Book Excerpt: Fractured Rehabilitation

One of the new houses built in the Latur-Osmanabad region as part of the quake rehabilitation effort. Notice the tin roof of the concrete structure. Photo: Atul Deulgaonkar

Woes after rehabilitation are numerous. After the devastating earthquake that killed and injured thousands of people, the second tragedy of Killari was that of the missed opportunity of doing rehabilitation the right way, despite several chances of course correction. 

The merits of decisions and actions of an individual or society can only be judged on the background of the contemporary milieu. The last decade of the twentieth century was a period of high hopes and anticipation of a progressive future. With the release of charismatic peace activist Nelson Mandela from prison in early 1990, the unfair and inhuman barriers of apartheid in South Africa were crumbling down. In the following years, South Africa became a proud democratic nation with Mandela serving as the first head of state. Another physical manifestation of division, the Berlin Wall was demolished by demonstrators the same year. Soon the Cold War ended which had once brought the world to the brink of nuclear fallout. Physical and symbolic divisive barriers of the old world were breached, and the march of democratic, liberal, progressive, and collaborative values seemed imminent. When the Killari tragedy struck in 1993, the world was sympathetic and proactive in offering help.

The initial response of the government to the tragedy was prompt and effective. As soon as news of the devastating earthquake spread, incumbent Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sharad Pawar rushed to the site. For the next 10 days, he virtually shifted his working quarters in the affected region, ensuring prompt and decisive functioning of administrative machinery. This gesture helped in getting urgent medical assistance to victims and expediting the setting up of temporary relief camps. In the initial days, several voluntary help organizations offered help and their committed workers toiled round the clock to rescue and assist the victims. Financial and material help was pouring in from all over the world. The USA, England, Japan, Spain, France, Belgium, and Netherlands sent cargos of medicines, tents, blankets, food items, and several other things. The World Bank was keen to provide financial assistance for rehabilitation. The corporate sector offered financial help and consultancy of experts. Several good citizens offered help in their personal capacity. Well-meaning experts from various fields proactively came forth to assist in the planning and execution of rehabilitation. People from around the world genuinely wanted to help, there was a strong sentiment not only to alleviate the agony of disaster and build back broken houses but to ‘build back better’. Before Killari, the role of government during disasters was largely limited to that of a passive distributing agent of aid. Killari marked the shift of expectation from the government, where it was expected to act as an advocate and active participant in the rehabilitation activity. It is in this context that the long-term failure of Killari rehabilitation is starkly delimited. It was a collective failure of government decision-making, administrative functioning, and lack of vision by the voluntary and social sectors.

The signs of the wrong direction in rehabilitation were visible from the start.

In the initial days of the disaster, Sharad Pawar declared restoration will be completed within 3 months. On 8th October 1993, he said “18,500 houses will be built by 8 contractors. People will be able to move into their new houses by 26th January 1994.” It was a proclamation of hasty, thoughtless rebuilding, an example of a top-down decision enforced on people without their consensus.

The social sector was prompt to understand and react to the folly of this hurried, prescriptive restoration plan. 240 voluntary organizations and concerned citizen groups around the nation condemned and protested against the government’s stance. “Rehabilitation plan should only be carried out with people’s consensus and participation”, they demanded. As the concern and debate captured national attention, governing bodies took cognizance. Secretary at the Ministry of Urban Development K. Padmanabhaiah appointed an Advisory Committee of International Experts that had renowned architects, seismologists, other scientists, and experts, as well as top management consultants. Some of the dignitaries on the Advisory Committee included world-renowned structural engineer and expert in the field of earthquake disaster management Dr.Anand Swarup Arya, philosopher-architect, an advocate of cost-effective, energy-efficient and aesthetic architecture Laurie Baker, social scientist Suma Chitnis, Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) chief Vasudevan Suresh, and the founder of Development Alternatives (DA), Dr. Ashok Khosla. The Advisory Committee visited the affected region, gathered data, observed, and published their detailed findings and recommendations within just 20 days. It highlighted the blunders committed to the point and gave vital recommendations for better rehabilitation. 

Excerpted with permission from Aapattichakra by Atul Deulgaonkar, translated into English as In The Age of Disasters: Lessons from Killari Earthquake. Published by Rohan Publication. Translated by Sukalp Karanjekar.