Avoiding tsunami panic

The nation was in upheaval once again following yet another tsunami warning which sent people in the coastal areas run helter skelter seeking the furthest safety spot away from the sea.

The 2004 Boxing Day catastrophe is still fresh in the minds of the people and they cannot be blamed for acting in this precipitate manner given that it amounted to a race between life and death. This was the third major tsunami alert after 2004.

The one before this in 2005 saw scenes of mayhem where city streets were clogged with vehicles and people running for dear life. This time though the intensity was less though in areas such as Modera, Mattakkuliya, Dehiwala and Ratmalana there were scenes of utter pandemonium as hordes of families with children in tow were seen running for safety.

There were also other chaotic scenes reported from coastline areas in the South, Batticaloa and Ampara where the giant waves took a heavy toll three years ago.

Mercifully, Wednesday's alarm remained just and the people trekked back home with their belongings the same night after the 'all clear' was given by the Met Department only to be once again informed about fresh aftershocks of the original quake that could have tsunami conditions.

This led to the authorities ordering all schools closed in the Southern belt while the public was once again gripped by panic.

While the Government has put in place all mechanisms to alert the people of a possible tsunami such as the installation of Early Warning Systems there is now a need to focus attention to quell panic among the public. True the human instinct for safety naturally takes precedence in such situations and even the best laid out plans to assuage the fears of the public may be of no avail.

However, the Government should take cognisance of the consequences of any mass exodus of people from their homes, given the chance of similar alerts in the future.

For this could leave room for undesirable elements to exploit the situation. This was borne out by the number of robberies reported during the second tsunami warning where homes were ransacked and valuables removed.

That perhaps may be why this time around there were reports of the adult males in the family deciding to remain while the rest took flight.

One could also recall how the termites came out of the woodwork during the July 83 riots and made hay amidst the conflagration.

We should make sure that a similar situation does not occur during a time of crisis. Therefore attention should be paid towards the security aspect as well in a situation where flight of people in the face of danger cannot be avoided.

The Government also should be alive to sense of complacency that may take hold among the people due to the recurring tsunami warnings turning out to be non-events. They should be told in no uncertain terms to take all safety precautions by paying heed to such warnings while avoiding panic.

The Government would also do well set up an army of volunteers to be deployed at short notice in the event of similar alerts as in certain countries. This will help them provide guidance to the people while also protecting their property. This matter should be earnestly pursued by the Diaster Management Ministry so that panic could be contained.

While we are on the topic of the tsunami, attention should also be paid to speed up tsunami reconstruction and restore the livelihoods of the victims some of whom are languishing in camps. Although Sri Lanka has come in for praise from various countries for the progress in Tsunami recovery, much more needs to be done to put this unfortunate people back on their feet.