Table of Contents
Context: The Union Home Minister of India has asked the States to prepare a disaster management plan in seven sites where new nuclear installations are to become operational.
Disaster Management in India Background
- Under Vision India@ 2047, the Union Government aims to strengthen the disaster risk reduction system in India to make it disaster resilient.
- Three major schemes worth over Rs 8,000 crore to bolster disaster management efforts across the nation have also been announced.
What is a Disaster?
- A disaster refers to a significant disturbance in the normal functioning of a community, leading to human, material, economic, and environmental damages that surpass the community’s capacity to manage.
- It results from the combination of hazards, conditions of vulnerability and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce the potential negative consequences of risk.
Classification of Disasters
- On the Basis of Source
- Natural Disasters: They are caused by natural phenomena (meteorological, geological or even biological origin). Examples of natural disasters are cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which are exclusively of natural origin.
- Landslides, floods, drought, fires are socio-natural disasters since their causes are both natural and manmade.
- Anthropogenic Disasters: They occur due to human intervention or negligence. These are associated with industries or energy generation facilities and include explosions, leakage of toxic waste, pollution, dam failure, wars or civil strife etc.
- Natural Disasters: They are caused by natural phenomena (meteorological, geological or even biological origin). Examples of natural disasters are cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which are exclusively of natural origin.
- On the Basis of Duration
- Rapid Onset Disasters: They are characterized by the sudden and acute intensity of the impact during a short period. Earthquakes, cyclones, floods, tsunamis would fall under the category of rapid onset disasters.
- Slow Onset Disasters: Also termed as ‘Creeping Emergencies’, can be predicted much further in advance and unfold over months or even years. Climate change (global warming), desertification, soil degradation, and droughts, would fall under the category of slow onset disasters.
What is Disaster Management?
- Disaster management refers to the systematic approach of planning, organizing, coordinating, and implementing measures to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
- It involves a range of activities and strategies aimed at reducing the impact of disasters on human lives, infrastructure, and the environment.
- It includes the sum total of all activities, and measures which can be taken up before, during and after a disaster. A typical disaster management continuum consists of:
- A pre-disaster Risk Management Phase: Includes prevention, mitigation and preparedness.
- Post-disaster Crisis Management Phase: Includes relief, response, rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery.
Disaster Management in India
- Legal and Institutional Framework in India: The Government of India enacted the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005, which envisaged the creation of a three-tier structure comprising the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs).
Institutional framework at the National Level |
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Institutional Framework at State Level |
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Institutional Framework at the District Level |
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Local Authorities |
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Some Initiatives for Disaster Management
- New Schemes: The first scheme, valued at Rs 5,000 crore, aims to expand and modernize fire services in states. The project intends to enhance firefighting capabilities, upgrade equipment, and improve infrastructure to effectively respond to fire emergencies.
- The second scheme worth Rs. 2,500-crore aims to reduce the risk of urban flooding in the seven most populous metros: Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune.
- The third scheme, worth Rs 825 crore, is the National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project.
- It aims to address the issue of landslides in 17 states and Union Territories by implementing measures to prevent and mitigate landslides, ensuring the safety of vulnerable communities.
- Flood Management: Wetlands function as natural sponges that trap and slowly release surface water, rain, snowmelt, groundwater and flood waters.
- 271 wetlands have been identified in the Northeast by ISRO for flood management in the country.
- Floods have also been controlled by planting saplings on the banks of 13 major rivers which are prone to floods.
- Response Team: Incident Response System has been implemented in 20 states and UTs.
- Participation: The government has set a target of preparing around one lakh youth volunteers in 350 high-risk disaster-prone districts.
- The government is also awarding the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar to the individuals and organizations who have contributed in the field of disaster management.
- National Disaster Mitigation Fund: It is a fund managed by the Central Government for meeting the expenses for emergency response, relief and rehabilitation due to any threatening disaster situation or disaster.
Way Forward
- There needs to be a proactive approach to minimize the loss of lives and property during disasters.
- District Disaster Management Plans in 8 states which is still pending should be completed at the earliest.
- The States must formulate State level action plan for thunderstorm and lightning and share it with the Central Government.