Effective Safety And Disaster Management A Must
All over the world we have disaster management bodies, in reality they should be professionals because the safety of the people post disaster depends entirely on how swiftly and effectively the foot soldiers of the disaster management bodies act, any panic, misjudgment or even hesitation could add to the loss of lives in greater numbers. Internationally, we also do have safety bodies, monitoring the safety standards for the wellbeing of the people who work in those environs and around it, in different spheres; they too should be professionals with a sound technical knowledge of the subject under their safety periphery. We have different safety bodies, industrial safety, construction safety, road safety, beach safety, antiterrorism and among others, mines safety. All these safety bodies should come under the umbrella of one general safety management body. Averting disasters should be their primary duty and concern, having said this, we also know that there will always be some disasters that will befall even with the most professional security apparatus in place, that should be the time for the disaster management to show it's professionalism. In India and in Goa, from experience both these bodies may be partly or fully in existence but unfortunately not active enough nor professional enough to be effective. It is a pity and the ugly truth that our Government does not think that safety and disaster management should be a priority and hence at the top of their agenda. Do our Authorities seriously think that Goa is untouchable and immune to disasters ? Goa has been very high on the terror list for a long time, no doubt our Government acknowledges that but does it amplify any gusto to be prepared at all times ? Few years back there was a cloud burst and the flood that followed was indeed a disaster, losses in lives and property that could have been averted and avoided were lost because of the time and professional factor, with what followed, the lack of disaster management exposed the apathy and the shortsightedness of our Government, even the relief was misdirected for their own benefit. Even then did we learn something or anything at all ? This year so far we have had two mining disasters, thankfully and fortunately no lives were lost, but none the less disastrous for the environment and our ecology. Fertile fields and water bodies inundated by rainwater, mining dust and mining rejects, destroying plants, water bodies and fields, causing irreparable damage to the cause of nature, and all that the Mine Management had to say was "the incident occurred despite adopting best Mine Management and it was caused by incessant rains" ? Is Goa situated in the Gulf of the Middle East, where few days of rain in a year is a novelty ? It is an unacceptable excuse. In Goa the average rainfall in more than most parts of India and at times pours for days, so wasn't the Mine Management aware of this yearly occurrence ? Ignorance of the facts is unacceptable, as, there should have been the safety management, whose duty it should have been to oversee all aspects of negligence, mismanagement and its overtones for the safety of the people working and the environment around. The Director of Mines Arvind Lolienkar in all his authority, finesse and arrogance had to say "the State has already reported two major accidents this monsoon. Such a situation has never happened earlier. The mining firms will have to be more cautious towards workers' safety and nearby villages" as though he had won two gold medals at the Olympics. Shouldn't the Director have been working to make sure that no such incidents ever occurred, instead of waiting for them to happen and if occurred, take the concerned authorities to task or even seal the mine, till such time that all aspects of safety are in place and adhered to ? Isn't this is what The Director of Mines suppose to do ? The adherence of the safety laws and procedures is made mandatory at the time of issuing leases and licenses and should not be reminded every time there is a tragedy but strictest punishment accorded to the non-complying, to enforce the laws effectively so that disasters are avoided. The apathy and the ineffectiveness of our Authorities have left the people insecure and apprehensive about the things and the times to come. At this point in time what we need, are not antique ideologies disbursed by antiques themselves, who are out of sync with time and place, in their own opaque time zone but Effective management handing out and enforcing effective ideologies of the present transparent era. Dead wood should be burnt or buried, and not left around to decay it's self and it's surroundings. Effective Safety and Disaster Management is the only way up and out of this stagnant and moribund situation. Wise up Goa ! Freddy Agnelo Fernandes ##################################################################################### The content of this electronic communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and any others who are specifically authorized to receive it. It may contain confidential or legally privileged information. 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