Consider the following statements about Off-site emergency and disaster management plans:

Question

Consider the following statements about Off-site emergency and disaster management plans:

I. Off-site emergency plan involves coordination between industries, fire-services, and district administration.

II. A Disaster-Management Plan (DMP) must rely solely on government assistance.

III. Both on-site and off-site plans should be reviewed and tested periodically through drills.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. I and II only
2. B. I and III only (Correct answer)
3. C. II and III only
4. D. I, II and III

Correct Answer

Option B — I and III only

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is I and III only.

Key Points

• Statement I is correct. An off-site plan rests on coordination between the industry, fire services and district administration — that multi-agency character is precisely what distinguishes it from the on-site plan.
• Statement II is incorrect. A Disaster Management Plan must not rely solely on government assistance. Effective response depends on the unit's own resources, mutual-aid agreements with neighbouring industries, and community participation, with government support as one element among several.
• Statement III is correct. Both plans must be reviewed and tested periodically through drills.

Additional Information

• Sole reliance on government help fails on timing: in the first minutes of a major accident the only resources available are those already on site or next door, and those minutes usually determine the outcome.
• Mutual-aid schemes among industrial estates pool firefighting equipment, breathing apparatus, trained personnel and antidotes, and are a standard feature of chemical clusters.
• The Chemical Accidents (EPPR) Rules, 1996 formalise the coordination through crisis groups at central, state, district and local level.
• The recurring lesson from Bhopal is that plans which exist only on paper, untested and uncoordinated, fail exactly when needed — which is why statement III matters as much as statement I.