Planning for disaster management of an old city area: case study of borough 5, Kolkata

Abstract

The Yokohama Framework identified the 4Rs of disaster management as Reduction, Readiness, Response and Recovery. In other words, they are known as Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. The understanding behind disaster management is that every area in the world is prone to hazards – both natural and manmade. In order to combat disasters, there are various measures taken by the State such as setting up of Disaster Management Authorities at every level of governance as well as Institutional provisions such as Building Bye laws. In countries with a distinct urban core or the old city areas, the situation is very different as compared to newer city areas. The present study is focused on old city areas of Kolkata. The Building bye laws being more prescriptive than performance oriented, they are flouted in the existing built space. Moreover, other challenges – demographic, physical, socio economic and Institutional increase the hazard vulnerability of these areas. The weak state of infrastructure in old city areas leads to secondary hazards such as urban flooding due to highly silted drainage systems. The high population density of old city areas leads to a high casualty risk in the case of disasters. Legal issues such as Rent Control Acts lead to discouragement for the building owners to retrofit their structures, inculcating a defeatist attitude towards disasters and leading to high disaster vulnerability to building collapse. Similarly, a lack of zoning regulations in the old city areas lead to mixed land use in these areas, leading to a risk of fires and building collapse. In the present study, the disaster vulnerability situation of old city areas in Kolkata has been studied. Borough 5 of Kolkata has been selected as it is one of the oldest areas of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The study is divided into three sectors of disaster vulnerability – Physical, Socio economic and Institutional. Through tools such as GIS mapping and statistical methods such as SEVI SOVI index, the disaster vulnerability of old city has been calculated and compared to newer city areas. Institutional provisions in Kolkata regarding disaster management have been compared to ideal requirements and successful case studies to identify gaps in the disaster management framework. Accordingly gaps have been identified in the study area, which are detrimental to the 4 Rs of disaster. Through the results and findings of the analysis, gaps have been identified in the physical and institutional infrastructure. Accordingly, proposals have been suggested in the Disaster Planning for Disaster Management of an Old City Area – Case Study of Borough 5, Kolkata ii Management framework in consideration to old city areas. Simple retrofitting measures such as dampers have been proposed for house owners with tax incentives. Fire fighting measures have been suggested for emergency response through Physical, Institutional and Community Participation strategies. Urban flooding has been addressed through structural measures. Finally, gaps in the stakeholder roles and responsibilities have been addressed through a proposal on stakeholder roles and responsibilities along with avenues for funding.