the tips and techniques about maintaining hygiene and sanitation in order to avoid spread of

water and air-borne diseases.

Workshop on Role of Media in Disaster Management

On the occasion of IDDR 2011, the DDMA Hamirpur organized a 'Workshop on Role of Media in

Disaster Management' at Hamir Bhawan. Deputy Commissioner of district Hamirpur Mr.

Rajinder Singh presided over the workshop. Journalists from different newspapers

participated in the workshop and learnt about crucial aspects of covering the disasters or

emergency situations. On this occasion, Mr. Singh emphasized the role of media in the

dissemination of critical information which helps people to prepare for disasters.

District- CHAMBA

District- HAMIRPUR


A two-day Workshop on Disaster Management

The District Disaster Management Authority, Kullu organized a two-day workshop (13th to

14th of October, 2011) on Disaster Management for the officers of different government

departments and non-governmental organizations. On this occasion, the Deputy

Commissioner Mr. B. M. Nanta told the participants that district Kullu is very sensitive to the

risk of earthquakes, landslides and floods. District Disaster Management Plan has been made

to tackle these natural disasters to ensure effective prevention, preparedness and response.

The Deputy Commandant of NDRF's 7th Command Mr. Nityanand briefed about the role of

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in dealing with disasters. Mr. Nityanand said that the

teams of NDRF are well-equipped with all modern equipments to provide quick and effective

response at the time of disasters.

Disaster Safety Mock Drill Exercise

A Disaster Safety Mock Drill Exercise was conducted at the Mini Secretariat, Kullu on 15th of

October, 2011. The focus of the mock drill was to demonstrate quick response actions that are

taken during the natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. A team from National Disaster

Response Force (NDRF), Bathinda, Administrative Departments, Police, Home Guards, Fire

Services Officers, Traders and General Public participated in this mock exercise. On this

occasion, Brigadier Khanna told the participants that NDRF is conducting mock drills at many

places across the country. According to the Nodal Officer of District Disaster Management

Authority, Kullu and the Additional District Magistrate Mr. R. K. Paruthi, this mock drill helped

in developing new skills in the participants and officials of various departments.


District Disaster Management Authority, Mandi and the district unit of National Services

Scheme (NSS) organized a Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction at Vallabh Bhai Patel Govt.

Degree College, Mandi. Around 300 students of the college participated in this workshop and

learnt basic tips on disaster preparedness, mitigation and response. The resource persons for

this workshop were Prof. Hemraj Rana, Prof. Radhika Jamwal and Prof. Smriti Thakur who gave

an overview of Disaster Management Cycle, Role of Communities in Disaster Preparedness

and Response. President of NGO 'Saksharta evam Jan Vikas Samiti' Mr. Rajendra Mohan

presented a brief account of the Disaster Management scenario in India and Himachal Pradesh

and also explained about the DM framework at district level.

District- KULLU

District- MANDI


Workshop on the Role of Volunteers in Disaster Management

The District Disaster Management Authority, Shimla and the district unit of Nehru Yuva Kendra

Sangathan (NYKS) organized a one-day workshop on the role of volunteers in Disaster

Management at the Bhachat Bhawan, Shimla. More than 200 youths from different parts of

district Shimla participated in this workshop and learnt about the fundamental aspects of

Volunteering for Disaster Risk Reduction. During the workshop, UN Volunteer and Capacity

Building Associate (GoI-UNDP DRR Programme) Mr. Navneet Yadav shared his experiences of

working in disaster-hit Kashmir region. The youths learnt about the different ways how

dedicated and sincere volunteers can help the communities and local administration in

minimizing the losses during an emergency situations.

School-centric Events and Competitions on Disaster Risk Reduction

The DDMA Shimla, Department of Education and the DM Cell of Municipal Corporation, Shimla

jointly organized thematic events and competitions for the students of different schools from

district Shimla. A Quiz on Disasters, Poster Making Competition, Photography Competition and

Skits Competition on Disaster Preparedness were organized at Govt. Girls Senior Secondary

School, Portmore, Shimla on 10th of October, 2011. The quiz was prepared by the DM Cell of

Revenue Department, H.P. Govt. while the Nodal Officer, DM at the Directorate of Higher

Education Dr. Santosh Banyal coordinated the events. The winners of these events received

prizes on the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR 2011).

Capacity Building Workshop for Teachers and Students

District Disaster Management Authority, Shimla organized a one-day Capacity Building

Workshop for the teachers and students of different schools of district Shimla on 12th of

October, 2011. On this occasion, the Additional District Magistrate (Protocol), Shimla Mr. Man

Singh Verma gave an overview of the initiatives taken by the DDMA, Shimla towards reducing

the underlying risks of disasters in the district. The resource person for this workshop was the

State Project Officer, GoI-UNDP DRR Programme, Mr. D. C. Rana who delivered an informative

and interesting presentation on school safety and the role of teachers and students in disaster

preparedness at school-level. Mr. Rana cited the examples of Gujarat and Kashmir Earthquakes

and urged the teachers to learn from the lessons of these devastating calamities. Mr. Rana also

presented a detailed account of disaster-related vulnerability of the people of Himachal

Pradesh and shared some facts about the seismic profile of the state and the capital city

Shimla. Mr. Rana stated that it is in the interest of the people to build earthquake-safe buildings

as the state lies on high-risk seismic zones IV and V.

District- SHIMLA


Mock Drills on Hospital and School Safety

From 8th of October to 13th of October, 2011, a number of Mock Drills were organized by the

Department of Civil Defence, H.P. Home Guards and H.P. Fire Services in different schools and

hospitals of district Shimla. The major mock drills were organized at the Rippon Hospital and

the Ridge Ground on 10th of October, 2011. The DDMA Shimla, the Department of Education

and Department of Health and Family Welfare jointly coordinated these mock drills at different

schools and hospitals of district Shimla.


The Institute of Integrated Himalayan Studies (IIHS) of Himachal Pradehs University (HPU)

organized a conference on the occasion of International Day for Disaster Reduction 2011. Prof.

Eric Cohen of Hebrew University of Israel was the chief guest of this conference and the Head of

Department, Journalism and Mass Communication department of Vallabh Bhai Patel Govt.

Degree College Prof. Chaman Premi was the resource person in this conference. On this

occasion, many scholars of the Himachal Pradesh University presented their Research Papers

on Disaster-related topics. The D.S. of the HPU Prof. H.S. Banyal said that in a state like

Himachal Pradesh which is vulnerable to a number of natural disasters, it is very important to

create mass awareness on disaster preparedness. Cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC)

and the volunteers of National Services Scheme (NSS) participated in this conference. Assistant

Professor at Ghumarvin College, Ms. Rajkumari presented a paper on ‘Psychological effects on

the people affected in disasters'.

Workshop on 'Role of Volunteers in Disaster Risk Reduction'

District Administration and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangthan (NYKS) jointly organized a One-day

workshop on 'Role of Volunteers in Disaster Risk Reduction' at Sanskrit College, Solan on 13th

of October, 2011. The objective of the workshop was to create disaster-related awareness

among youth volunteers and to orient the volunteers over the skills pertaining to effective

response at the time of disasters. District Coordinator of NYKS, Ms. Era Prabhat encouraged the

youths to enhance their skills over disaster management. Explaining how citizens can reduce

the risks of disasters through better preparedness, the Company Commander of Home Guards

Department Mr. Sohan Lal elucidated the ways how communities can protect themselves from

Disasters. Former Principal of District Institute of Education & Training (DIET), Solan Mr. Harsh

Joshi emphasized the role of Volunteers in Disaster Management.

District- SHIMLA

District- SOLAN


Workshop on 'Role of Media in Emergency Situations’

District Administration, Solan and Department of Information and Public Relations jointly

organized a workshop on the 'Role of Volunteers in Disaster Risk Reduction'. Speaking on this

occasion, the Sub-Divisional Megistrate, Solan Capt. Raman Sharma endorsed the growing

significance of Media in disaster risk reduction. Capt. Sharma said that as disaster

management is a subject of national interests, media personnel shall realize their ethical

responsibility to help the administration in promoting awareness about disaster preparedness

and disaster mitigation. He stated that print and electronic media must coordinate with district

administration for the dissemination of correct and reliable information espcially at the time of

disasters or major accidents, terrorist attacks and communal riots.

Mock Drill on 'Earthquake and Fire Safety'

District Administration, Solan organized a Mock Drill on 'Earthquake and Fire Safety' at Govt.

Senior Secondary School, Solan. As a collaborative exercise done by the district administration

and the department of Home Guards, NCC and Health Department, this Mock Drill gave

realistic lessons to students on ensuring maximum safety at the time of an earthquake or a

major fire accident. During the Mock Drill, the AC Solan Mr. Rajesh Kumar informed the

teachers and students that preparedness is the best way to prevent disasters.

A one-day Workshop on Disaster Management

A workshop on Disaster Management was organized by the District Disaster Management

Authority, Sirmaur at the DC office on 13th of October, 2011. Speaking on this occasion, the

District Revenue Officer, Sirmaur Ms. Jyoti Rana advised all concerned departments to initiate

capacity building measures for their staff to make them prepared for disasters. Ms. Rana laid

thrust on proper and effective coordination among the departments to ensure quick response

during any emergency situation. Ms. Rana stated that it is vital to know that basic facilities like

first aid and drinking water can be of immense help at the time of disasters.

School-centric events on Disaster Risk Reduction

Thematic Quiz, Slogan Writing Competition and Poster Making Competition was organized in

different schools of district Sirmaur by the DDMA in collaboration with the Education

Department. A rally for spreading the message of disaster preparedness was also organized by

district administration and over 200 students from different schools participated in this rally.

District- SOLAN

District- SIRMAUR


Workshop on 'Role of Media in Emergency Situations’

District Disaster Management Authority, Una organized a one-day Workshop on 'Role of Media

in Disaster Management' on the occasion of International Day for Disaster Reduction 2011.

The main objective of the workshop was to enhance the capacities of Media professionals over

the coverage of crucial aspects of disasters before, during and after the occurence.

Highlighting the role of Media in issuing early warning and dissemination of significant

information, the Deputy Commissioner, Una Mr. K.R. Bharati endorsed that media

professionals must have sound knowledge of the local area and the potential hazards in that

area. Mr. Bharati emphasized upon the need of better communication and coordination

among the district administration, media and civil society organizations for effective response

at the time of a disaster.

District- UNA

Snapshots: District-level events in Samarth 2011

Samarth 2011: Media Coverage

Samarth 2011: IEC Resources for the Public

Conceptualization and Editing:D. C. Rana, State Project Officer (Himachal Pradesh) GoI-UNDP DRR Programme (2009-2012)

Design and Development:Navneet Yadav, Capacity Building & Training Associate (UN Volunteer)

For more information, kindly contact:

Himachal Pradesh Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA)

H.P. Govt. Secretariat, Shimla- 171002

Telefax: +91 177 2625657

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.hpsdma.nic.in

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