'Public agencies should adopt interoperability'

There is a snowballing chorus across various stake holders in Bangalore city that there should be an effective disaster management programme and it should be backed by robust communication tools and technology.

Bangalore being the information and technology hub of India with more than 40 per cent of the country’s IT and software industry based here has for a long time been on the terror radar. On July 25, 2008, a series of nine low-intensity crude bombs exploded in Bangalore, in which two people were killed and 20 injured.

This was not the first time that Bangalore faced a terrorist attack. In 2005, a scientist from Delhi was killed and three others injured when unidentified gunmen went fired indiscriminately inside the prestigious Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

Industry experts detail that the recent series of blasts in major Indian cities have raised multiple questions on the readiness of our Disaster Management System. “The Bangalore serial blasts have proved that the city is ill-equipped to handle major man-made disasters such as terrorist attacks and bomb blasts,” an senior industry official noted.

Detailing how various government agencies should swing into action during a emergency, experts details that public safety agencies must act immediately and coordinate with ambulance service, fire safety department, special task force, and riot and traffic control police. In such an environment quick action is of utmost importance. Present communication system handles only day-to-day operations of individual agencies and not cross-functional requirements.

“Whether the Indian safety agencies can respond with such alacrity is a moot point. While there is no doubt our agencies are as good as their global peers, the infrastructure and technology may be the undoing of their hard work.

The police force uses 800 MHz two-way radio while the fire service uses 900 MHz radio and the STF or other agency may be using another frequency. The different radio systems will not interoperate with each other.

They operate on different frequency bands and on different technology platforms. Presently most emergency services operate on different bands and platforms,” an expert highlighted the lacunae. While individual frequencies are also a necessity for various reasons, the absence of a common communication channel can delay action and make all the difference, they add.

Technology analysts detail that without good Interoperable communications, state and local agencies cannot communicate as one entity and respond in a coordinated and effective manner to save lives, homes and establishments. “An avalanche of voice communications over different network solutions can simply overwhelm you. If vital organisations like police, fire and other emergency communications systems failed to “talk” together at a moment’s notice when an emergency situation cropped up, the result would be disastrous,” he noted.

The stakeholders are of the view that government agencies must also explore the possibility of using the service of communication networks that are already available and provide such inter/organisation communicationsoordination instead of continuing to invest exchequers money in expensive captive communication networks.

Government agencies must also explore the possibility of using the service of communication networks that are already available and provide such inter/organisation communicationsoordination instead of continuing to invest exchequers money in expensive captive communication networks.