AKSHAYA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

MX3084- DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

UNIT III - DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Components of Disaster Management
Integrating the following four aspects into all parts of the development process leads to
sustainable development and lessens post-disaster loss of life, property and financial
solvency. Successful disaster risk management requires the implementation of all these four
phases of the disaster management cycle.
1. Mitigation / Measures to be taken before and after an event
Mitigation lessens the likelihood and severity of disaster by implementing sustained actions,
such as improved construction practice, to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and
property.
Mitigation of hazard impacts reduces the possibility of disaster and reduces the need for
assistance. Actions include:
• Hazard assessment
• Vulnerability analysis
• Risk assessment
• Risk evaluation
• Vulnerability reduction/mitigation strategies (structural and non-structural)
• Integration of disaster risk reduction activities in all development activities making it
mandatory, with a mechanism similar to EIA process or making it a part of the EIA process
2. Preparedness / Measures to be taken before and after an event
Preparedness lessens the severity of disasters by preparing people for disaster, developing
plans to ensure an effective response and recovery and training people to implement plans
after a disaster occurs. Preparedness includes:
• Prediction and warning for different disasters • Emergency preparedness (for
monitoring, alert and evacuation, immediate disaster assistance to set-up medical operations,
deployment of search and rescue teams and distribution of disaster supplies and equipment
etc.)
• Education, training and public awareness
3. Response / Measures to be taken during and immediately after an event
To be ready for response with capability to provide rapid and efficient medical, rescue and
emergency supplies, and equipment to those in need.
• Mobilisation
• Assessment
• Requirement analysis
• Rescue and evacuation
• Emergency assistance (medical care, shelter, distribution of food, water & supplies)
4. Recovery / Post disaster measures (long term after the disaster)
Recovery is implementation of actions to promote sustainable redevelopment following a
disaster, including new building code standards and land use planning controls. Recovery
consists of:
• Rehabilitation
• Reconstruction (During reconstruction it is absolutely necessary to consider
mitigation measures including relocation, land use zoning etc.)
- Rebuilding of houses and buildings
- Financing for rebuilding
- Repair of roads, bridges, water system etc.
• Psychological counselling
• Long-term assistance to rebuild the community is critical to survival
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION PLAN
The following governing bodies are established by DMA 2005.

1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): The National Disaster Management

Authority is headed by the Prime Minister of India as the chairperson and will have no more
than nine members including a Vice-Chairperson. All the members will have a tenure of five
years. The main responsibility of the NDMA is to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines
for disaster management to ensure an effective response in the event of any disaster.
2. National Executive Committee: The DMA empowers the Central Government to create a
National Executive Committee (NEC) to assist the National Disaster Management Authority.
The NEC consists of Secretary level officers of the government in the home, health, power,
finance and agricultural ministries. The NEC is responsible for the preparation of the
National Disaster Management Plan for the whole country and to ensure that it is “reviewed
and updated annually”.
3. State Disaster Management Authority: The State Disaster Management Authority
(SDMA) is responsible for drawing the disaster plan for its respective state. It consists of the
Chief Minister who is the chairperson and 8 members appointed by the Chief [Link]
SDMA is mandated under section 28 to ensure that all the departments of the State prepare
disaster management plans as prescribed by the National and State Authorities.
4. District Disaster Management Authority: The Chairperson of District Disaster
Management Authority (DDMA) will be the Collector or District Magistrate or Deputy
Commissioner of the [Link] know what role the National Disaster Management
Plan (NDMP) plays in disaster mitigation in India, visit the linked article
5. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF): The National Disaster Response Force is
tasked with responding to a threatening disaster or a situation similar to it. The NDRF is led
by a Director-General appointed by the Central Government. The NDRF has played a major
role in rescuing people from many disaster-related events in the past such as the Kashmir
floods of 2014 and the Kerala floods of 2018.
Criticism of the Disaster Management Act
Even though the DMA has filled crucial gaps regarding Disaster Management in India it still
comes with its fair share of criticism. One of its drawbacks is the absence of a provision for
the declaration of ‘disaster-prone zones’. The states can play a more active role when such
provisions are made as this classification can help in mitigating the damages that will be
caused
The Act implies that disasters are a sudden occurrence, when in fact they can be progressive
in nature as well. For example, epidemics can be considered as disasters despite conventional
definition as it does take thousands of lives in its way. Epidemics of dengue and tuberculosis
cause a lot of havoc yet no effective mechanism is in place to combat it.
New disaster management guidelines are underway and one can only hope it incorporates
provisions to overcome dysfunctions of the current authorities and not oversee yet again the
valuable role that the civil society, private enterprises and NGOs can play towards building a
safer India.
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 was enacted on 23rd December 2005 to handle such
disasters in an effective and organised way. This Act establishes the National Disaster
Management Authority, which will be the apex body to manage and frame policies related to
disaster management. It is headed by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Home Affairs is
the nodal ministry responsible for it. This Act applies to the whole of India.
Disaster Management, under Section 2(e) of the Disaster Management Act means “a process
of planning, organising, coordinating, and implementing measures” necessary for –
 Prevention,
 Mitigation or reduction of its risk,
 Capacity-building,
 Preparedness to deal with the disaster,
 Quick response to any threatening disaster,
 Accessing its severity and the magnitude of its effects,
 Rescue and relief,
 Rehabilitation.
Objectives of the Disaster Management Act, 2005
The objective of this Act is to provide an effective disaster management system for the whole
of India, in case of natural and man-made disasters. For this objective, this Act empowers the
Central Government and the state government to establish various authorities at each level to
look for such management in the case of disaster. It includes mitigation strategies, capacity-
building, relief measures, etc.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
Section 3 of the Act authorises the establishment of the National Disaster Management
Authority. It shall consist of the following members-
The Prime Minister of India as a Chairperson of the National Authority, and
Other members not exceeding nine, are to be nominated by the Chairperson.
One of these nine members nominated the Chairperson to be designated as Vice-Chairperson
of the National Authority.
Section 6 of the Act provides the powers and functions of the National Disaster Management
Authority, which are as follows –
Making the policies on disaster management,
Approving the National Plan,
Approving plans by other ministries and departments,
Laying down guidelines for State Authority, ministries and departments,
Coordinating enforcement and implementation of a plan for disaster management,
To recommend funds for mitigation,
To provide support to other countries affected by such disasters,
To take other measures for prevention, mitigation, preparedness and capacity building for
dealing with such disasters,
Making guidelines for the functioning of the National Institute of Disaster Management.
Advisory committee
Under Section 7 of the Act, the National Authority may constitute Advisory Committee to
advise or make recommendations on various aspects of disaster management, which may
consist of-
Experts in disaster management, and Persons having practical experience in disaster
management at any level- national, state or district.
National executive committee
Section 8 provides for the constitution of the National Executive Committee by the Central
Government to assist the National Authority in discharging its functions. Additionally, the
National Executive Committee may constitute one or more sub-communities to discharge its
functions smoothly.
The National Executive Committee may consist of the following members-
The Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry or department of Central
Government, having control over the disaster management as an ex-officio Chairperson,
The Secretaries to the Government of India in the Ministries or departments of atomic
energy, agriculture, defence, drinking water supply, finance, health, power, rural
development, environment and forest, science and technology, space, telecommunication,
urban development, water resources and the Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff of the
Chiefs of Staff Committee, as ex officio members,
Any other officer of the Central or State Government may be invited by the
Chairperson. Section 10 specifies the powers and functions of the National Executive
Committee like- To act as a coordinating and monitoring body for disaster management,
Preparing the National Plan to be approved by the National Authority,
Monitoring the implementation of the National Policy,
Making guidelines for plans,
Providing technical assistance to State Governments and authorities for carrying out their
functions,
Monitoring the implementation of the National Plan and the plans prepared by other
departments and ministries of Central government,
Evaluating the preparedness of government at all levels,
To organise a specialised training programme for disaster management,
To require the Government to provide such men and material resources in case of emergency
response, rescue and relief, to the National Authority,
To advise, assist and coordinate activities of the concerned authorities, NGOs and others
engaged in disaster management,
To promote general education and awareness about disaster management, etc,
To perform such other functions as the National Authority may require it to perform.
National plan
Under Section 11 of the Act, National Executive Committee shall prepare the ‘National Plan’
which should be reviewed and updated manually, and which shall include-
Measures for prevention of disasters,
Measures for integration of mitigation measures in the plans,
Measures for preparedness and capacity-building to fight disaster situations, and
Duties and responsibilities of ministries and departments of the Government of India.
National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)
Under Section 42 of the Act, the Central Government shall constitute this institute and
prescribe its members, terms of office and vacancies.
The main functions of this institute are as follows-
Develop training modules and undertake research and documentation,
Formulate and implement a comprehensive development plan,
Assist in the formulation of national policies,
Assist the state governments and state training institutes,
Promote awareness among college students or school teachers,
Organise study courses, conferences, lectures, and seminars within and outside the country,
etc.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
Under Section 44 of the Act, the National Disaster Response Force shall be constituted to
provide a specialised response at times of threatening disaster situations with the help of
trained professionals, which includes medical staff, engineers, technicians, dogs squads,
rescuers, etc. NDRF has played a major role in rescuing people in many situations like the
Kosi breach in Bihar in 2008, the Kashmir flash floods in 2014, and the Kerala floods in
2018.
State level
State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)
Section 14 of the Act authorises the establishment of the State Disaster Management
Authority. It will consist of the members as follows-
The Chief Minister of the State or the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territories as an ex-
officio Chairperson of the State Authority, Other members not exceeding eight to be
nominated by the Chairperson of the State Authority, One of these nominated members to be
designated as Vice-Chairperson of the State Authority, The Chairperson of the State
Executive Committee is the Chief Executive Officer of the State Authority.
In the case of Union Territories having a Legislative Assembly except for Delhi, the Chief
Minister will be the Chairperson of the State Authority. In the case of Delhi, the Lieutenant
Governor shall be the Chairperson and the Chief Minister will be the Vice-Chairperson of the
State Authority.
Section 18 of the Act specifies the powers and functions of the State Disaster Management
Authority like –
Laying down the state policy on disaster management,
Approving the state plan, and plans by other departments,
Laying down guidelines for different departments of state,
Monitoring the implementation of the state plan for disaster management,
Recommending funds for mitigation measures,
Reviewing the developmental plans of different departments of the state,
Review the measures taken for mitigation, capacity building and preparedness by the
departments of the state and issue necessary guidelines.
Advisory committee
Under Section 17 of the Act, the State Authority may constitute an advisory committee to
make recommendations on disaster management which shall consist of experts in disaster
management having practical experience.
State executive committee
Section 20 constitutes the State Executive Committee by the State Government to assist the
State Authority in discharging its functions. Additionally, the State Executive Committee
may constitute one or more sub-communities to discharge its functions smoothly.
The State Executive Committee may consist of the following members-
The Chief Secretary to the State Government as an ex-officio Chairperson,
The four Secretaries to the State Government of such departments which it thinks fit,
Section 22 specifies the powers and functions of the State Executive Committee like-
Monitoring the implementation of the National and state plan,
Testing the vulnerability of different parts of the state to different forms of
disasters, Laying down guidelines for preparing plans,
Providing technical assistance for carrying out their functions,
Coordinating the implementation of the plans and guidelines,
Evaluating the preparedness at both governmental and non-governmental levels,
Arranging response in the event of any threatening disaster situation,
Assisting and coordinating activities of the concerned authorities,
NGOs and others engaged in disaster management, Promoting general education, awareness
and community training about disaster management, and Advising the state government
regarding financial matters,
Ensuring communication systems are in order, etc.
State plan
It shall be prepared by the State Executive Committee, which shall include-
The vulnerability of different parts of the state to different disasters,
Measures to be taken for prevention and mitigation,
The manner in which these measures shall be integrated with plans,
Measures to be taken for capacity building and preparedness,
Roles and responsibilities of different departments of the state government.
District level
District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)
Section 25 of the Act authorises the establishment of the District Disaster Management
Authority. It shall consist of the following members-
The Collector or District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner of the district as an ex-off
Chairperson of the District Authority,
The elected representative of the local authority as the Co-Chairperson,
The Chief Executive Officer of the District Authority,
The Superintendent of Police,
The Chief Medical Officer of the district,
Not exceeding two other district-level officers, to be appointed by the state government.
In the case of tribal areas, as referred to in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, the Co-
Chairperson will be the Chief Executive Member of the district council of an autonomous
district.
Under Section 30 of the Act, the powers and functions of the District Authority were laid
down. Some of them are-
Preparing a disaster management plan for the district,
Monitoring the implementation of plans and policies,
Identifying the areas vulnerable to disasters,
Giving directions to district authorities and laying down the guidelines,
Assessing the state of capabilities for responding to any disaster and the preparedness
measures,
Examining the construction in the district to check the standards for the prevention of
disaster, and if have not been followed, directing the authorities to take action,
Identifying buildings or places which can be used as relief centres or camps at the time of the
disaster,
Establishing stockpiles of relief and rescue materials and ensuring preparedness,
Organising specialised training programmes for officers or voluntary rescue
workers, Facilitating community training and awareness programmes, etc.
Advisory Committee
Under Section 28 of the Act, the District Authority may constitute one or more advisory
committees and other committees for the efficient discharge of its functions.
District plan
Under Section 31 of the Act, ‘District Plan’ shall be prepared by the District Authority, which
shall include the following-
Areas vulnerable to different disasters in the district,
Measures to be taken for prevention and mitigation of disaster,
Measures for capacity building and preparedness,
Response plans and procedures,
Other matters as required by the state authority.
Major disasters that occurred in India and the role of disaster management force
Kerala floods, 2018
Kerala suffered from devastating floods between 1st June and 19th August in 2018 which
were caused due to abnormally high precipitation that year, which was 42% higher than the
average rainfall. This resulted in about 341 landslides which were reported in the hilly areas.
Moreover, many dams were opened which caused the loss of many lives and resources.
Nearly 400 human fatalities were reported and approximately 50 hectares of cultivable land
were destroyed leading to losses in production. The National Disaster Response Force has
played a vital role in the evacuation and rescue of the people, and livestock trapped in the
floods. Learning a lesson from this, the Kerala Disaster Management Authority released a
handbook clearing out the duties and responsibilities of every department and updating some
protocols for enhanced preparedness in a single document so that adequate planning can be
done before any disaster.
Kashmir floods, 2014
Jammu and Kashmir experienced the worst flood in 2013 in a hundred years. Nearly 200
lives have been lost and thousands of people have been stranded in the floods waiting for
rescue. This disaster raised several questions about the role of the Disaster Management
Authority as these floods have already been forecasted by the Indian Meteorological
Department days before this incident.
Uttarakhand flash floods, 2013
Kedarnath in Uttarakhand witnessed ravaging flash floods in June 2013 which swept nearly
5000 lives away with many people missing. In addition, various villages, roads,
infrastructure, lakes, and the natural environment were damaged, impacting the livelihood of
millions. The military forces, army and team of the National Disaster Response Force
engaged tirelessly in conducting rescue operations and evacuations. The Report released by
the National Institute of Disaster Management blamed “climatic conditions combined with
haphazard human intervention” for the disaster. But in actuality, the Meteorological
Department had predicted in advance the ‘extreme weather conditions in Uttarakhand. But,
again the Disaster Management Authority failed to prepare actionable plans to deal with the
disasters, even in presence of warnings.
Bihar floods, 2007
The floods in Bihar caused due to incessant rains, in the month of July 2007 affected the lives
of millions of people. Around 500 persons lost their lives and extensive damages were caused
to the agricultural lands, property, and infrastructure. The Report published by the National
Institute of Disaster Management reveals that the “District Disaster Management Plan,
though available in districts, was not put into use”. This shows the inefficiency of the
Disaster Management Authority in implementing the plans in the occurrence of a disaster.
Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2004
In December 2004, India faced a devastating tsunami across the Indian Ocean, which caused
the loss of around 10 thousand lives. It was a time when India had not constituted any
Disaster Management Authority nor did they have any warning or risk assessment systems. It
was after this disaster that the Indian Government enacted the Disaster Management Act
2005 which calls for the establishment of the National Disaster Management Authority.
Gujarat (Bhuj) Earthquake, 2001
On the morning of Republic Day in 2001, an earthquake struck Gujarat with a magnitude
scale of 7.7. Thousands of people lost their lives and many buildings and infrastructure have
perished. Total damages to property caused a loss of about 7 billion dollars. In the backdrop
of this disaster, the government was compelled to enact the Gujarat State Disaster
Management Act in 2003 which was the first law of its kind to exclusively deal with
disasters. Later, it paved the way for the enactment of the similar Disaster Management Act
in 2005 for the entire country.
Disaster management challenges in India
Despite the comprehensiveness of this Act, which covers various aspects of disaster
management and the constitution of authorities at all levels, there are still many challenges
faced by disaster management in India.
Scarce resources
National Disaster Management Authority personnel lack the resources like types of
equipment, facilities, technology, etc, which are needed in disaster management for its
prevention or mitigation.
Inactivity of the established institutions
It was seen that these established institutions remain inactive for the majority of the time and
become operational only with a few honourable exceptions.
Overlapping of the functions
These authorities at all levels- national, state or district, share overlapping functions with
each other, making cooperation between them difficult.
Absence of ‘disaster-prone zones’
This Act is criticised many a time for its non-declaration of ‘disaster-prone areas’. Its
declaration would help in improving the responsiveness of the concerned authorities at the
time of disaster.
Non-setting up of the district fund
Despite this Act providing for the establishment of the Disaster Response Fund and Disaster
Mitigation Fund also at the district level, it has not been operationalised till now.
Non-enforcement
Lack of technology, lack of equipment and delays in response and implementation shows that
the provisions of this Act have not been enforced in letter and spirit.
Institutional Arrangements

National level

 In the event of a disaster of a severe nature, National Crisis Management Committee

under Cabinet Crisis Management Committee under Cabinet Secretary gives policy
directions and guidelines to the Secretary gives policy directions and guidelines to the
Crisis Management Group where national/ international efforts are required.
international efforts are required.
 Crisis Management Group in MHA reviews the situation in Inter situation in Inter-
Ministerial meeting to coordinate Ministerial meeting to coordinate various
emergency support functions for the affected various emergency support functions for
the affected States. States.
 Union Cabinet may set up a Cabinet Committee/Task Force/GoM for effective
coordination of relief for effective coordination of relief measures in the wake of
calamities of severe nature.

State level

 A State level Crisis Management Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief

Secretary is responsible for formulating policies and guidelines for management of
natural disasters in the States.
 This committee comprises of concerned functionaries in various State Departments
and representatives of Central Organizations located in the State.
 State Relief Commissioner is the Nodal Officer for coordinating the activities for
relief operations in the event of natural disasters.

District level

 District level is the focal point in a disaster situation from which disaster management
related activities are coordinated and implemented.
  A district level committee exists under the District Collector / Deputy Commissioner.
 District Collector is the key functionary for directing, supervising and monitoring all.

Role of Central and State Governments

 Central and State Governments are jointly responsible for undertaking mitigation,
preparedness, response, relief and rehabilitation preparedness, response, relief and
rehabilitation [Link] management operations.
 Central Government supplements the efforts of State Government by providing
financial and logistic support in case of a major calamity.

Mitigation : Activities aimed at trying to mitigate the impact of a disaster if prevention is not
possible, such as building schools to be more earthquake resistant.

Response : Activities aimed at understanding needs and responding to them, including rapid
assessments, provision of food and non-food items, provision of water, sanitation and
hygiene services, and health and shelter interventions.

In the immediate hours and days after a disaster, when search-and-rescue activities are
critical, it is most often local actors who are first to respond. Information is often patchy and
confused; there can be significant damage to infrastructure, and large movements of people.

Preparedness : Activities aimed at trying to prepare communities for a disaster, such as

emergency drills or pre-stocking relief items in logistic hubs. This involves measures
designed for lessening the likely effects of [Link], Response and
Preparedness.

Includes appropriate land-use planning, flood mitigation works, improved building codes
improving structural qualities of schools, houses and such other buildings so that medical
causalities can be minimized.

Ensuring the safety of health facilities and public health services including water supply and
sewerage system to reduce the cost of rehabilitation and reconstruction.

 Mitigation compliments the disaster preparedness and disaster response activities.

 Preparedness efforts include plans or preparations made in advance of an emergency
that help individuals and communities get ready to either respond or to recover. It
aims to achieve a satisfactory level of readiness to respond to any emergency situation
through programs that strengthen the technical and managerial capacity of
governments, organizations, and communities.
 These measures can be described as logistical readiness to deal with disasters and can
be enhanced by having response mechanisms and procedures, rehearsals, developing
long-term and short-term strategies, public education and building early warning
systems.
 The preparations may include the stocking of reserve food and water, the gathering
and screening of willing community volunteers, or citizens education & evacuation
plan, holding disaster drills, and installing smoke detectors, mutual aid agreements,
development of hospital disaster plans, emergency medical service plans, etc.
 Preparedness activities increase a community’s ability to respond when a disaster
occurs. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) defines preparedness as
"a
 continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating,
and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during
incident response."
 This preparedness cycle is one element of a broader National Preparedness System to
prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against natural disasters, acts of
terrorism, and other man-made disasters.
 Typical preparedness measures include developing mutual aid agreements and
memorandums of understanding, training for both response personnel and concerned
citizens, conducting disaster exercises to reinforce training and test capabilities, and
presenting all-hazards education campaigns.

Disaster Management Act and Policy

Definitions - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires - "Affected area" means an
area or part of the country affected by a disaster; "Capacity-building" includes –

 Identification of existing resources and resources to be acquired or created;

 Acquiring or creating resources identified under sub-clause
 Organization and training of personnel and coordination of such training for effective
management of disasters;

"Central Government" means the Ministry or Department of the Government of India having
administrative control of disaster management; "Disaster" means a catastrophe, mishap,
calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or manmade causes, or by
accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage
to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such
a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected
area;

"Disaster management" means a continuous and integrated process of planning, organising,

coordinating and implementing measures which are necessary or expedient for -

Prevention of danger or threat of any disaster;

 Mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or consequences;

 Capacity-building;
 Preparedness to deal with any disaster;
 Prompt response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster;

Assessing the severity or magnitude of effects of any disaster;

 Evacuation, rescue and relief;

 Rehabilitation and reconstruction;
 "District Authority" means the District Disaster Management Authority constituted
under sub-section (1) of section 25;
 "District Plan" means the plan for disaster management for the district prepared
 under section 31;
  "Local authority" includes panchayati raj institutions, municipalities, a district board,
cantonment board, town planning authority or Zila Parishad or any other body or
authority, by whatever name called, for the time being invested by law, for rendering
essential services or, with the control and management of civic services, within a
specified local area;
 "Mitigation" means measures aimed at reducing the risk, impact or effects of a
disaster or threatening disaster situation;
 "National Authority" means the National Disaster Management Authorityestablished
under sub-section (1) of section 3; "National Executive Committee" means the
Executive Committee of the National

Authority constituted under sub-section (1) of section 8;

 "National Plan" means the plan for disaster management for the whole of the country
prepared under section 11;
 "Preparedness" means the state of readiness to deal with a threatening disaster
situation or disaster and the effects thereof;
 "Prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
 "Reconstruction" means construction or restoration of any property after a disaster;
 "Resources" includes manpower, services, materials and provisions;
 "State Authority" means the State Disaster Management Authority established under
sub-section (1) of section 14 and includes the Disaster Management Authority for the
Union territory constituted under that section;
 "State Executive Committee" means the Executive Committee of a State Authority
constituted under sub-section (1) of section 20;
 "State Government" means the Department of Government of the State having
administrative control of disaster management and includes Administrator of the
Union territory appointed by the President under article 239 of the Constitution;

Awareness and Preparedness

Some critical questions that arise during awareness and preparedness for disaster
management are :

 What is the population of the area,

 Location of buildings and infrastructure,
 Social and structural characteristics of the area,
 Population at risk, evacuation time and technique,
 Location of the safe structures that could be used as shelters and others ?

GIS and remote sensing techniques can be used to build database of critical facilities such as
hospitals, ambulances, fire stations, police stations, schools and other places which can be
helpful for planning purposes. Disaster maps can be prepared to show the risk zones as well
as disaster impact zones. From a mitigation point of view, hazard maps can be created for
various natural and manmade hazards such as floods, earthquakes, cyclones, forest fires etc.,
that help in understanding the risk of a location and planning accordingly for the same.

Risk Assessment
A fundamental principal of risk assessment is that risk due to natural catastrophes such as
earthquakes, hurricanes and flood, is location dependent, and that it can be assessed within an
acceptable range of uncertainty if reliable historical and location specific data is available.

 Risk assessment of natural catastrophes has two components-hazard and vulnerability.

The hazard is a measure of the physical intensity of the peril (earthquake, wind, surge,
etc.) at a particular location and the associated probabilities of these intensities.
Hazard is location dependent.
 For example a location which is surrounded by seismic faults and has a weak surface
geology has a higher hazard potential than a location for away from faults and with
strong surface geology.
 Similarly, hurricane, hazard at a location near the coast and with a flat, bare terrain is
far higher than at a location which is inland and has a rugged terrain. Vulnerability
is a measure of the damage that the peril can cause to the built environment (house,
buildings, infrastructure and utilities) at that location.
 Manmade structure respond to different perils in different ways, depending on the
design of their structural systems and methods of constructions.
 Flood and cyclones play havoc with irrigation processes in the coastal areas of
Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, the Rayalseema and Telenagana regions with
semiarid to arid climatic conditions are frequently affected by droughts.
 The worst affected are the rural people who are not adequately warned about the
impending disasters.
 Now, the Andhra Pradesh State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (APSRC) has
developed a remote sensing application to overcome some of the problems that the
state faces.
Institutional Processes and Framework at State and Central Level- (NDMA –SDMA-DDMA-
NRDF- Civic Volunteers)
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA):
The Disaster Management ACT, 2005 provides for setting up of a National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) with the Prime Minister as Chairperson. Apart from him
there are members whose number shall not exceed nine. One of these can be nominated as
Vice- Chairperson of the Authority.
Presently, Sh. M. Shashidhar Reddy, a sitting member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative
Assembly is the Vice-Chairman of the Authority. NDMA is responsible for laying down
policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management for ensuring timely and effective
response to disaster
NDMA is to be assisted by a National Executive Committee which comprises of Secretaries
to the Government of India heading various Ministries or Departments having administrative
control over Agriculture, Atomic Energy, Defence, drinking water supply, environment and
forests, finance, health, power, rural development, science and technology, space,
telecommunication, urban development and water resources. Chief of the Integrated Defence
Staff of the Chiefs of Staff Committee is also a member of the Executive Committee.
National Executive Committee is responsible for preparing and updating a National Plan for
disaster management. The Plan includes measures to be taken for prevention of disasters or
the mitigation of their effects; measures to be taken for the integration of mitigation measures
in the development plans; measures to be taken for preparedness and capacity building to
effectively respond to any threatening disaster situation or disaster; and defining the roles of
various departments in respect of these measures
State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA):
The Disaster Management Act 2005 also provides for setting up of Stage Disaster
Management Authorities under the Chairpersonship of the Chief Minister. State Authority is
to be assisted by a State Executive Committee under the Chairpersonship of the Chief
Secretary of the State.
The Committee shall prepare a state plan which would include assessment of vulnerability of
different parts of the state to different forms of disasters; measures to be adopted for
prevention and mitigation of disasters; capacity building; and role of departments of State
Government. Apart from the planning aspect it is also involved in taking up and supervising
relief and rescue operations at the time of disaster and in disseminating information about any
impending disaster.

District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA):

The structure of disaster management institutions goes down to the district level where the
responsibility is given to DDMA which is headed by the Collector/ District Magistrate with
elected representative of the local authority as co-chairperson. DDMA will act as the
planning, coordinating and implementing body for disaster management at the district level.
It will prepare the District Plan for disaster management in accordance with instructions by
NDMA and SDMA. The DDMA will also ensure that the guidelines for prevention,
mitigation, preparedness and response measures laid down by the NDMA and the SDMA are
followed by all the Departments of the State Government at the District level and the local
authorities in the District.
Local Authority:
For the purpose of disaster management, local authorities would include Panchayati Raj
institutions and those agencies which control and manage civic services. These bodies are
required to ensure capacity building of their employees for managing disasters and carrying
out relief and reconstruction activities in the affected areas.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):

NDRF was constituted in 2006 with 8 battalions drawn from the paramilitary forces.
Presently it has strength of 10 battalions. General superintendence of the force vests in
NDMA and the force is headed by the Director General of NDRF and Civil Defence. These
battalions are positioned at different locations to provide timely response to disaster situations
and are available to State Governments at the time of need.
The force provides specialized response during disasters, is pro-actively deployed in
impending disaster situations, imparts training to state disaster response force personnel and
conducts programmes for creating awareness and community capacity building.
Other Institutional Arrangements:

Cabinet Committee on Management of Natural Calamities (CCMNC) has been constituted to

oversee all aspects relating to the management of natural calamities.
National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) was created in 2000-01 by the Govt of India
with a corpus fund of Rs.500 crores with an objective of providing assistance to disaster
affected states. The fund was replenished with the National Calamity Contingent Duty on
certain items such as tobacco products etc., and was operated through a High Level
Committee (HLC) which had Finance Minister, as Chairman and the Home Minister,
Agriculture Minister and Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission as members. Since 2010,
this find has been merged with National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) which is also
operated by a High Level Committee with similar composition.
Armed forces are called upon to assist the civil administration only when the situation is
beyond their coping capability. In practice, however, the armed forces form an important part
of the Government’s response capacity and are immediate responders in all serious disaster
situations.
They have played a major role in emergency support functions like communication, search
and rescue operations, medical facilities and transportation.
Central Paramilitary forces also play a key role at the time of immediate response to
disasters. Besides contributing to the NDRF, they are also required to develop adequate
disaster management capability within their own forces and respond to disasters which may
occur in the areas where they are posted.
State Police and Fire Services are crucial immediate responders to disasters are required to
improve their response capabilities. Civil Defence Act has been amended in 2009 to bring
disaster management in the area of operation of civil defence agencies.
International agencies also play a role in disaster management. UNDP along with NDMA
took up Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Urban Risk Reduction programmes. World Bank
is associated with National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) being taken up in
Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Red Cross Society also provides valuable support during relief
operations.