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Introduction
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the frequency
and severity of natural disasters in the World and their consequential
effects, in terms of lives lost and financial losses. The global
economic losses due to disasters from the 1960s to the 1990s show
almost a nine fold increase.
The economic losses suffered due to disasters in India from 1991 to
2005, also depict an alarming trend in the degree of vulnerability and
exposure to risk amounting to financial loss of nearly 2 per cent of
the GDP.
Initiatives by Government of India (GoI)
The GoI in recognition of the importance of Disaster Management (DM)
as a national priority, had set up a High-Powered Committee in August
1999 and also an All Party National Committee on Disaster Management
after the Gujarat earthquake, for making recommendations on a
comprehensive institutional framework for disaster management in the
Country.
Disaster Management Act 2005
On 23 December 2005, the GoI took a defining step by enacting the
Disaster Management Act. This is a unique legislation which provides
for requisite institutional mechanism for drawing up and monitoring
the implementation of the disaster management plans, ensuring measures
by various wings of the Government for prevention and mitigating
effects of disaster and for undertaking a holistic, coordinated and
prompt response to any disaster situation.
National Disaster Management Authority
The Act provides for setting up of a National Disaster Management
Authority under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, State Disaster
Management Authorities under the Chairmanship of the Chief Ministers
and District Disaster Management Authorities under the Chairmanship of
District Magistrates. It also provides for constitution of a National
Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and setting up of National Institute of
Disaster Management (NIDM). The Act mandates for the constitution of
the National Funds for Disaster Response and Disaster Mitigation and
similar funds at the State and District levels. The Act also provides
for specific role for Local Bodies in disaster management including
Panchayati Raj Institutions as well as Urban Local Bodies like
Municipalities. National Disaster Management Structure is shown in a
diagramatic form in Chart 1.
Mandate of NDMA
The NDMA, as the main body under the GoI, has the responsibility of
laying down policies, plans and guidelines for DM and coordinating
their enforcement and implementation for ensuring timely and effective
response to disasters. The guidelines will assist the central
ministries, departments and states to formulate their respective
plans. It will approve the national plan prepared by the National
Executive Committee (NEC) and plans of the central ministries and
departments. It will take such other measures as it may consider
necessary, for the prevention of disasters, or mitigation, or
preparedness and capacity building, for dealing with threatening
disaster situation or a disaster. To this end, it will be the
responsibility of every central ministry or department to provide
assistance to the NDMA and the state governments will also extend
necessary cooperation and assistance. It will oversee the provision
and application of funds for mitigation and preparedness measures. It
has the power to authorise the departments or authorities concerned,
to make emergency procurement of provisions or materials for rescue
and relief in a threatening disaster situation or a disaster. It will
also provide such support to other countries in times of disasters as
may be determined by the Central Government. The general
superintendence, direction and control of National Disaster Response
Force (NDRF) are vested in and will be exercised by the Authority. The
National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) will work within the
framework of broad policies and guidelines of the NDMA.
National Executive Committee (NEC)
NEC is the executive committee of the NDMA. It is mandated to assist
the NDMA in the discharge of its functions and also ensure compliance
of the directions issued by the Central Government for the purposes of
DM. The NEC consists of 15 Secretaries to the Government of India of
the relevant ministries and departments, and the Chief of the
Integrated Defence Staff of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. One of the
important functions assigned to the NEC is to coordinate the response
in an event of any threatening disaster situation or a disaster.
State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)
At the State level, the SDMA, headed by the Chief Minister, will lay
down policies and plans for DM in the state. It will, inter alia
approve the state plan in accordance with the guidelines laid down by
the NDMA, coordinate the implementation of the state plan, recommend
provision of funds for mitigation and preparedness measures and review
the developmental plans of different departments of the state to
ensure integration of prevention, preparedness and mitigation
measures.
State Executive Committee
The state government will constitute a State Executive Committee (SEC)
to assist the SDMA in the performance of its functions. The SEC will
be headed by the Chief Secretary of the state government and
coordinate and monitor the implementation of the national policy, the
national plan and the state plan. It shall also provide information to
the NDMA relating to different aspects of DM.
District Disaster Management Authority
At the cutting edge level, the DDMA headed by the District Magistrate,
with the elected representative of the local authority as the
co-chairperson, will act as the planning, coordinating and
implementing body for DM and take all necessary measures for the
purposes of DM in the district in accordance with the guidelines laid
down by the NDMA and SDMA. It will, inter alia prepare the district DM
plan including the response plan for the district, coordinate and
monitor the implementation of the national policy, the state policy,
the national plan, the state plan and the district plan and ensure
that the guidelines for prevention, mitigation, preparedness and
response measures laid down by the NDMA and the SDMA are followed by
all departments of the government.
Local Authorities
These include Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI), Municipalities,
District and Cantonment Boards and Town Planning Authorities for
control and management of civic services. These bodies will ensure
capacity building of their officers and employees in DM, carry out
relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the affected
areas and will prepare DM Plans in consonance with guidelines of the
NDMA, SDMAs and DDMAs.
National Institute of Disaster Management
As per the provisions of the Act, National Institute of Disaster
Management (NIDM) has to function within the broad policies and
guidelines laid down by the NDMA. NIDM will be responsible for
planning and promoting training, research, documentation and
development of national level information base relating to disaster
management policies, prevention mechanisms and mitigation measures. To
ensure that the Institution becomes a Centre of Excellence for
institutionalising training of trainers, a comprehensive set of
guidelines have already been issued.
National Disaster Response Force
National Disaster Response Force has been constituted for specialist
response to a threatening disaster situation or a disaster. The
general supervision, direction and control of this force shall be
vested in and exercised by the NDMA. Presently, NDRF comprises eight
battalions and the expansion of this force by another two to three
battalions is under consideration. Seven of these battalions have been
positioned at nine different locations in the Country based on the
vulnerability profile. This force will be equipped with
state-of-the-art equipment. NDRF units will maintain close liaison
with the designated state governments and be available to them
proactively, thus avoiding long procedural delays in deployment, in
the event of any threatening disaster situation. Training of this
Force for both man-made and natural disasters is underway, including
the NBC Scenarios. The outline organisations of a NDRF Battalion and a
Typical Search and Rescue Team are shown at Charts 2 and 3
respectively.
National Disaster Mitigation Resource Centres
The concept of National Disaster Mitigation Resource Centres (NDMRCs)
has been evolved to help the states in capacity development, running
of mock drills and facilitating the process of central assistance to
the states. These will be co-located with the NDRF battalions and set
up at nine locations on a pilot basis.
A reserve of relief stores for 325,000 persons will be created at the
national level, for use in the event of a disaster of a severe
magnitude. These will include stores for 100,000 persons affected in
high altitude areas. These reserves are intended to augment the
resources of the states in case of major disasters and will be stored
with the Mitigation Resource Centres.
Role of the Armed Forces
Despite the creation of NDRF, the Armed Forces form the core of the
Government’s response capacity and have become the crucial immediate
responders in all serious disaster situations. Due to their vast
potential to meet any adverse challenge, speed of operational
response, and the resources and capabilities at their disposal, the
Armed Forces have historically played a major role in emergency
support functions. These include communications, search and rescue
operations, health and medical facilities, and transportation,
especially in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The air and heli-lift
movement for assistance to neighbouring countries primarily fall
within the expertise and domain of the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces
will also participate in imparting training to trainers and DM
managers, especially in NBC aspects, heli-insertion, high altitude
rescue, watermanship and training of paramedics.
At the national level, the Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff has
been included in the NEC. Director General of Military Operations,
Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations) and Assistant Chief of Naval
Staff (Information Warfare & Operations) will also be invited to the
NEC deliberations as often as required. Deputy Chief of Integrated
Defence Staff (Department of Training) has been included as a member
of the Institute Body of the NIDM. Members from the Armed Forces have
also been included in the Advisory Committee of the NDMA and form a
part of the consultative process. Similarly, at the state and district
levels, the local representatives of the Armed Forces will be included
in their executive committees to ensure closer coordination and
cooperation.
Major initiatives by the NDMA
Immediately after its constitution, the foremost challenge before the
Authority was to lay down the National Policy on Disaster Management
and disaster specific guidelines. The policy portrays a paradigm shift
from erstwhile Response-Centric approach to the holistic management of
disasters with emphasis on Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation.
The Draft Policy document has been evolved through a participatory
process taking on board the relevant suggestions and recommendations
for it to be a truly defining document for our national endeavour to
mainstream the disaster management as a national priority. The
Guidelines on Earthquakes and Chemical (Industrial) Disasters have
already been released. The guidelines on Preparation of State Plans,
Floods, Nuclear Disasters, Medical Preparedness, Biological Hazards,
Cyclones and Landslides are on the anvil and are likely to be released
by the end of September 2007. Work has also commenced on preparation
of guidelines for flooding in Urban Areas, Community Based Disaster
Management (CBDM), Chemical Disasters (Terrorism), Micro Finance and
Insurance.
Mitigation Projects
Giving due recognition to the paradigm shift in disaster management
policy, planning of a number of mitigation projects has been
initiated. National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) in
partnership with the World Bank has been revived which will cover all
13 cyclone prone states/ UTs. Other projects which are in the advance
stage of planning are; National Disaster Mitigation Reserves for
3,25,000 personnel, Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project, Medical
Preparedness, National Disaster Information and Communication Network
and Floods. Studies have been initiated on Microzoning and Risk
Analysis, and Vulnerability Mapping.
Mock Exercises
To inculcate the culture of preparedness and reach out to the
stakeholders at the cutting edge level, 23 scenario building exercises
in the form of Table Top and Mock Exercises have been planned
throughout the country in various types of disasters – earthquakes,
cyclones, floods, fire and chemical (industrial) disasters. Eight
table top and eight mock exercises have already been carried out.
These mock exercises have generated tremendous interest and areas of
emphasis for improving the response to various hazards in a holistic
manner have been identified.
Awareness & Preparedness Campaigns
Awareness and Preparedness Campaigns are the key components of
proactive policy on disaster management. Two focused campaigns on
Earthquakes and Cyclones have been initiated on the electronic and
print media at the national as well as state levels. These campaigns
have generated a lot of interest amongst the community and other
stakeholders.
Reconstruction in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
One of the important activities undertaken by the NDMA during this
period has been to oversee the Tsunami reconstruction activities in
Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Involvement of NDMA and a number of visits
made by the Inter Ministerial Team and onsite coordination with
various stakeholders has contributed immensely to accelerate the pace
of reconstruction work in the Islands.
Conclusion
Our biggest challenge is to realise the national vision of building a
safer and disaster resilient India by developing zero tolerance to
avoidable deaths and minimal loss to property. We, as a Nation have to
be more aware of our challenges and vulnerabilities, so that we are
fully prepared to minimise the impact of futuristic disasters.
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