Disaster Management in India

The Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DM Act)

defines a disaster as a catastrophe, mishap,
calamity or grave occurrence from natural or manmade causes, which is beyond the coping capacity
of the affected community. Major types of natural
disasters include earthquakes, droughts, floods,
cyclones and tsunamis while manmade disasters
include industrial, chemical and nuclear disasters.

the aftermath of the disaster. In this context, this

note explains the legislative and institutional
framework for disaster management in India and
highlights key recommendations to improve
disaster management mechanisms in the country.

Disaster management (DM), or disaster risk

management, is concerned with the formulation
and implementation of policies and practices to
reduce risks associated with disasters. The key
components of disaster management are: (i)
reducing existing levels of vulnerability to
disasters, (ii) prevention, mitigation, (iii)
appropriate response, and (iv) rehabilitation and
reconstruction.

The 1990s were declared by the United Nations as

the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction. Following the UN Declaration, a
permanent disaster management cell was
established under the Ministry of Agriculture.

Flash floods in Uttarakhand

Between June 14 and 17, 2013, multi day
cloudburst, associated with an early monsoon in
north India, led to torrential floods and landslides
in the state of Uttarakhand. Varying estimates of
casualties and damages have been made. The
following table outlines the extent of damages
reported by the state government of Uttarakhand to
the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Table 1: Extent of damage reported in Uttarakhand
Number of districts affected
13
Number of villages affected
1603
Number of human lives lost
580
Number of bodies recovered 249
Number of injured
4473
Number of missing
5526
Livestock lost
9470
Cattle sheds damaged
649
Pilgrims stranded
All requiring assistance have
been evacuated
Number of persons
1,08,653
evacuated to safer places
Source: Flood Situation Report 2013, Disaster Management
Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, July 27, 2013.
http://ndmindia.nic.in/flood-2013/floodsJuly-2013.htm; PRS.
Note: The MHA mentions that figures are provisional and
gathered from several sources. They are likely to change as
more information is gathered.

Unofficial estimates, made by non governmental

agencies are much higher. It is argued that close to
70,000 pilgrims were stranded in the region, when
the flash floods and landslides first began, and the
number of fatalities is over 5000.i Infrastructure,
agricultural land and houses have been damaged in
the affected areas; and road access and electricity
have been unavailable for an extended period.
However, it has been difficult to estimate the exact
amount of damage to property and infrastructure in
Joyita Ghose
joyita@prsindia.org

Legislative and institutional framework

Evolution of disaster management in India

In 1999, a High Powered Committee was created to

review the existing mechanisms for disaster
preparedness and mitigation and recommend
measures to strengthen these mechanisms at the
national, state and district levels. The Committee
submitted its report in 2002, which formed the
basis for the DM Act, which was enacted in 2005.
Prior to the DM Act, the Cabinet was empowered
to set up a committee in the aftermath of a disaster
and the Secretary of Agriculture was responsible
for effective implementation of the committees
recommendations. The Department of Agriculture
and Cooperation (DAC) was the nodal agency for
disaster management and the Relief Commissioner,
of the DAC was the nodal officer.
In 2002, the disaster management division of
Ministry of Agriculture was shifted to the Ministry
of Home Affairs (MHA).
The DM Act specifies the responsibilities of the
central, state and district governments in disaster
management. These are detailed below.
Current institutional arrangement
National Disaster Management Act, 2005: The
DM Act provides for disaster management
institutions at the national, state and district levels
and represents a shift in emphasis from relief to
preparedness, prevention and mitigation. Major
provisions include establishing disaster
management authorities and formulating disaster
management plans at the national, state and district
level, and formulating a National Policy for
Disaster Management. The DM Act provides for
the establishment of a National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) headed by the
Prime Minister, State Disaster Management
Authorities (SDMAs) headed by Chief Ministers,
and District Disaster Management Authorities
(DDMAs) headed by district collectors/magistrates.
August 6, 2013

PRS Legislative Research Institute for Policy Research Studies

3rd Floor, Gandharva Mahavidyalaya 212, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg New Delhi 110002
Tel: (011) 43434035-36 www.prsindia.org


Figure 1 outlines the institutional structure for
disaster management under the DM Act at the
national, state and district level.
Figure 1: Institutional framework under the DM
Act

Crisis Management
Group
State Disaster
Management
Authority (SDMA)

State Executive
Committee

State Advisory
Committee
Source: Report No. 5 of 2013 (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India of
Disaster Preparedness in India; PRS

National Policy on Disaster Management, 2009:

The Policy aims at developing an integrated,
holistic, multi-disaster oriented and technology
driven strategy for disaster management involving
prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response.
It outlines the institutional, financial and technolegal arrangements relating to disaster management
and details response, relief, rehabilitation,
reconstruction and recovery mechanisms.
Other structures have been created for disaster
management at the national, state and district level.
These are detailed in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Disaster Management bodies at the
central, state and district levels
Designated Authority

Functions
Central bodies

National Disaster
Management
Authority (NDMA)

National Executive
Committee (NEC)

National Institute of
Disaster
Management (NIDM)
National Disaster
Response Force
(NDRF)
National Crisis
Management
Committee

Functions include (i) formulating a

national policy on disaster
management (ii) approve a national
plan for disaster management, (iii)
formulate guidelines to be followed by
central ministries, (iv) coordinate the
enforcement and implementation of the
policy and plan for disaster
management and, (v) take any other
measures.
Assists the NDMA to coordinate
disaster management efforts, preparing
a national plan for disaster
management and monitoring the
implementation of the disaster
management guidelines formulated by
the NDMA.
Responsible for developing training
modules and conducting research and
documentation related to disaster
management.
A specialist response force to tackle all
types of disaster, including nuclear,
biological and chemical disasters.
Includes cabinet secretary and
secretaries of other departments that
are in charge of dealing with crises and
giving directions to the Crisis
Management Group.

District Disaster
Management
Authority (DDMA)

Reviews contingency plans formulated

by the central ministries/departments.
State bodies
Like the NDMA, the SDMA is
responsible for laying down the policies
for disaster management in the state,
formulating a state plan for disaster
management and laying down
guidelines for disaster management.
Like the NEC, the SEC assists the
SDMA in the implementation its
policies and guidelines through
coordinating and monitoring the
implementation of the national policy,
national plan and state plan.
Consists of members with practical
expertise on disaster management to
make recommendations on the
management of disasters.
District bodies
Acts as the planning, coordinating and
implementing body for disaster
management at the district level.

District Advisory
Committee

Headed by the District Collector, it is

the apex body for disaster
management at the district level.

Source: PRS.

Figure 2 outlines the current disaster response

mechanism in India. It shows that the National
Crisis Management Committee is the apex decision
making body in the aftermath of a disaster while
the Crisis Management Group (CMG)/Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA) and the NDMA are
responsible for the deployment of the National
Disaster Response Force. The CMG and MHA
also coordinate with the state governments and
deploy the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).
The nodal agency in the state government provides
support to the district administration which is
responsible for the on site management of the
disaster.
Figure 2: Disaster response mechanism in India

Warning from
state and nodal
agencies

National Crisis Management

Committee

Control Room

CMG/MHA coordinates with State

Governments

Nodal Disaster Management

& Relief Department (State
Fire services, SDRF, State
Police and other
departments. Provides
support to district
adminstration.

Deploying of
CAPF's

NDMA

Deploying NDRF

District Administration is
responsible for on-scene

Affected

Source: Disaster Preparedness in India, Comptroller and

Auditor General of India, April 23, 2013; PRS.
Note: CAPF: Central Armed Police Forces


governments. None of the major projects
undertaken by the NDMA have been
completed.
The National Disaster Mitigation Fund has not
yet been established.
Communication systems for DM are not
developed. Critical equipments have not been
procured and the satellite based
communication network has not been
developed.
The effectiveness of the National Disaster
Response Force has been hampered because
of shortage of trained manpower and absence
of appropriate training facilities, infrastructure
and equipment. The Standard Operating
Procedures for deployment of the NDRF have
not been finalised.

Funding
The MHA is the nodal ministry for providing
financial assistance in the aftermath of any disaster.
The DM Act constituted the following funds
related to disaster management: National Disaster
Response Fund (NDRF), State Disaster Response
Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Mitigation
Fund.
National Disaster Response Fund and State
Disaster Response Fund: Based on the
recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission,
the schemes of the NDRF and SDRF were made
operational for a period of five years from 2010 to
2015. The funds from both are to be used only to
provide immediate relief to people affected by
cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami,
hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst and
pest attack. These funds are not for disaster
preparedness, mitigation and restoration work,
which must be met from the plan funds of the state.

On the basis of its findings, the CAG made the

following recommendations:
The NEC and MHA should ensure that a
comprehensive national plan for disaster
management is formulated.
The NDMA should ensure that its guidelines
are implemented.
Roles and responsibilities of the MHA, NEC
and NDMA should be clearly outlined.
The MHA should strengthen its monitoring
mechanism.
Disaster Mitigation funds should be
established at the national, state and district
levels.
The Department of Space must ensure that the
National Database for Emergency
Management is operationalised at the earliest.
The Ministry of Water Resources must
prepare emergency action plans for states,
covering major dams

The National Calamity Contingency Fund was

merged with the NDRF and the Calamity Relief
Fund was merged with the SDRF.
The 13th Finance Commission recommended the
annual contribution to the SDRF, and mentioned
that the central government was to contribute 75%
of total yearly allocation to general category states
and 90% of total yearly allocation to special
category states in the form of non plan grant. The
balance was to be contributed by state
governments. Natural calamities that require
expenditure in excess of the SDRF receive
additional funding from the NDRF.
National Disaster Mitigation Fund and State
Disaster Mitigation Fund: These two funds were
to be created at the national and state levels
respectively to fund mitigation efforts. The NDMF
was to be placed at the disposal of NDMA.
However, the NDMF is not operational as yet and
only a few states have made their SDRFs
operational. Therefore, at present, mitigation
efforts are financed through state plans.

Key findings and recommendations of

the CAG
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India
(CAG) presented its report on disaster preparedness
in India in April, 2013. It mentions that the earlier
institutional framework and the new institutional
framework co-exist, as the latter is still in the early
stages of being implemented.ii
The CAG report made the following observations:
A national plan for disaster management has
not been formulated till date.
There are no provisions to make guidelines
issued by the NDMA binding on state

Uttarakhand: Death toll may go past 10,000, says assembly

speaker, Indian Express, June 29, 2013. Uttarakhand toll may
still be in thousands, over 70,000 still missing Times of India,
June 20, 2013.
ii
Disaster Preparedness in India, Comptroller and Auditor General of
India, April 23, 2013;
http://saiindia.gov.in/english/home/Our_Products/Audit_Report/Government
_Wise/union_audit/recent_reports/union_performance/2013/Civil/Report_5/
Report_5.html.
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