Despite initial steps from district collectorate and state, city awaits foolproof master plan.
After German Bakery blasts exposed the ill preparedness of authorities regarding disaster management, both Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) as well as district officials announced disaster management plans to provide immediate assistance in case of emergency.
However, three years after the incident, the plans are yet to materialise as Pune is still awaiting a master plan for disaster management.
Immediately after the GB blasts, the then district collector Chandrakant Dalvi had held a meeting which was attended by representatives of 19 hospitals.
Dr DG Kulkarni, medical superintendent of Sassoon General Hospital, said, “It was decided that the district will be divided into various zones and major hospitals will co-ordinate in each zone for better management in case of disaster. Sassoon hospital was supposed to be the nodal centre but nothing has happened so far.”
However, even as the district authorities were contemplating the plan, the state government had also announced policy regarding emergency medical services for the entire state. To avoid duplication, Pune district’s disaster management plan was merged into state’s disaster management plan. Post that, a study was conducted and a need for network of 60 ambulances for the entire district including 30 ambulances for Pune city was identified. It was decided to activate 108 as emergency helpline across state and for Pune district, Aundh Civil Hospital was proposed to be the centre point. But the plan is yet to move further, said sources.
And a Silver lining...
Meanwhile, PMC has also followed state government’s footsteps and prepared an integrated ward-level disaster management plan for the city limit.
Under this plan, the PMC authorities have identified vulnerable spots of the city. According to the plan, the disaster management system will work at the ward level. The medical emergency will be handled by the health officer while other emergencies will be monitored by the ward officer. The municipal authorities have also connected all ward offices through video conferencing. Ganesh Sonune, coordinator of the disaster management cell of PMC, said, “Minor work of the cell is pending and the project will kick off in the next couple of months.”
However, the plan has not come into effect fully. After the serial blasts on Jungli Maharaj Road, the disaster management plan failed to alert fire brigade and ambulance service. Even in the recent incidents of building collapse in Taljai or slab collapse in an under construction building in Wagholi, there was no coordination between the authorities and ambulance service was alerted late.
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