The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : SOPs to tackle disasters

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Monday, Dec 01, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

SOPs to tackle disasters

Special Correspondent

State departments to get ‘standard operating procedures’

SOP for police to deal with disaster response
Education Department to look into school safety

Thiruvananthapuram: Major government departments in the State will soon have standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place to help them cope with natural disasters and other emergencies and accidents.

A two-day workshop organised by the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, which concluded here on Saturday, finalised a draft outline of the procedures for the State police and the departments of Health, Education, Public Works and Revenue.

While SOP for the police will deal with disaster response, that for the Health Department will focus on hospital management. The procedure for the Education Department will cover school safety. As the nodal agency for coordinating rescue and relief operations during natural calamities, the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management will have a SOP on emergency operations.

The draft of the various SOPs were presented and discussed at the workshop. They will be released after consultations with the respective heads of departments. The workshop was organised under the Disaster Risk Management Programme supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Delivering the keynote address, Kamal Taori, retired IAS officer, highlighted the crucial role of Panchayati Raj institutions and the need for public-private partnerships in disaster management.

He called upon the representatives of line departments to focus on good governance in disaster management.

Nivedita P. Haran, Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management; James Varghese, Secretary, General Education; Teeka Ram Meena, Secretary, Planning and Economic Affairs; Piyoosh Rautela, Executive Director, Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre, Uttarkhand; Ajith Chacko, State Programme Coordinator, Disaster Risk Management Programme, UNDP; and officials from the departments of Revenue and Disaster Management, Public Works Department and the Police participated in the workshop.

Increasing complexity

Speakers who addressed the delegates underlined the need for government departments to contend with the increasing complexity in emergency response techniques and equipment. They called for better coordination and sharing of resources in disaster management.

The workshop was organised with the objectives of providing emergency service providers with better understanding and helping them navigate the maze of regulatory and administrative requirements.

Managers, on the other hand, need a mechanism to convey operational guidance to the members and ensure departmental compliance with laws, regulations and standards. They need tools to direct and control the rapid pace of change. Well-designed SOPs help fill both needs.

For individual workers, SOPs clarify job requirements and expectations in a format that can be readily applied on the job.

They explain in detail what the department wants them to do in the situations they are most likely to encounter. For department managers, the advantages are equally great.

According to UNDP officials, SOPs provide a mechanism to identify needed changes, articulate strategies, implement regulatory requirements, enhance training and evaluate operational performance.

Participants in the workshop discussed the procedures for crisis management, resource management, coordination with other departments during emergencies and mock drills. The roles and responsibilities of line departments and disaster preparedness and response were evaluated.

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