Disaster Management Awareness among Teachers in a Town of Haryana Shivaliks: A Case Study of Morni Hills

INTRODUCTION

All the world governments are concerning about the natural disasters such as Tsunami, Earthquake, Floods, Volcanic eruptions and strong winds. In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly declared the decade 1990-2000 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction with the objective to reduce loss of lives and property and restrict socio-economic damage through concerted international action, especially in developing countries. In India, the Indian Government is taking all the possible efforts to reduce the effects of natural disasters. Though the Government made considerable scientific and material progress the loss of lives and property due to disasters has not yet decreased. Natural disasters affect both developing and developed countries. The developing countries like India are gravely affected in terms of the loss of lives, adversity bared by population and the percentage of their GNP lost. Since 1991, two-third of the victims of natural disasters was from developing countries, while just 2 per cent were from highly developed nations. Those living in developing countries and especially those with limited resources tend to be more adversely affected. With the alarming rise in the natural disasters and vulnerability per se, the world community is strengthening its efforts to cope with it.

DISASTERS IN INDIA:

A natural disaster might be caused by earthquakes, flooding, volcanic eruption, landslide, hurricanes etc. Floods are the most common natural disaster in India. The heavy southwest monsoon rains cause the rivers to expand their banks flooding the surrounding areas and kill thousands and displace millions of people. Excess, erratic, or untimely monsoon rainfall may also wash away or otherwise ruin crops. Almost all of India is flood-prone, and extreme precipitation events, such as flash floods and torrential rains, have become increasingly common in central India over the past several decades, coinciding with rising temperatures. Mean annual precipitation totals have remained steady environmental effect and/or human loss and frequently incurs financial loss. In order to be classified as a disaster it will have profound environmental effect and/or human loss and frequently incurs financial loss.

AMONG THE TEACHERS:

Disaster management is emerging as an answer to the major challenge of calamities and the University Grants. Commission (UGC) has approved introduction of an optional paper in the subject at under graduate (UG) levels across universities and colleges in the country. The UGC has also decided to introduce it as one of the topics in orientation and refresher courses offered by the Academic Staff Colleges (ASC) for teachers as well. The overall initiative is an effort to spread awareness and step up public preparedness to meet any exigency in times of disaster (www.ugc.ac.in, 2013). Teachers are responsible for disseminating the information of disaster management among the students. Especially, teachers of higher education are expected more to be aware of the details and measures and actions to be taken at the time of natural disasters. In order to find out that whether the University/College teachers are having disaster management awareness, this study has been carried out.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the present study are: • To find out the Disaster Management Awareness of the teachers of higher education • To identify whether any difference in the Disaster Management awareness pattern between the male and female teachers of higher education

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Sample: The sample comprised of 20 College teachers (10 males and 10 females) from Morni Hills and adjoining areas. The sample population of teachers did not go for any Disaster Management courses and undertake any training in Disaster Management. Sampling Technique: Self prepared questionnaire was used for measuring the awareness of College teachers teaching undergraduate students of colleges situated in Morn Hill area in Haryana regarding Disaster Management. Tool: Disaster Management Awareness Questionnaire (DMAQ) was developed and tested with 20 college teachers. The questionnaire administered among the teachers has 16 questions. The maximum score is 80 and the minimum score for the questions is 16. The DMAQ contains questions related to the General Awareness about Disaster Management

STUDY ARE:

1. Hypothesis (H1): There will be no significant difference between the awareness regarding Disaster Management in male and female teachers of colleges situated in Morni Hills. 2. Hypothesis (H2): There will be no significant difference between the awareness regarding different dimensions of Disaster Management in male and female teachers of colleges situated in Morni Hills.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The results of the study are given in the following tables. Table-1

Table-1 conclude that there is significant difference between the awareness regarding Disaster Management in male and female teachers of colleges situated in Morni Hills scores at 0.05 level of significance which is not significant. It shows that there is no significant difference on awareness regarding disaster management in male and female teachers of colleges situated in Morni Hills and the female teachers got lesser scores in the Disaster Management Awareness. The Null Hypothesis (H o ) is accepted here.

different dimensions of Disaster Management in male and female teachers of colleges situated in Morni Hills. The results show that there is no significant difference between the male and female teachers in the Disaster Management awareness and the knowledge about disasters and Disaster management has to be enhanced.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that Disaster Management Awareness is the most wanted and essential knowledge which should be improved among the teachers of colleges situated in Morni Hills. Curricular and extracurricular activities of Disaster Management which are to be included in the college curricula should be given more attention. Readiness to help the affected people at the time of disasters, humanity towards affected people, planning, preparedness, precautions, rescue methods – both the male and female teachers should be given in-service training in all these categories. Concepts of Disasters and Disaster Management aspects should be included in the Curricula of Colleges or Institutions providing higher level studies.

REFERENCES

1. Toman, MA; Chakravorty, U; Gupta, S (2003). India and Global Climate Change: Perspectives on Economics and Policy from a Developing Country. Resources for the Future Press. ISBN 1-891853-61-9 2. Sharma, D.K. (1989). Population processes under the influence of disasters occurring independently of population. Journal of Humanities, 27(2), pp. 167–178. 3. Kumar, R. (1990). Psychosocial processes in disasters. International Journal of Mental Health, 19, pp. 7-20.

Department of Sociology, Indira Gandhi National Open University