Generating awareness on disaster management

Cultural programme Generating awareness on disaster management Aminul Islam, Mymensingh Children participate at the art competition Photo: STAR World Vision Bangladesh, Mymensingh ADP for Disaster Management organised essay, quiz, debate and paintings competitions at its auditorium on September 28 to create awareness among children about the disaster management programme. The participants came from different schools sponsored by World Vision. A total of 120 children took part in the day long competitions. The children took part in the painting competition in three groups. The theme was 'disaster and necessary measures before or after a natural disaster takes place'. Later a discussion was held with Disaster Management official of World Vision, Md. Abdul Barek in the chair. Samarendra Sangma, manager of Mymensingh ADP, was the chief guest. Assistant Keeper of Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala Dulal Chandra Gain, Professor Pradip Kumar Biswas, journalist Fazlur Rahman Siddiqui, Professor Shamsul Fayez and art teacher of Mymensingh Zila School, Hasan Masud also spoke at the event. The speakers said that since Bangladesh is a country troubled with natural calamities, our youngsters should be more aware of how to deal with the situation. At the end of the programme the chief guest distributed prizes among the winners.

 

Disaster cover for D-day
29 Sep 2007, 0046 hrs IST ,TNN

BANGALORE: It's finally happening. On Saturday, when around 55,000 cricket fans throng the Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, Incident Command Post (ICP) will be ready to face any eventuality. A group involving 14 different civic and security departments in the disaster management team, will monitor the event from 9 am till the event winds up. The Bangalore urban district administration, under the guidance of the National Disaster Management Authority, has decided to set up this command post at the stadium. The team will act upon any kind of disaster at the premises instantly. The administration has a first to its credit with this. This is for the first time in the history of Indian cricket that a disaster management endeavour is being undertaken by a district administration, says deputy commissioner M A Sadiq. "Events attracting huge crowd may also attract any kind of disaster. It thus becomes important to undertake this exercise in order to prevent, manage and mitigate possible tragedies," the chief disaster controller said. Departments involved in this scheme are revenue, BBMP, police (law and order, traffic and control room), fire, bomb disposal and detection squad, department of health and family welfare, BWSSB, Bescom, department of information, department of medical education and Tejus Crisis and Trauma Foundation, an NGO. As a part of the emergency needs of the exercise, the district administration will ensure arrangement of 10 beds for first aid, 10 doctors to attend on the spot, 15 paramedical staff and 10 ambulances would be made available at the venue. In addition to this, about 200 beds will be reserved at 10 different hospitals across the city. Security meeting: The city police held a meeting on security with the KSCA office bearers. The spectators are allowed inside the stadium from 10.30 am and children below three years are not allowed. "Water bottles, boxes, bags and crackers are not allowed inside the stadium. Everybody will have to pass through metal detector and people who come with restricted baggage will be sent back, DCP (central) B N S Reddy said.

International Fire Safety Security & Disaster Manage...

 

 

International Fire Safety Security & Disaster Manage...

September 28, 2007 (Friday) Bombay Exhibition Centre , Mumbai , Maharashtra

International Fire Safety, Security & Disaster Management Expo ushers in a new era of safety, security and self-reliance. India is gradually becoming a super power and along with the positive v...

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Micro Technologies deploys disaster management solution in Mumbai

Micro Technologies deploys disaster management solution in Mumbai

CHENNAI: Micro Technologies India Ltd plans to deploy a pilot project of Micro Disaster Management System (DMS), which works to prevent and reduce the loss, destruction and suffering in an event of social concern.

Mr Vijay Nahata, Municipal Commissioner, Navi Mumbai launched the product for the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

Micro DMS is a hardware and security system that uses sensors to control unmanned premises such as hospitals, residential complexes and small organisations.

In case of an intrusion, fire, gas leakage, drastic changes in temperature, power failure or any such emergency, the system transfers this information instantly via SMS to alert the officials concerned. - Our Bureau

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Conference on Disaster Management

Ministerial Conference on Disaster Management on Nov 7-8

New Delhi, Sep 18 : The Second Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Management would be held here on November 7 and 8, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said today.

In a high level meeting, Mr Patil reviewed the preparations for the meet in which many Asian countries including China, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Malaysia would participate.

The countries of the region would take up serious measures to prevent disasters and provide timely relief and rehabilitation to the victims.

The first such conference was held in Beijing a few years back.

Meanwhile, India would have a Tsunami Warning System which would come into effect by end of 2007, sources said. This system that was indigenously prepared, would help India in advance warning of any tsunami striking the coastal states so that preventive measures could be taken beforehand to minimise any loss of life and property.

Earlier, an e-GoM was held on September 6 to review the status of relief and rehabilitation work undertaken in states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands followong the Tsunami in 2004 which claimed thousands of lives and destroyed property worth crores of rupees.

 

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Children need disaster preparation

Children need disaster preparation

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A U.S. family-science professor said talking in advance to children in a realistic -- but calm -- manner is the best way to prepare them for a disaster.

"Give children enough information that they feel empowered to know what to do in an emergency," Judith Myers-Walls, of Purdue University, said in a statement. "Don't rely on one big talk but instead look for teachable moments, because you will have to present these lessons repeatedly through the years."

Myers-Walls said it is important to increase awareness but not feed fear. For example, tornado drills can be monthly basement picnics during which the family plays board games lit by flashlight.

"That's not scary," said Meyer-Walls," and it fosters family togetherness, whether or not that family ever has to face that emergency."

Meyer-Walls advised letting children know that:

-- They can ask questions, even difficult or uncomfortable ones.

-- Television brings helpful information in an emergency but also fear-inducing titillation.

-- A disaster is highly unlikely to strike home but if it does, their parents will do everything they can to keep them safe.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

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Instability of Slopes: Serious Hazard In Goa

clipped from www.navhindtimes.com Instability of Slopes: Serious Hazard In Goa by Nandkumar Kamat LANDSLIDES like the one obstructing the road at Porvorim are caused by slope instabilities. A landslide includes all kinds of mass movements on hill slopes that can affect the safety of human settlements, building services or infra-structures. The Porvorim landslide was largely caused by degradation induced by humans and partly caused by high rainfall. The landscape can be considered in equilibrium with the regular meteorological conditions, drastic modifications of the landscape, such as natural hazard phenomena, can thus be linked to extraordinary circumstances.

Reuters.com - Thousands flee homes as fresh floods hit Bangladesh

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Thousands flee homes as fresh floods hit Bangladesh

Sun Sep 09 10:46:03 UTC 2007 (Adds latest flood toll, details) DHAKA, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Large swathes of Bangladesh were underwater again on Sunday after heavy rains, adding to the misery of millions hit by flooding that has killed more than 830 people since late July. Weather officials said that nearly 20 of the country's 64 districts were flooded after three days of rain swelled major rivers flowing through India into Bangladesh. At least three people, including a child were drowned, raising the death toll to 833 from monsoon flooding since late July, officials said on Sunday. Heavy showers caused water logging in the Chittagong port city, disrupting traffic, local residents said. Hundreds of shanty homes were inundated along the country's Cox's Bazar coast as rain and winds set off a "moderate surge" in the Bay of Bengal, meteorology officials said. The rains have also triggered fresh floods in the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, the officials said. Thousands of Bangladeshi families that returned to devastated homes after the previous flood had receded in most areas were forced to flee again, disaster management officials said. Witnesses in the northern Gaibandha district said many people had headed to highways and embankments for safety, while others had taken refuge on boats or on the roofs of houses. The floods covered vast areas in the country's northeast and southern areas, disrupting communications and, with rains continuing on Sunday, more areas were expected to be engulfed. The fresh floods inundated newly planted rice and other crops on more than a million hectares. "The previous floods washed away my house, cattles and crops ... but I had started to piece life together," Gaibandha villager Shahed Ali told reporters. "I managed to replant some seedlings but they have been destroyed again." Floods kill hundreds of people and wreck the lives of many more in Bangladesh every year, but this year's deluge has been the worst since 2004 when floods killed more than 3,000 people. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) in Dhaka said worse could lie ahead because the annual monsoon was still very active in the Ganges, Meghna, and Brahmaputra river basins. "Experience shows that the floods of late August or September last longer," said FFWC head Saiful Hossain. The meteorological department forecast heavy to very heavy rain in various parts of the country over the next 24-48 hours. (Additional reporting by Nazimuddin Shyamol in Chittagong)

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Microwave Popcorn Aroma May Have Triggered Consumer's Lung Problems

Wednesday September 5, 2007

CityNews.ca Staff

To some, it's the most wonderful smell in the world, a mouth watering invitation to dig in and enjoy a movie. But researchers are warning that the aroma of microwave popcorn may actually be hazardous to your health. You may remember a few years ago when workers in factories that make the tasty treat began filing lawsuits over  lung problems they maintain were caused by regular exposure to the chemicals used in flavouring the product.

Now a Denver heart specialist claims to have discovered the first case of a consumer who came down with similar complaints after making the snack in his microwave several times a day for years. The physician admits his diagnosis is a controversial one and that more study needs to be done before anything is confirmed. "We cannot be sure that this patient's exposure to butter flavored microwave popcorn from daily heavy preparation has caused his lung disease," cautions Dr. Cecile Rose of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center. "However, we have no other plausible explanation."

Popcorn makers weren't happy about the findings, and believe their products are safe. But the announcement was enough to make those behind the scenes take action. An entity known as the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association has written its members urging them to reduce "to the extent possible" the amount of a substance known as diacetyl used in butter flavourings. And at least one manufacturer, Weaver Popcorn Co., has now decided to replace that ingredient altogether because of the consumer scare.

What should you do? Don't panic. Whatever is going on here isn't very common. "There have been no other cases that we know of other than the industrial occupational ones," assures hospital spokesman William Allstetter. Both he and Dr. Rose remind the public this is a single case and a single circumstance and isn't enough to suggest microwaving popcorn on a semi-regular basis can lead to serious disease.

The patient in this instance ate "several bags of extra butter flavored microwave popcorn" every day for several years, according to the physician. That's a frequency few consumers can match. He suffered from increasingly worsening respiratory problems, including coughing, shortness of breath and trouble exhaling. Things seemed to improve after he stopped using the microwave product. Tests on the airborne levels of diacetyl in the man's home after he made the salty snack showed they were equal to those found in the plants where the problem first surfaced.

Your best bet? Use the product in a well ventilated area, avoid breathing it in, or switch to a diacetyl-free brand. Or you can use a hot air popper the next time you sit down to watch a DVD at home.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_14414.aspx

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