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| Rice Cooking - From the truck bed |
Last time it was the 2018 floods that left a havoc in Kerala. And, now in 2024, we have another catastrophic incident in Wayanad. It's all shocking to see how much of land has been scarred, and wiped out. While I write, the search and rescue operation are yet to reach many areas.
So, this post is not about why and how of the nature's fury or how we can stop these from happening. This post is about how we can organize, prepare a team with all equipment, technology backup- so that many lives can be saved..
Disaster Management - Rule Book
Here's a question that should be asked?
- What are we learning from each disaster
- What new steps did we do this time?
- What did we lack?
- Did the team coordination improve?
- What tools did we lack and which things has helped us this time?
- What tools can we have in our kitty so that our ground force will become more resilient to face such situation?
- How to mobilize funds, manpower and essentials to the site?
- How to give proper rest facility for the crew? ( Very important)
- How to keep their morale high and bring people to work in this mission?
- I wish there's an online resource book which could be referred by such teams. Imagine, such a online documents which can help teams to make checklist and get things done.
Disaster Management - Camp Office in Every District
Looking at the frequent occurrence of landslides, flooding in our state, we require a full fledged camp in each district. These teams will coordinate with local authorities to reach each site and start working out the plan of action. Also, each team should possess state of the art tools, ropes, lights, safety harness, jack hammer, chain-saw, rappel device and locking carabiner, climbing helmet, climbing harness.flashlights, stretchers, tents, portable loo, etc. \
What all are the modern tools for disaster and relief work?
Thermal Imaging Cameras: These devices detect heat signatures, allowing rescuers to locate people trapped in dark or submerged areas.
Drones: Equipped with cameras and sensors, drones provide aerial views of flooded areas, helping teams to assess situations and locate individuals.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR): Used to detect structural damages and locate trapped individuals beneath rubble or debris.
Satellite Phones: Provide reliable communication when traditional networks are down.
Two-Way Radios: Essential for team coordination, especially in areas with poor cellular coverage.
Incident Command Systems (ICS): Software platforms that help in managing and coordinating rescue operations and resources.
High-Visibility Vests: Ensures rescuers are visible to others and protects them from accidents.
Waterproof Clothing: Keeps rescuers dry and protects them from the elements.
Respirators and Face Masks: Essential in situations with hazardous conditions or polluted water.
Pumps and Water Removal Equipment: Used to remove excess water from buildings and streets.
Portable Generators: Provide power to essential equipment and lights in areas where electricity is unavailable.
Medical Kits: Equipped with supplies for treating injuries and providing first aid.
Robotics: In some advanced operations, robots can be used for navigating debris and performing tasks that are too dangerous for humans.
Real-Time Data Sharing Platforms: Enable teams to share information, updates, and coordination details quickly and efficiently.
( ChatGPT ☝️ Answer based on a prompt)
How to get power on such camp sites when normal power is disrupted?
Long back I saw a video of big round blobs with light attached to strings used to bring light. In times of such disaster, when natural light is less, then one option is to use generator or batteries. Apart from that, power could be sourced by solar panels. But, it's bulky. Best options would be of power generators carried on truck beds. It might be noisy, but that's one way to get power on the site.
What are the dry foods which can sent as donation to such relief camps?
1. Energy bars ( From kappilandi muttai, to bars made of nuts and seeds is ideal for people who are on the forefront of rescue. It will give them good energy supplement)
2. Biscuits ( Kids will find some solace)
3. Milk powder and tea, coffee powder
4. Breads ( limited life) and jams
5. Tapioca ( raw ), Sweet potato. This can be prepared at the camp site and served hot in the evenings.. Also dried meat could give good energy. Or small onions and kandhari as a side dish.
6. Rice and dried fish. All relief camps would require rice.
7. Eggs ( Best form of energy ). I think a boiled ethaka (banana) and egg could give good energy to people in relief camps and . ( I think other districts should collect this and send it to relief camps.
8. Noodles ( Magi can donate it) Nestle corporation are you listening. Btw, there are other noodle brands, such as Top Ramen, Knorr, Ching's Secret,, etc. All of them can set-up noodles food truck at the site! Noodles, with chopped veggies, beef slices, or egg. It could be a good supplement as evening snack.
9. Milk ( Packeted milk ) like Nandini, Good Life, Muralaya ( and condensed milk) or Milma, Amul can donate milk packets to relief camps.
10. Water - Bottled water, water for sanitation. Water tanker will play a key role in the supply of drinking water to the site. It could be used important to carry water for bathing, for toilets and washing hands.
Other portable facilities required at the site
1. Mobile wash rooms
2. Tents and temporary rooms for monitoring and for relief operations
3. Place to get dry and have a good bath.
4. Resting Place
Clothing Required
1. Towels ( Contributions from Kitex to Khadi to private manufactures)
2. Undergarments ( This is essential for men, women and children) Hope the undergarment manufacturers form a group to send required items to camps and other centres)
3. Tshirts, women's pyjamas, cotton shorts and Nightie
Novel way to prepare food at camp sites!
This is something I thought today. One aspect of such disaster area is the lack of facility to prepare food at relief camps and food for people who are in the forefront for search and rescue effort. Often, food will be prepared at a location in a safe zone and brought to camps and distributed to people.
Here's another option!
We have seen how concrete mixers work and turn the concrete on the way to the site. Similar way, I was thinking of a lorry or a pick-up truck, which have facility to prepare food on the truck bed are. So, here are the three types of food that can be prepared. (such vehicles can cook the food with the power from portable generator or gas cylinder)
1. Rice
2. Kappa and sweet potato
3. Bananas ( Nedrakaya) and Egg
So, here's the modus operandi
Here's how it works. We require truck or mini trucks to run this operation. The bay area has to be modified with big steams for boiling bananas, gas stainless steel rice bulk cooker for making rice and space for keeping other vessels.
So, just imagine a pick up truck or bigger one, modified with such fitting will make food hot and serve it to people in the camp. Probably, IZUZU DMAX owners of Kerala can plan such a stuff. Here's the link to a gas based stainless steel rice cooker.
Ys. So, at the spot, each such truck will prepare food such as rice, kappa, bananas, egg etc. Wow!! People would really love to have food hot, especially when they are tired, mentally drained and looking for some solace.
So, if we have three such vehicles - one used exclusively for preparing food. The power will be generated by the vehicle or gas cylinders which will power the requirements.
There will be space to store water in overhead tank and also space to keep raw materials. There will required ramp for people to work safely and facility to drain water ( after boiling the rice, banana, or kappa ( yuka, tapioca)
What do you think of this plan? Is there any such modified or working truck which makes food. It could be thought as a modified food truck for large scale food preparation on the site! .
Drone Support from Private Individuals
I saw one Govt post on their facebook.post telling public to avoid visiting disaster area. It's done for a reason - such disaster attract people who wishes to cover and post it on their channel. And, such kind of involvement can hamper many relief efforts.
How about requesting ameture drone experts to fry drones and find
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| Stainless Steel rice Gas Based Rice Cooking Vessel |
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| AI generated image of a truck preparing rice |
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| Dmax Izuzu - Pick Up Truck ( Dmax owners in work on this idea & supply food at the relief camp) |
Govt can ask for help from off-roaders ( Jeepers in Kerala), Pick Up Truck ( Dmax ) owners to support in transporting and getting materials to camp sites and rescue sites.
This will be a big help for the rescue operations, if private volunteers can join in. However, proper planning as to done, and tracking of all movement of vehicles should be monitored in a command centre. The command centre could be started in a Wayanad - probably a big auditorium where they have big digital screens and white board to track the flow of material, support staff is monitored.
Imagine, a mission Wayand is set-up to the level of a Tesla Rocket launch command centre. Here all stages are meticulously planned, which has all the inventory tracked from govt officials, volunteers, military support, and other teams.
But the question is do we have such a planning system? How is the current plan being taken?
Who does the tracking of people, movement of food, transporting of injured to the hospitals? I hope, it's all going on war-footing! Question is, whether it's all done with proper coordination all teams on the groud!
For example, this team in the control centre can call for food delivery, requirement of water other essentials, etc.
Also, in another instance, there was a video of a politician who was telling that all the required stuffs are available and there's no need for any food. However, a RJ Feroz mobilized people in Trivandrum to send an ambulance with food, dress and other stuffs to Wayanad. So, the question is how we get to know the right situation on the ground.
We Need one official source will be the right one! It's just that one person putting a short negative video about the event and it being shared around.
We need a round the clock, announcement using a YouTube Live, or Facebook LIve which can come in every hour, updating the requirement. This must be the primary source of information which will also provide details of things required and where to reach, etc.
A live portal, with the information from each spot - activities of that spot!
Right now, there's a lot of negative news of CMDRF and how the funds for 2018 floods got diluted, etc. So, to dispel all these, govt can go on a reboot mission and unite people of Kerala for one big purpose::
1. Get all teams to do fast and effective search and rescue
2. Provide mental, financial and relocation of people displaced by the landslide
3. Provide a long term mission to support such operations in future.
4. How to effectively mobilize funds from public and track the flow of funds. ( Transparent use of funds)
5. Provide one-source information. Govt can set up a spokesperson to provide accurate and timely information. A team of anchors, supported by data will be ideal. Round the clock monitoring of materials, flow of donations, from all sides.
6. MLAs and MP's can show a proactive step by donating one month's pay or more to this cause. ( Be the role model)
Question is, how transparent and correct will our system grow?
How to Provide Lighting at Night?
For all such operations, we require many portable generators!
Just image this kind of modification on the bed of Dmax pick up truck - a 9 foot pole with lights! The pole is a collapsible one ( Telescopic pole) , which can be folded to a 3 or 4 feet pole.
The lights on the pole will be powered by generators. The purpose is to give power and lights to the camp site and places where search team is camped.
The Dmax owners in Kerala can propose such an operation to the Govt. The cost will be borne by the volunteer. All that is required is the right coordination, and information about where they have to reach and how their services will be used.
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| AI Generate Image of Pickup Truck with Lights |
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| Volunteers with Pick-up-truck -Lights at Night |
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