Speech By Her Excellency The President Of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil At The International Seminar On Global Environment And Disaster Management: Law And Society

Ladies And Gentlemen,

I Am Very Happy To Be Here At The Inaugural Session Of This International Seminar Organized By The Government Of India, Along With The Supreme Court Of India, The Delhi High Court And The Indian Law Institute. It Will Be An Opportunity For Discussions On The Linkages Between The Disciplines Of Law, Disaster Management And The Sciences, As Well As To Identify Legal And Technical Issues Of Contemporary Significance With Relation To The Environment.

Over The Years, We Have Witnessed Severe And Unexpected Weather Patterns. In This Situation, Managing The Environment As Well As Mitigating And Adapting To The Many Impacts Of Climate Change, Will Be One Of Our Most Important Challenges. This Knowledge Should Prepare Us For Taking Suitable Actions. Here, I Am Reminded Of The Words Of Goethe, The 18th Century German Philosopher, Who Said, "Knowing Is Not Enough, We Must Apply; Willing Is Not Enough, We Must Do."

We Must Collectively Work To Protect Our Planet And Its Immense Richness Of Flora And Fauna, Its Rivers And Mountains. Our Economic Growth Must Be Undertaken With A Responsibility Towards Our Environment And Humanity At Large, Particularly The Disadvantaged Sections. Our Development Must Be Sustainable. That There Has Also Been, In Recent Times, A Greater Frequency Of Disasters, With Acutely Severe Fallouts Is A Reality. How Do We Deal With These Will Be The Focus Of My Intervention. Experience The World Over Has, Time And Again, Shown That Destruction Caused By Disasters, Can Be Minimized By A Well Functioning Disaster Management System. Lack Of Such Systems Can Be A Recipe For Even Greater Disaster. What Is Needed Is Efficient Policies And Institutional Support Right Up To The Stage Of Rehabilitation Of Affected Persons. We Must Put In Place Disaster Warning And Preparedness Systems That Are Effective. Similarly, Relief And Rehabilitation Work Should Be Quick And Well Co-ordinated. Some Man-made Disasters Can Be Averted By Strict Adherence To Safety Norms And Regular Maintenance Schedules. It Is Imperative That Agencies Involved In This Area, Evolve Fully Functional Partnerships, So That Reaction To Such Events Can Be Timely, Efficient And Effectual.

In India, Disasters Have Occurred With Regularity. These Include Events Like Floods, Droughts, Cyclones, Earthquakes, Landslides And Avalanches. In Addition Mining, Industrial And Biological Disasters Have Occurred. Disasters Impede Social And Economic Growth. Some Studies Suggest That Close To 56 Million Indians Are Hit Every Year By Disasters. This Underscores The Need For Change In Orientation, From A Relief Centric Approach, To A Holistic Multidisciplinary Approach To Disaster Management. The Disaster Management Act And Policy In India, Has Focused On Environmental Compatibility And Sustainable Development As Strategic Issues In A Disaster Management Cycle. Policies And Legal Framework On Environment Have, On The Other Hand, Provided Alternatives For Reducing Hazards And Vulnerability In The Context Of Disasters. We Are Fortunately Anchored In Civilizational Values Which Treat Nature As A Source That Nurtures. It Is With This In Mind That The National Action Plan For Climate Change Was Introduced In 2008. It Focuses On Eight National Missions Which Will Be Pursued As Key Components Of The Strategy For Sustainable Development. The Judiciary In India Has Been Alive To The Need For The Protection Of The Environment. It Has Given Judgments And Orders Which Have Had A Wide Impact On The Protection Of The Environment.

While Laws And Policies Have An Important Role To Play In Reducing The Impact Of Disasters And Laying A Framework, Awareness Levels And Conduct Of People Can Play An Equally Significant Role In Dealing With Natural Or Manmade Calamities. The Nature Of Public Reaction Can Either Help, Or Slow Down The Efforts Of Public Authorities To Reach The Affected. The World Has Been Witness To The Devastation Caused By The Earthquake And Tsunami, Which Struck The North-eastern Coastal Region Of Japan Earlier This Year, Which Not Only Left Thousands Homeless, But Took The Lives Of A Few Thousand More. One Of The Impressions Etched In Memory After The Japanese Earthquake Is The Calm Displayed By The People, Their Co-operation With Civil Authorities And The Orderly Way In Which The Very People Whose Lives Were Uprooted, Were Disciplined In Reaching Relief Camps. Disaster-responsive Public Behaviour Is Something That Must Be Inculcated Among The People. It Should Be Included As A Mandatory Subject In School Curricula And Public Awareness Campaigns Undertaken, Including Through Regular Mock Drills. What Are The Other Lessons That We Can Learn From These Great Tragedies?

One Lesson Is That Disasters Do Not Announce Their Arrival And, Therefore, There Is An Urgent Need To Develop A Culture Of Prevention And Preparedness. There Should Be Proactive Pre-disaster Action. For Example, There Is A Need To Firmly Integrate Disaster Planning Into The Development Plans, So That Disaster Management Is Mainstreamed Into Development. Every State Should Take This Up And Set Up Early Warning Systems As A Mandatory Action. Action At The Macro Level Is Not Enough, It Needs To Be Undertaken At The Micro Level. Take The Example Of Cities. With Increasing Urbanization More And More People Shall Be Living In Our Cities, Which Have A Greater Density Of Population. What Can Be Done To Reduce The Impact Of Disasters In Or Near Our Cities That Can Affect Millions Of Citizens? There Should Be Disaster Management Plans For Each Locality. While Constructing Public Structures, As A Part Of Contingency Planning For Disasters, The Possibility Of Temporarily Accommodating People Displaced In Disasters In Such Buildings Should Be Catered For. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (Jnnurm) Could Take A Step In This Direction. Special Disaster Management And Teams, Trained In Rescuing In Cramped Urban Areas Must Be Readied. Management Systems For Fallouts Of Disasters Like Fire, Medical Help And Prevention Of The Outbreak Of Disease, Among Others Are Also Required. In Rural Areas, Panchayati Raj Institutions Could Be Involved And, As A Time Bound Exercise, For Every High Potential Disaster-prone Village, Everyone Should Be Trained For The Various Steps To Be Taken. In The Same Vein, The Services Of Philanthropic Organizations And Ngos Can Be Utilized. Corporate Leaders Can Also Extend Their Support By Strengthening Disaster Preparedness Efforts In Regions Where Their Companies Operate, As Part Of Corporate Social Responsibility.

During The Immediate Aftermath Of A Disaster, The Focus Of Stakeholders Is Naturally On Rescue And Evacuation Of The Victims, And Attempts To Reduce The Death Toll, Through Medical Attention And The Provision Of Basics Such As Food, Water And Shelter. This Is The First Phase Of Any Disaster, But Its Consequences Can Linger On For A Much Longer Time. While Physical Loss Of Assets And Their Cost Is One Aspect, The Trauma And The Scars Left On Account Of Psychological Insecurity On Victims, Their Families And Society As A Whole, Also Deserve Focus. Social Challenges Surface, Such As The Fate Of Orphaned Children And Separated Families. All These Should Also Be Treated As An Integral Part Of Disaster Management. The Role Of Law In The Post-disaster Phase Cannot Be Any Less Than Other Aspects. In This Phase, The Legal System Can Ensure That There Is Transparency And Accountability Of All Activities, Including Compensation Amounts To Be Given To The Affected, Legal Assistance And Dispute Redressal Mechanisms.

These Are Just A Few Aspects Of This Vast Subject Area Being Discussed Over The Next Few Days. I Am Sure That The Deliberations At This Seminar Will Dwell On These And Will Build Channels Of Knowledge That Can Be Of Use In Research, Study And Implementation Of Techniques Of Disaster Management. I Congratulate The Organizers Particularly Justice Swatanter Kumar, Chairman Of The Organizing Committee, For Bringing Together Stakeholders For This Seminar And Inviting Me For This Inaugural Function.

Thank You.

Jai Hind