By Geoffrey Williams QFSM,ChFl,CIETecRI,MIFireE, CEO & President 3Ci Global Solutions Consulting Ltd., and CMTV Coast to Mountain Television Inc.
After the 2005 Mumbai floods, under the chairmanship of Dr Madhavrao Chitale, a fact finding committee of experts was set up to assess the disaster preparedness and management of Mumbai. A comprehensive report was published the following year, which became a handbook for the municipal corporation, and significantly influenced the 2009 national guidelines on urban flood management. However, there is urgent need to independently review and ensure implementation ofthe Committee’s recommendations, which continues to be sluggishly implemented for over a decade.
Celebrated architect and visionary Charles Correa would often bring up the parable of a frog in water – if you drop a frog in hot water, it will immediately jump out. But if you drop it in tepid water and slowly raise the temperature, it will swim around unawares, adjusting itself to the heat till it dies…Will Mumbai ever be able to leap out of the boiling water?
India is one of the world’s most flood-prone countries with 113 million peopleexposed to floods. According to a UN report India’s average annual economic loss due to disasters is estimated to be $9.8 billion, out of which more than $7 billion loss is due to floods. Flooding in urban areas is a particularly challenging problem.
Mumbai’s monsoon problems include:
- potholes
- overflowing drains
- flooding — are manifestations of a larger fundamental urban planning issue
- Mass population becoming affected
- Sewers heavily polluted
The city managers, urban planners and developers seem however to avoid the real challenges of climate change, especially towards global warming and rising sea levels.
Storm Water Drainage
Mumbai’s drainage system can deal with about 25 mm of rain per hour. In the suburbs, the drainage capacity is expected to double to 50 mm per hour through the Brimstowad (an awkward acronym for Brihanmumbai Storm Water Disposal system) projects. But, every year, Mumbai records several days of heavy rainfall, exceeding 65 mm per hour, which means extended flooding. Even the proposed enhanced drainage capacity of 50 mm per hour won’t be able to deal with this.
In 2005, the flooding of the Mithi river also hugely contributed to the deluge. Concerted effort are being talked about to provide basic civic amenities to slum residents which will assist in hygienically disposing their waste.
The first phase of deepening and widening of the Mithi River was completed in June 2006. The second phase, which started in April 2007 and relocated 5,000 structures, remains to be completed, as 1,300 structures are yet to be relocated.
Specific guidelines should be in place, so that strict action is taken against anyone, from polluting these streams.
So how did the emergency services and the public react to the floods in Mumbai?
As per the many press reports, The Mumbai fire brigade, Mumbai police and disaster management personnel from the civic body, along with divers from the National Disaster Response Force (NRDF), tried their hardest to help those affected by this sever flood. They are to be commended for their efforts and bravery.
In General, the public this time were very generous helpful and supported those people who were most affected by providing them with food and water. Equally, Gurdwaras, Temples, Mosques and Churches in the city opened their doors to stranded people of all faiths throughout Tuesday day and night.
We at 3Ci Global Solutions Consulting (www.3ciglobalsolutions.co.uk) decided to try and help our friends in Mumbai’s Fire and Rescue plus Police Services better help their own flood victims by offering quick tips, that emergency from crews around the world have successfully found useful for when considering the different types ofscenarios and ‘traps’which people have been known to get entangled in during flood emergencies.
Creating a Mumbai Flotilla?
One tip is the creating of a flotilla of different boats to help ferry people to safety. Mumbai Police may therefore in the future wish to consider placing a call out for people with boats to attend a well know marshalling point. This may create a flotilla of small boats and dinghies to help get people to out to safety.This however, is fine for those people who are trapped but still able to move, example: trapped on a roof.
But,what about the victim who is incapacitated and needs rescuing rapidly?
Here are two simple specific (technical) considerations followed by resolutions that
emergency services rescue teams should consider as they go about the business of rescuing people trapped in floods.
3Ci’s – Quick tips for Severely Trapped Flood Victims
SPECIFIC CONSIDERATION No-1
Consider if there is a victim trapped within pipe work submerged or partially submerged in water, e.g. sewer pipe, surface water draining system, etc. and the water is rising -or- in danger of rising and possibly completely submerging the trapped person.
SPECIFIC RESOLUTION No-1
If the victim is partially submerged and in danger of drowning, if practically possible, as a safety consideration to prevent water striking him/her in the face, consider applying a breathing apparatus set mask to the victim in an attempt to reassure him/her that they will still able to breathe in spite of their precarious situation. Although a SCBA set is not intended for underwater usage it will provide an emergency only solution to the problem. If correct SCUBA equipment is available then this should where possible be the preferred choice.
SPECIFIC CONSIDERATION No-2
Consider if a victim is trapped by a specific limb, e.g. leg, foot, arm, etc. within the pipe work submerged or partially submerged in water, e.g. sewer pipe, surface water draining system, etc. and the water is rising -or- in danger of rising and possibly completely
submerging the trapped person. What medical assistance may be available to assist in the rescue operation?
SPECIFIC RESOLUTION No-2
If the victim is partially -or- totally submerged and in danger of drowning, if practically possible, as a safety consideration to prevent water striking him/her in the face, consider applying a breathing apparatus set mask to the victim in an attempt to reassure him/her that they will still able to breathe in spite of their precarious situation. Although a SCBA set is not intended for underwater usage it will provide an emergency only solution to the problem. If correct SCUBA equipment is available then this should where possible be the preferred choice.
If in attendance, medical advice should be sought from a qualified Medical team and a dynamic risk assessment should be made to assess the dangers the victim may be in from drowning or developing hyperthermia and subsequent death.
Every effort must be made to try and stabilize the victim while trying to release his/her limb. In extreme cases and only as a last resort, amputation should ONLY be considered by a qualified medical person. Police and Fire and Rescue personnel should therefore liaise closely with the Medical team and be guided by their expertise; however, where any doubt or unease exists to the medical advice being offered regarding the condition of the victim from the Medical team's assessment, it is highly recommended that any objections are clearly recorded (and witnessed), as they are actually being given to the Medical team. Where severe concerns exist, an insistence should be made to the Medical team that a second Medical opinion should be rapidly sought. Normally Police or Fire and Rescue Officers are not medically qualified to Doctor Level, however it is deemed extremely advantageous to be extremely formal during such difficult rescue operations and make known any concerns that you may have in a calm, logical and precise manner. It is normal within most countries that the Emergency Medical people have responsibility for the medical condition of the victim but this should not prevent any concerns of their decisions and actions being questioned -if- genuine concern exists about the advice being offered.
Let us hope the rescue teams never have to make this call…………..but it’s worth being
made aware now, before any such eventuality arises!
