Disaster Management and Safety in Infrastructure Projects
Environment & Ecology
- PYQs2
- Articles1
Background
Disaster management is a core GS3 topic. The safety of workers and the public in large-scale infrastructure projects, particularly in vulnerable regions like the Himalayas, is a significant governance and development challenge, often leading to human and economic losses.
Disaster management encompasses preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts to minimize the impact of natural or man-made calamities. In the context of large infrastructure projects, especially in challenging terrains, robust safety protocols and disaster risk reduction strategies are crucial to protect workers and surrounding communities.
Facts & tables
- Legal Framework
- India's Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides the legal basis
- Key Aspects
- Focuses on risk assessment, early warning systems, and emergency response
- Specific Hazards
- Underground projects face methane bursts, rockfalls, water ingress, GLOFs
- Implementation Gaps
- Challenges include enforcement of safety norms, worker training, and geological unpredictability
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Environmental Law & Policy |
| Conceptual area | Physical & Regional Geography |
| Conceptual area | Welfare Schemes & Social Policies |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) | Apex body for disaster management |
| State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) | State-level disaster management |
| Ministry of Labour & Employment | Formulates occupational safety standards |
| NHPC Limited | Implements projects, responsible for site safety |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Factual recall
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
- Covers preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery.
- Critical for projects in hazardous zones (Himalayas, mines).
- Includes risk assessment, early warning, safety equipment.
- Legal framework: Disaster Management Act, 2005.
- Challenges: enforcement, training, geological surprises.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2014 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
Timeline
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Environmental Law & Policy
Conceptual area
-
Physical & Regional Geography
Conceptual area
-
Welfare Schemes & Social Policies
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2014
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2019
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Buried questions: On the Sikkim tunnel accident
Effective disaster management and stringent safety protocols are essential for infrastructure projects, especially in hazardous environments, to prevent accidents, protect lives, and ensure project resilience against natural and man-made disasters.
See also
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In the news
Buried questions: On the Sikkim tunnel accident
Effective disaster management and stringent safety protocols are essential for infrastructure projects, especially in hazardous environments, to prevent accidents, protect lives, and ensure project resilience against natural and man-made disasters.
Try these PYQs
With reference to ‘Eco-Sensitive Zones’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
2. The purpose of the declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities, in those zones except agriculture.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Eco-Sensitive Zones are not under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, of 1972. They are notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. While they often surround protected areas like wildlife sanctuaries and national parks established under the Wildlife Act, they are a separate mechanism. Statement 2 is incorrect: Eco-Sensitive Zones do not prohibit all human activities. The purpose is to regulate and manage specific activities to minimize their impact on the sensitive ecosystem. Some sustainable activities like agriculture, local communities' traditional practices, and eco-tourism may be permitted with regulations.
As per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in India, which one of the following statements is correct?
* Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 mandate the segregation of waste into three categories - biodegradables, dry recyclables (plastic, paper, metal, etc.), and domestic hazardous waste (diapers, napkins, etc.). * The SWM Rules, 2016 apply not just to urban areas but also to urban local bodies, notified areas, census towns, all industrial townships, special economic zones, State and Central government organisations, places of pilgrimage, religious and historical importance. * There is no restriction on moving waste from one district to another. Waste generators can transport waste as needed for disposal, treatment, or processing. * Waste processing facilities will have to be set up by all local bodies having a population of 1 million or more within two years. * For census towns with a population below 1 million or all local bodies having a population of 0.5 million or more, common, or stand-alone sanitary landfills will have to be set up in three years. * Also, common, or regional sanitary landfills to be set up by all local bodies and census towns with a population under 0.5 million will have to be completed in three years.