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NEW DELHI: As the world marks “Earth Day”, a new report highlights the fears and anxieties of children who are caught in localised emergencies like a fire hazard in a congested slum or flooding in low-lying settlements and points out how disaster management plans lack a child-centric approach.
Capturing voices of children, parents and stakeholders from 15 settlements, home to economically poor communities from across Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Patna and Pune, the study says, “Across the city-level and state-level disaster management plans, there is an absence of child-centric approaches or even specific child-based needs.” The report was released by Bal Raksha Bharat (globally known as Save the Children) on Friday.
The settlements in the five cities were also selected based on exposure to hazards like low-lying areas, proximity to water bodies, high density and vulnerability of buildings and infrastructure among other factors.
The survey also shows that aside from the very immediate concern about Covid-19, people were largely concerned about flooding, water logging and fires. “These are factors that are largely missing from disaster management plans because their impacts are often localised and need to be addressed through urban planning programmes to improve living conditions. Dominant emotions of children when specifically asked about hazard occurrence and outcomes included fear, sadness, anxiety, and worries,” it says.
It says the absence of a child-centred approach is seen from the fact that Pune’s disaster management plan has only two references to children— one related to compensation and the other to feeding bottles in relief camps. Kolkata’s plan also has two references—one in the context of their vulnerability and the other around thermal comfort during first aid. Hyderabad’s plan considers children along with other special vulnerable groups and highlights the need for their requirements to be met during relief, without going into specifics.
In the case of Delhi, the disaster management plan has a hazard-centric approach rather than a vulnerability-centric one and no specific actions are highlighted for children.
Three locations – mostly home to marginalised communities living in slums and low income settlements – were surveyed by Bal Raksha Bharat to capture the experiences and concerns of those living there in addition to the qualitative analysis. In Delhi for instance the three locations include Yamuna Khaddar in East Delhi, Jahangirpuri in North Delhi and Mangolpuri in North-West Delhi. In Pune the locations are Hingane, Erandwana near Sutardara, and Yerawada. In Kolkatta the sites include Tiljala, Maheshtala and the locations in Hyderabad are Patel Nagar Colony, Saroornagar and Hayathnagar, Banjara Colony. In Patna the survey covered Banskothi in Digha, Mithapur in Ashok Market and Ketari Muhalla.
Mr. Sudarshan Suchi, CEO, Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children) said it is imperative to invest in research, preparedness, and operations to make the urban humanitarian response – well prepared, with adequate skills, with a coordination structure and SOPs in place.” He elaborated that the lower access to infrastructure and services, along with extremely high population density and poor infrastructure, massively increase the vulnerability of people living in substandard housing across slums, urban villages, unauthorised and regularised colonies and peri-urban areas to any disasters.
Capturing voices of children, parents and stakeholders from 15 settlements, home to economically poor communities from across Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Patna and Pune, the study says, “Across the city-level and state-level disaster management plans, there is an absence of child-centric approaches or even specific child-based needs.” The report was released by Bal Raksha Bharat (globally known as Save the Children) on Friday.
The settlements in the five cities were also selected based on exposure to hazards like low-lying areas, proximity to water bodies, high density and vulnerability of buildings and infrastructure among other factors.
The survey also shows that aside from the very immediate concern about Covid-19, people were largely concerned about flooding, water logging and fires. “These are factors that are largely missing from disaster management plans because their impacts are often localised and need to be addressed through urban planning programmes to improve living conditions. Dominant emotions of children when specifically asked about hazard occurrence and outcomes included fear, sadness, anxiety, and worries,” it says.
It says the absence of a child-centred approach is seen from the fact that Pune’s disaster management plan has only two references to children— one related to compensation and the other to feeding bottles in relief camps. Kolkata’s plan also has two references—one in the context of their vulnerability and the other around thermal comfort during first aid. Hyderabad’s plan considers children along with other special vulnerable groups and highlights the need for their requirements to be met during relief, without going into specifics.
In the case of Delhi, the disaster management plan has a hazard-centric approach rather than a vulnerability-centric one and no specific actions are highlighted for children.
Three locations – mostly home to marginalised communities living in slums and low income settlements – were surveyed by Bal Raksha Bharat to capture the experiences and concerns of those living there in addition to the qualitative analysis. In Delhi for instance the three locations include Yamuna Khaddar in East Delhi, Jahangirpuri in North Delhi and Mangolpuri in North-West Delhi. In Pune the locations are Hingane, Erandwana near Sutardara, and Yerawada. In Kolkatta the sites include Tiljala, Maheshtala and the locations in Hyderabad are Patel Nagar Colony, Saroornagar and Hayathnagar, Banjara Colony. In Patna the survey covered Banskothi in Digha, Mithapur in Ashok Market and Ketari Muhalla.
Mr. Sudarshan Suchi, CEO, Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children) said it is imperative to invest in research, preparedness, and operations to make the urban humanitarian response – well prepared, with adequate skills, with a coordination structure and SOPs in place.” He elaborated that the lower access to infrastructure and services, along with extremely high population density and poor infrastructure, massively increase the vulnerability of people living in substandard housing across slums, urban villages, unauthorised and regularised colonies and peri-urban areas to any disasters.
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