The response to rescue and emergency services is decidedly different for a disaster than accidents. Disasters are unavoidable uncertainties which occur due to normally natural causes such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, landslides, tornadoes, tsunamis, etc.
The devastation and damage from these disasters is large in scale. The immediate total damage and loss is a onetime event. The magnitude and extent of loss makes it prominent on media and the response to these calamities is immediate. Large public organizations and resources are mostly ready to respond.
The other dimension is the high frequency of small accidents that occur on almost daily basis all over Pakistan. The cumulative effect through the years of these accidents accumulate into losses both monetary and human, greater than several large disasters. From road accident to drowning, boat capsizing, mining accident, bridge collapse, LPG cylinder blast, aircraft safety, marine accident, rail accident, the list is long.
These small but deadly accidents generally go unnoticed and without causing any change in the policy of the government. The target of disaster relief has to be ready for large catastrophe and at the same time have safety standards to prevent/mitigate accidents of all types.
For the past days the government and community is trying to address accidents and it is heartening to see the enforcement of safety helmet usage by motorcyclists. The poor working conditions of coal miners is also being highlighted in the media.
A lot of efforts and formulation of safety procedures need to be done in the issuance of license, underage drivers, vehicle fitness, lane discipline, LPG decanting of cylinders, fire safety equipment in buildings, emergency exits in high-rise buildings, obsolete machinery in industry, derelict buildings evacuation. Understanding by conducting research on occurrence and prevention of these accidents all over the country can result in mitigating loss.
The other major issues in the near future which also might need attention are fighting the forest fire. With the completion of ‘Billion Tree Tsunami Project’ and start of the ten billion target, we need to develop firefighting abilities and protocols.
The creation of heat wave in Karachi is also a relatively new phenomenon. Its root causes along with reduction in its effects should be investigated. Greenhouse effect, urban planning, water provision, hospitals, climate all have indirect impact to this phenomenon.
The need of the hour is for government policy, disaster agencies, media, donors and general public to not focus only on the low frequency, large event but to eliminate and prevent frequently occurring small accidents causing greater cumulative damage over the years. It is hoped that with vision, dedication and hard work, the inter-connecting organizations, sectors will coordinate better to develop prevention and response strategies.