How to provide shelter during Disaster?

The physical conditions of the existing housing stock of India, particularly in rural areas, have substantially deteriorated over the years. Most of the houses in small towns and rural areas stand in dilapidated condition and warrant upgradation or replacement.

The bulk of the housing in the country is constructed by the people themselves or semi-skilled houses with varying standards and specifications without recourse to support from governmental agencies or financial institutions. In spite of quantitative and qualitative increase in housing stock during the successive five-year plans, it is estimated that every year nearly 1, 75,000 houses get adversely damaged or destroyed by different types of disaster.

House forms and building system have been traditionally adapted not only to local climatic conditions but to the availability and experienced structural performance of basic building materials. The major limitations of traditional materials in local applications are in their low resistance to extreme natural forces (e.g. earthquakes, cyclones, floods etc.) and lower durability.

As a result, the level and frequency of maintenance and the resulting lower service life of houses built with these materials have emerged as major constraints to their performance and durability and render most of these building vulnerable under the forces of natural disaster.

In the event of a disaster, these vulnerable structures give way, killing the occupants or injuring them. One of the immediate relief tasks is of providing alternate shelters to the survivors.

Shelter Relief

Part of the relief material distributed to the disaster victims may include building materials like roofing items, camping kit etc. This strategy is adopted very often. However, it may have a limited effect, as the community may not be aware of how to use them. Besides, these may not provide protection against recurring disasters.

When the settlement is completely destroyed or submerged, the population may have to be moved to a new location where temporary Relief Camps may be established. The Relief Camps may provide for essential services like food, water supply and health services in addition to meeting the shelter requirements.

In areas, which are prone to disaster, sometimes large structures may be erected in preparation for disaster. These large structures could be used to house the affected population. (It is important to note that such structures should be designed scientifically to withstand the anticipated disaster, otherwise they would offer no refuge when required).

In case of cyclones, designing and constructing of special multi-purpose anticyclone community relief shelters provide safe and secure accommodation to vulnerable population. This is done through construction in a phase manner of chain or network of such cyclone relief shelters all along the vulnerable coastline. It is erected so as to be within treatable distance from the threatened settlements.

The cyclone relief shelters can generally take care of a population ranging from 50 to 300 people (men, women, and children). These are provided as multipurpose community facility with spaces to be used for adult education, primary health centers, primary schools, vocational training and community center needs. This will be at elevated areas, to be protected from floods and also with a provision for community kitchen, ensuring water supply, sanitation, battery operated electric supply an in some cases with helipad landing facility. The flat roofs serve as places for air dropping of food, water and other packets.

These are of various shapes, which are able to withstand extreme cyclonic storms and offer least resistance to wind force. The sitting, orientation, shapes, structural strengthening features to contribute to the performance of the structures. In addition, other school buildings, community centers in the vicinity are also used as shelters in case the cyclone relief shelters are not available or are not sufficient to meet the needs.

In case of earthquakes, large community shelters if situated in mountain have to offer protection against the uncertain and strong weather including snowfall as also stand the effects of recurrent mild tremors. They have to be not only seismically resistant but also capable of being built in a short time and provide protection from the dicey weather as also security from wild animals like mountain wolves and tigers, which usually start prowling after the substantial death of a large number of people and cattle.

Removal of the damaged elements of the structures including debris and recovering people who are either injured or deceased also is a very major task that is required after disasters such as earthquakes and cyclones.

Shelter Rehabilitation

Shelter rehabilitation may be introduced as a long-term strategy in areas completely devastated due to disasters. Rehabilitation is usually required in case of earthquakes in which virtually all existing structures suffer damage and may be unfit for living.

However, rehabilitation strategies have their limitations, as they are resource-intensive and may take a long time to implement.

Shelter relocation on a new site and fresh construction of dwelling units may be adopted in areas where large scale devastation may have taken place. Such activities were carried out on a large scale in the state of Maharashtra following the major earthquake in Latur in 1993 and recently in Gujarat after the destructive earthquake of January 26, 2001.

However, in many cases, relocation may not be adopted if the community preferences are for their original places of residence. Also, in certain cases relocation as a strategy might entail higher costs making it infeasible. In such cases, as part of the rehabilitation, the existing structures may be resorted by repairs and retrofitting. Retrofitting means essentially the introduction of elements in the existing structures to provide reinforcements against possible collapse. Such retrofitting would also serve as a strategy to reduce the vulnerability of the structure against future disasters.

If appropriate earthquake resistant construction features were introduced, this would go a long way in reducing the damages during the occurrence of an earthquake. This is for normal housing and for structures, which are constructed by local people and are generally called ‘non-engineered’ buildings. Therefore, the level of technology inputs have to be left at a locally manageable level by giving the earthquake resistant construction features for walling, roofing, foundation, door and window fixing etc. using materials like mud, stone, steel, cement, concrete, roofing material etc.