SOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES FOR POST DISASTER SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE RESTORATION MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

Abstract

Social infrastructure restoration after natural disasters in India is a recurring challenge. Often natural disasters like cyclones, storms and floods strike India causing irreplaceable damages to different infrastructures and assets. The social infrastructures, such as schools, houses and community centres particularly in not so developed areas are observed to be worst hit. Restoration of such assets takes long time despite the availability of various measures such as availability of finances, work forces and construction and restoration guidelines. Therefore, the objectives of this investigation are to examine the restoration management challenges of the disaster hit social infrastructures; and to provide a theoretical socio-cultural perspective to enhance efficiency of the restoration management process. Using three Community Development Blocks of Odisha state in India as the case study area, a survey was conducted among the stakeholders to ascertain the influential causes that hamper restoration. Besides, the stakeholders engagement and interaction and their influence on the success of the restoration process were examined. Findings suggest that unavailability of resources (finance, materials and equipment) in time, influence of local political and bureaucratic hierarchy, and non-effective or marginal involvement of appropriate stakeholders are the major impediments in the restoration process. However, general provision of finance; materials, equipment, and availability of human resources do not necessarily ensure smooth and efficient restoration process. Concurrently, it is also revealed that projects where deliberative constructive engagement and trade-offs among the various stakeholders have occurred are found to be more successful. Therefore, it is advocated that an active and constructive engagement among the relevant actors would essentially generate the dynamics and cohesion that would essentially enhance the efficacy of the restoration management of the disaster hit social infrastructures.