Editorial: The Challenge of Earthquake Recovery

An editorial in the New York Times [reprinted on this page] details of how, two years since the Haiti earthquake, much of the rebuilding works, even the urgent ones, have not been completed. Despite an international collaboration to aid the recovery, a return to normalcy is still awaited there. It may be recalled that on 12 January 2010, an earthquake measuring  7.0 on the Richter Scale with its epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately 25 km west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, struck Haiti. As per official Haitian Government estimates, 316,000 people were killed, 3 lakh injured and 1,000,000 made homeless.

The 18 September 2011 earthquake of Sikkim was only fractions smaller in magnitude, measured at 6.8 [or 6.9 by some sources], and although there might be technical and even demographic reasons why the damage here was much less severe in comparison, the State should consider itself very lucky to have escaped less scarred. Two years on, recovery efforts are still floundering in Haiti despite its desperate situation and earnest efforts by all concerned. The Sikkim temblor is barely four months in the past, but there is much it can learn from the Haiti experience to avoid getting caught in similar listlessness. For the record, despite the unprecedented scale of earthquake, the government here rose to the challenge effectively and the rehabilitation programme has been expansive and inclusive. Several initiatives have been taken since to ensure that Sikkim’s recovery is not hamstrung by opportunism or corruption. A White Paper has been announced and a special committee appointed to oversee the rehabilitation process, whetting details from project proposals to funds sanctions. But, as the Haiti experience reveals, good intentions alone are not enough and the challenge of recovery has to be met with dedicated application, complete transparency and quick decision making. The non-realisation of committed funds, a problem Haiti has lived with for two years now, is being felt in Sikkim as well. Against the State’s requirement of some Rs. 7,400 crore, the Centre has committed only a little over Rs. 1,000 crore thus far. Agreed, the entire sum was never expected to be cleared as one package, and it has since been explained that part of these funds will come tied to centrally sponsored schemes and other special projects. What cannot however be ignored is that the straitjacketed regulations governing centrally sponsored schemes might not work very well with the special requirements of earthquake recovery in Sikkim. It is important thus that work begins to modulate individual earthquake recovery projects to suit the CSS regulations they could attract and clear projections made on how much more than ‘normal time funds’ will be required. It is important to bear in mind that recovery is a long process, and time can, at times, distract administrative attention from the task. This could happen to earthquake recovery in Sikkim as well, and although the lay people will not directly suffer and will receive assistance and support to rebuild their lives, delay in the reinforcement of affected infrastructure could have long-term and more damaging impact. This is a real risk facing Sikkim and should not be lost focus of.
The attention of the Centre has already shifted to other ‘problems’ and one can expect a longer battle for the State to acquire the funds it requires for earthquake rehabilitation. It would be advisable for the State to tap the goodwill it enjoys not only in Sikkim, but around the world. It will have to embrace transparency for that and a simple way to do this would be to launch a website dedicated to earthquake recovery. This could carry all details like the proposal submitted to the Centre, the number of projects sanctioned [and explaining them], urgent issues still requiring assistance. Such an effort, without being confrontational, will sustain a pressure on the Centre and hopefully loosen its purse-strings for Sikkim. This will also make the entire process transparent and above board, thus countering the cynicism which any task involving so much money is bound to attract in Sikkim. Such an effort, because it will clearly flag all requirements and status updates, will also attract wider collaborations for Sikkim in sourcing funds, expertise and professional help that the State desperately requires.