Communication during emergencies
The recent GLOF event in Booni Gol in district upper Chitral made the key role of communication realized, and the agony people went through as a result of miscommunication during the emerging situation. And it became evident that the managing of unlikely situation turns more complicated where there is a mishmash flow of information. To smartly handle a crisis like situation, communication to be channeled in such a way as people should receive information comes from a reliable source to be followed for safe exit from dangerous zones and protect movable property.
For the last couple of years, the mediums of information have dramatically increased. Transition from state regulated inflow to private and now largely to social media platforms has been a dramatic shift. The social media platforms and Apps have become a preferred channel of communication and information. Almost everything is being shared and communicated through these platforms. In a single touch a message is shared or communicated with many end-users.
Many of the communications have a variant of reliable information, misinformation and disinformation, and fact-checking is not possible particularly during emergencies and that everyone can do. As the case was in Booni, since there was no control on anyone who communicates what, and thus it created grave panic in people. As it circulated that glof may engulf the entire Booni that left every resident in panic. People turned half-conscious and rushed to safe places in the area, and the same information reached out to their relatives outside from the village.
Reza Ali, who currently resides in Booni, on that day receives a call from the family while on duty. He’s told that all the neighbors have left their homes and they are alone here to burst out in panic. He was told to hurry as he can to come and take them to a safer place. While Reza Ali reaches home running, he finds family on the road. Telling them to wait for a few minutes he collected necessary documents and went off to the area in another place. It was many hours later he received the message that the intensity of flood has come down, and there is less threat of spillover. He returned back along with other people, he narrated.
Travelling to Booni on next day a driver, who had his relatives in Booni gol, shared the story that happened in his home. As the misinformation of glof spillover in Booni received by his father, who’s a heart patient, there was a serious situation how to handle it at home without taking him to hospital because the hospitals were also in Booni.
There were almost the same situations in many families in Booni and the relatives outside. They all went through the agony of uncertainty and panic during the whole day and night. This haphazardness was largely because of the unreliable and misinformation about the event of glof in Booni stream. The situation may be better handled, and people could be relieved from agony and panic had there been a grounded and reliable flow of information reaching people during the day. There had been the same situation in Reshun where as a result of a glof event and partly because of misinformation that caused panic then managing the situation safely.
It has been noticed all across during unlikely situations there was no mechanism to lead and manage situations through reliable communication with people, and continuously informing people about emerging situations. One can’t expect an individual or an entity to take responsibility for it unless there is a set mechanism to lead the communication channels during emergencies. The communication about flood events in stream is still taken from shepherds. One can easily understand how far it could be from the grounded, sensitive and careful message he delivers to people.
It seems over-expectation from entities but the necessity to devise a system for communication during crisis in areas where the threat of weather and glof events are increasing day by day. Channelizing communication of a particular village by responsible people where the events seem imminent is highly important. The people of a village should have their own group/setting to deliver information with locals in any unlikely situation. They should nominate people who could responsibly communicate information about a situation. The messenger must be trained in drafting the message and the technical support, if necessary, to be provided by public and private entities. The scourge of misinformation and disinformation during emergencies can be handled by reliable information from a dependable source (s) reaching the maximum number of people is a better way to prevent panic, damages and saving lives.
