State Policy on Disaster Management, 2012

The Himachal Pradesh State Policy on Disaster Management 2012 was released subsequent to the adoption of the HPSDMP ( Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Plan ). Largely based on the National Policy on Disaster Management 2009, the State Policy provides an overarching framework of disaster risk management for the State.

 Vision :

Himachal Pradesh disaster management is to Build a safe and disaster resilient Himachal Pradesh by developing a holistic, proactive, technology driven, and community based strategy through a culture of prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response. The same vision should inspire the HPSDMP.
The Aim of the Policy as follows:

The Policy aims at providing guiding principles for reducing, preventing, mitigating disaster risk and creating a system for effective disaster response. The Policy also aims at providing guidelines for post disaster relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction codes and guidelines. The policy also aims at consolidating the existing practices and procedures in DM and to issue new directions keeping in view the provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005. In a nutshell, the Policy aims at taking forward the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The State Policy defines six elements of disaster management continuum, namely the

• Pre-disaster phase of prevention
• Mitigation and preparedness
• The post-disaster phase of response
• Rehabilitation
• Reconstruction 
• Recovery

All these elements shall be integrated in disaster management plans that would be developed through a combination of top-down coordination and bottom-up approach. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction has made at least six major departures in the global framework on disaster management that are relevant for the State. These are:

a) For the first time the global framework on disaster management has outlined the activities that should be taken up at the national and sub-national level for implementation of the framework.

b) For the first time the global framework has fixed a set of outcome-based global goals and targets of disaster risk reduction, which implies that similar goals and targets, as apprprate,have to be pursued at the national and sub-national levels.

c )The Framework has prescribed ‘all-of-society’ approach for disaster risk management which means that all the stakeholders have to be involved for the development and implementation of HPSDMP.

d) The Framework has further prescribed a ‘whole-of-government’ approach by emphasizing the need to strengthen disaster risk governance.

e) There is significant shift in emphasis from disaster management to disaster risk management by focusing on understanding risks and investing on risk prevention and mitigation as well as ehancing disaster preparedness for effective response, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

f) There is considerable emphasis that disaster risk reduction is essential for sustainable development across various sectors, in particular, poverty reduction, food security, health, education, habitat, infrastructure, environment and natural resource management. It is important that all these issues are adequately incorporated in the updated and revised HPSDMP.

HPSDMP 2012 is detailed and comprehensive. :

Part-I of the Plan starts with a brief profile of the State; makes vulnerability analysis and risk assessment in respect of all natural and manmade hazards; outlinesthe prevention and mitigation measuresincluding strategiesfor mainstreaming DRR ( Disaster Risk Reduction ) in development; lists out the preparedness measures necessary for the State; provides a detailed blueprint of response plan including institutional and trigger mechanism, relief and rehabilitation measures; mentions the recovery plan; suggests mechanisms for partnerships with various stakeholders including GO-NGO coordination; discusses the financial arrangements; and highlights the need for knowledge management and documentation of best practices.

Part-II of the document comprises detailed Disaster Specific Response Plans in respect of four main natural hazards of the State, namely earthquake, landslide,snow-avalanche and flash floods. Part-III of the Plan deals with coordination and implementation, and review and updation of the Plan. The revised HPSDMP followsthe same structure with appropriate modifications as considered necessary. HPSDMP 2012 follows the National Disaster Management Guidelines on Preparation of State Disaster Management Plans issued by the NDMA in 2007, but it fails to take into account nearly two dozen guidelines issued by the NDMA on different aspects of disaster risk management. The updated and revised HPSDMP incorporated the guidelines of the NDMA as relevant and appropriate for the State. The Plan provided a common reference point for all the departments and agencies of the State Government, district administration and otherstakeholdersinvolved with disaster managementin the State.

All the 12 districts of the State and the Municipal Corporation of Shimla have prepared their respective disaster management plans in conformity with the State Plan. However, only five Departments of the State Government – Animal Husbandry, Higher Education, Home Guards, Public Works Department, and Town and Country Planning - have prepared their departmental disaster management plans. None of the departmental disaster management plans conform to the standards and specifications ofsuch plan, particularly for mainstreaming DRR in sustainable development in the context of Sendai Framework and Sustainable Development Goals.

Considering the importance of departmental plans for mainstreaming DRR, the State Government has recently finalized a Model Template for preparation of Departmental Disaster Management Plan. This has been taken into consideration in the updated and revised HPSDMP. HPSDMP 2012 catalyzed development of a series of functional, operational and procedural documents on disaster management in the State. These include the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Responding to Disasters, State Disaster Management and Relief Manual, Emergency Operation Centre Manual, Guidelines for On-Site and Off-Site Emergency Plans for Factories and Industrial Units, Guidelines for Conducting Earthquake and Fire Mock Drills in Schools and Educational Institutions, Standard Operating Procedure for Averting Threats Emanating from Landslide Dams on Rivers in Mountainous Regions etc. All these SOPs and Manuals have been appropriately factored in the updated and revised HPSDMP.

The Vulnerability Assessment and Risk Analysis in the Plan were conducted on the basis of various secondary sources, which highlighted the need for evolving a comprehensive Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis (HRVA) in the form of an atlas. The Government of Himachal Pradesh had commissioned development of the HRVA Atlas of Himachal Pradesh based on data from primary sources. The online digital Atlas was launched this year providing a hands-on tool for risk analysis by various departments and agencies of the State Government as well.