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  • 27/02/2005

www.indiadisasters.org

A GOOD HELP

This is arguably the first Indian website to deal with disasters. And www.indiadisasters.org covers a broad canvas: from hooch tragedies to the recent tsunami. Even the growing number of accidents that take place during the various festivals in India find a place in the site. The site classifies disasters as human-made, natural and those caused by other factors. There are sub-catgeories that classify disasters as major and minor tragedies. Besides, there is a update that lists all major disasters that have struck India since independence; each entry contains a brief summary of the actual tragedy.

But the site does not confine itself to the mere listing of disasters. It also shows that many disasters have a political angle to them. That is why it lists the refugee problem in India as a disaster.

The site attempts to understand disasters in their social, political, economical and scientific context. This makes it quite unique. It takes note of how people in different parts of the country deal with a variety of disasters. There is also an interesting section that lists all disaster-related questions tabled in Parliament, starting from droughts in different parts of the country to militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. This helps us in getting a sense of how our policy-makers react to disasters. The website's home page promises to bring in new features such as a practical manual on disasters, columns by experts and even volunteer service. Log on to it.

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