Following the major impact of the 2015 floods in Chennai, the government of Tamil Nadu has been putting special focus on flood mitigation measures in the city. An analysis of the steps taken by the government shows some measures have had positive impacts, some not so much, and specific gaps that need to be addressed.
The formulation of the Advisory Committee for Mitigation and Management of Flood Risk in the Chennai Metropolitan Area has helped in identifying the challenges and planning mitigation measures.
Frequent pre-monsoon preparatory meetings have strengthened the coordination between various agencies.
The usage of social media to receive grievances from the people has helped in reducing the time taken to address them. The sharing of contact details of the nodal officers and relief centres for each zone in the city has helped the people reach out when in need. The readiness of the government in increasing the number of community kitchens based on need, is to be appreciated.
However, some methods being followed now need to be improved to cover all those in need. For instance, during heavy rains and flooding, the focus is mostly on low-lying, flood-prone, and other areas known for stagnation. Beyond topographical features, the social profile of areas has to be considered too for devising measures.
Even in areas not so flood-prone and not earmarked as vulnerable, there would be people who may need assistance. The urban homeless, are often found residing on streets even in commercial areas, which may not be prone to flooding. But, they do need food and other assistance.
We need to realise the genuine reasons behind the reluctance to move to relief camps in some cases. They often stem from a situation, wherein moving from their usual place of residence, would lead to losing their livelihood. There should not be a situation wherein relief assistance is not confined to relief camps. Or that they should not be forced to choose between the two — livelihood or assistance.
Some homeless persons taking refuge in either a bus stand or a railway station or in front of a closed shop during rains, despite the elaborate relief arrangements in camps, only reflect that there remain factors related to pre-existing vulnerabilities that remain beyond popular perceptions. The complex heterogeneous nature of homelessness needs to be understood in this context.
The government of Tamil Nadu should come forward to consider adopting a ‘Monsoon Plan for the Homeless’ with provisions to address the vulnerability and needs of specific target groups. Food distribution points, deployment of health workers and supplying of medicines are among the provisions that could make this plan effective and would help the homeless develop trust in the government agencies.
The fear and mistrust, quite often found among the homeless against various steps by government agencies has developed over time. But, a sensitive approach in including them in the larger canvass of disaster relief framework with a clear understanding of their realities, would go a long way in earning their trust back.
[The writer is the founder of Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC)]