Role of Water Supply and Sanitation Department in Disaster Management

In Pre-disaster:

• It is intended that all concerned line departments and local authorities in the district will actively participate in the development of the department’s disaster management plan.
• It is recommended that the Deputy Commissioner/District Collector/District Magistrate in the affected districts/ subdivisions/tehsils be notified. If more staff is needed, those on leave should be called back.
• For equipment protection, procedures and precautionary measures should be reviewed and updated periodically.
• Various factors such as rainfall should be assessed to determine the extent of groundwater percolation and recharge, storage and distribution of water.
• Water demands of the districts can be traced by using the mechanism of the water resource management process. The needs of the total population, as well as industrial and agricultural needs, should be considered.
• In a drought-affected region, develop a plan for managing water resources through the following sources:
• Management of reservoirs. 
• Mending and amplification of existing water supply schemes.
• Necessary measures/schemes for the drinking water scarcity areas such as the construction of temporary piped water supply and bore wells, etc.
• Emergency drinking water supply measures such as the supply of water through tankers and bullock carts.
•  It should be ensured that the hospitals have sufficient capacity to store drinking water during emergencies and can conserve water.
• Damage-proof buildings should be constructed with standby diesel pumps or generator facilities.
• It should be ensured that standby engines and auxiliary generators are in excellent working condition.
• Fuel buffer zones should be constructed in vulnerable spots.
• In case of disruption of water supply, emergency water distribution procedures should be strategised.
• For the storage of water, storage tanks should be constructed.
• In case of emergencies, one should always have an extra supply of supplies on-hand, such as extra pipes, joints, hydrants, and bleach. Likewise, one should keep enough tools available to make repairs.
• Post-disaster repairs of essential services should be prioritised.
• Investigate the alternative sources of water and the process for providing them.

During and in post-disaster:

• Every well, pumping station, intake structure, above-ground structure, pump main, and treatment plant should be monitored continuously in case of disaster warnings.
• A special meeting needs to be called to assess the situation. A mission and strategy should be developed to enable these objectives to be realised.
• If damage occurs, contamination could occur, or saline intrusion could occur, keep an additional supply of water on hand.
• Temporary tankers and other emergency distribution methods should be adopted to keep the water supply on track.
• Properly designed water plans for all transit, relief and livestock camps should be implemented.
• By adopting appropriate protection measures, motors and pumps should be protected in a not disaster-resistant building.
• In case of the urgency of water, the repaired main line cannot be isolated. In this case, the concentration of the disinfecting solution should be increased to 100 mg/ litre and the contact period decreased to one hour.
• Samples of bacteriological analysis should be taken before restoring service to determine chlorine residue at the end of disinfection.
• Repair the damaged sewage or water lines.

Since water is essential to life, it can cause serious problems during the disaster. In the early aftermath of a disaster, having enough clean water is essential for treating the sick, providing for human consumption and maintaining basic cleanliness, assisting with search and rescue efforts, and resuming regular productive and commercial activity.