Notified Disasters in India: SDRF and NDRF Funding Rules Explained

Context

The 16th Finance Commission has recommended that heatwaves and lightning strikes be included in India’s list of nationally notified disasters, citing their growing impact and rising death toll.

About the Current Notified Disaster Framework

• In India, a “Notified Disaster” refers to specific calamities eligible for financial assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
• The list is officially notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which acts as the nodal ministry for disaster management.
  • It is largely based on the recommendations of the Finance Commission, which determines the funding patterns and norms for relief expenditure.
• Current List: At present, disasters covered under the SDRF include cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, fires, floods, tsunamis, hailstorms, landslides, avalanches, cloudbursts, pest infestations, frost and cold waves.
• Significance of Inclusion
  • Financial Entitlement: Once a disaster is notified, states automatically gain access to 75% (General Category) or 90% (Special Category) funding from the Centre to provide relief.
  • Standardized Compensation: It mandates a uniform Ex-gratia payment (currently ₹4 lakh) to the next of kin of the deceased.
  • Institutional Response: It triggers the mandatory involvement of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and requires the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to issue specific mitigation guidelines.
  • Data Accountability: It forces standardized reporting and tracking of deaths and damage, which is currently fragmented for non-notified events like heatwaves.

About Local disasters

• Local disasters are calamities that a state government deems a “disaster” within its unique geographical and climatic context, but which are not notified in the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) national list.
• Under the guidelines of the Finance Commission, state governments have the autonomy to identify and declare these events to provide immediate relief.
  • Common local disasters include lightning, heatwaves, sea erosion, and snake bites.
• States are permitted to use up to 10% of their annual allocation under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for providing immediate relief to victims of these local disasters.
• Unlike the 12 notified disasters, local disasters are not eligible for funding from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). If the cost of relief exceeds the 10% SDRF cap, the state must bear the additional expense from its own treasury.

Sharing is caring!