Kumar Mihir, an Advocate on Record in Supreme Court, says more than 20 years of the Disaster Management Act in place, rescue personnel lack training, gear and motivation. His views:
The tragic death of Yuvraj Mehta, a young tech professional in Noida has once again exposed the alarming fragility of our civic systems and shoddy preparedness to combat precarious incidents. A man trapped in a water-filled excavation pit, pleading for help for nearly 90 minutes, should never have had to drown in a modern, urban city in the presence of almost 100 rescue professionals. His repeated calls for assistance were not just cries of personal desperation; they were an indictment of a system that failed him at every step.
However, this failure is not just a case of a callous administration, or an ill-equipped and poorly coordinated fire brigade. It is a direct result of the “chalta hai” attitude that has percolated in our society where instead of demanding quality and timely civic amenities, we pride ourselves on the Jugaad Culture that has creeped in almost everything.
In the year 2005, a comprehensive Disaster Management Act, 2005 was enacted to provide for the effective management of disasters and for matters connected therewith and under the provisions of the said Act, a District Disaster Management Authority for every district in the State was directed to be established. These Authorities are mandated to review the preparedness measures and give directions to the concerned departments at the district level or other concerned authorities where necessary for bringing the preparedness measures to the levels required for responding effectively to any disaster or threatening disaster situation.
However, in reality, our disaster management personnel woefully lack training, equipment and motivation which was evident in the rescue operation undertaken in Noida when time slipped by while agencies hesitated and passed responsibility. The ugly truth is that our authorities were not prepared to deal with this incident and tomorrow, God forbid, some major natural disaster hits our Cities, we will be left at the mercy of the almighty.
Urban governance is not merely about shiny infrastructure, glass towers, and smart-city slogans. It is about responsiveness, preparedness, and accountability. If emergency responders arrive late or lack the equipment to act decisively, the system has already failed. If distress calls do not trigger immediate, coordinated action across departments, the failure is institutional, not accidental.
This is not the first time a preventable tragedy has shaken public confidence, and unless lessons are enforced and unfortunately, it will not be the last. Post-incident inquiries, suspensions, and promises of reform often follow such deaths, but they rarely lead to structural change.
What is needed is to fix accountability? Heads must roll and this incident must be treated as an eye opener for our civic agencies who need to realise that institutional apathy to safety of citizens will not be tolerated any more. We must invest in training, modern equipment, clear command protocols, and real-time coordination so that our emergency services remain reactive rather than proactive.
The Noida techie’s death should be a turning point. It should compel authorities to audit emergency preparedness honestly and ruthlessly. More importantly, it should remind those in power that governance is not measured by plans on paper but by lives saved on the ground. A city that cannot rescue a young man asking for help must confront an uncomfortable truth: the system did not just fail, it abandoned him.
As told to Deepti Sharma
