In the wake of the recent terror attacks, an eight-member board chaired by the Prime Minister- the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) – has said that a public-private participation model for crisis management was key for business continuity in industry hubs like Bangalore.
Speaking to FE at a crisis management event, J K Sihna, member of NDMA, said, ?considering the Indian system of functioning, for effective crisis management, they (corporates) need to be well aware of the district, state and national level set up for disaster management, which requires a public-private partnership.?
Business continuity and contingency plans, which are well in place in top corporates of the city such as IBM and Northern Trust, are not common pan industries, with several companies often doing without organized systems, keeping only the perfunctory fire alarms and extinguishers in place.
?All corporates need to have a team within their organization dedicated purely to disaster management,? added Sinha.
NM Prusty, chief of party of the USAID International Resources Group Disaster Management Support Project, said, ?corporates must think for a moment that there are people outside also and ensure an off-site disaster management plan,? citing the Bhopal gas tragedy as an example where there were no deaths inside the factory due to the preventive measures, while thousands perished outside.
?Offsite plans are recommended by the government but the government can not force private companies to do these things,? he added.
Speaking of Bangalore?s readiness to handle a large disaster, Prusty said that due to relative infrequency of natural disasters, like in Orissa and Gujarat, the Karnataka government has a very soft and complacent attitude towards disaster management.
?The necessary systems need to be put in place in Karnataka. Does the state have a disaster management authority? No,? said Prusty.