Disaster management cell in Bhopal Municipal Corporation is need of hour

BHOPAL: There is no separate disaster management cell in the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), presenting a risky scenario for the city during moments of crisis. Growing incidents in the city and the continuous mismanagement by the authorities is obvious. However, lessons are yet to be learnt.
"Presently, corporation does not have employees with proper training in disaster management in the state capital.It is only the fire department of the corporation that looks after the rescue operations during exigencies," corporation sources said.
"Interestingly, despite the recent incident of an overhead water tank collapse killing 7 and injuring 36 in Sai Baba Nagar near Arera Colony a week ago, the corporation is yet to plan a proper training of the officials associated with fire department to handle the situation in a better matter in such moments of crisis," they said.
Ironically, the fire department that has been shouldering the rescue operations responsibility is not only inadequate in terms of material, but also men who manage the show, officials said.
Congress corporator Mahira Salamuddin pointed out, "It is high time that the city had a trained staff for disaster management. The irony of the corporation is that even the existing infrastructure of the BMC is not sufficient to meet the needs of the fast developing Bhopal."
Currently, the corporation has only half a dozen officials for rescue operations during accident across the city. The BMC has only one rescue van, four fire-fighters and six fire stations for a population of 20 lakh.
However, the BMC is yet to learn from its past mistakes.
When water-logging was experienced in many lower parts of the city this monsoon, the BMC failed miserably to evacuate people properly. Difficulties were also experienced when the BMC rescue squad was not able to rescue 5 residents during a recent LPG gas cylinder blast in Jehangirabad area of old Bhopal. Ultimately, the victims lost their lives," Salamuddin said.
BMC commissioner Rajneesh Shrivastava also agreed that lack of infrastructure is one of biggest hurdles. "We have a trained staff of 7 officials for disaster management in the BMC. However, I agree that lack of basic infrastructural facilities have become a major problem for the rescue operation squad to operate during accidents and casualties," he said.
"The BMC has demanded proper fire-proof gear and a proper uniform for the personnel working for the disaster management squad. Proposal to replace the two fire-fighters which are in use for the past two decades will also be discussed with the mayor in council soon," he added.