Disaster Management Plan

Why in news?

A multi-dimensional Disaster Management Plan has been introduced to build a disaster resilient India.

What are the key initiatives taken under disaster management plan?

• National Disaster Management Plan- It was launched in 2916 which is the horizontal and vertical integration among all agencies and departments related to disaster management.

• India Disaster Resource Network-A nationwide electronic catalogue for managing the inventory of equipments, skilled human resources and critical supplies for emergency response, this has been updated for reliable and valid data.
• National Disaster Response Reserve- It was created in 2014 with a corpus of Rs.250 crore as Revolving Fund to meet the immediate requirement of relief material/equipment after a disaster.
• Active availability of NDRF- National Disaster Response Force has been pre-positioned during impending disasters like floods and cyclones as a pro-active measure to save the “Golden Hours” for protecting the lives of victims.
• Aapda Mitra Scheme- It was launched in 2016 to empower community volunteers in disaster response who act as first responders, leveraging local knowledge, rapid action, and trust to enhance disaster preparedness and long-term resilience.
• NDRF academy- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) academy has been created by merging two premier Institutions i.e. National Civil Defence College (NCDC) and National Fire Service College (NFSC) at Nagpur.

It shall be the premier Institute for Disaster Response Training not only for the NDRF but for all important stakeholders across the nation as well as for foreign countries.

• Scientific distribution of disaster funds- National Disaster Mitigation Fund has been formed in 2021, the Central government has advised  all the State Governments to set up State Disaster Mitigation Funds (SDMFs).

• Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)- It is a pan-India Integrated Alert System launched in 2021 to provide geographically based instant alerts through mobile phones regarding emergencies/ disasters

CAP is implemented by NDMA in partnership with Department of Telecommunications and Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).

• National Disaster Management Information System (NIDMS) Portal- It has been launched for collection of sector wise data on disaster losses and development of comprehensive online module to monitor progress on various indicators under Sendai framework.
• Emergency Response Support System- ‘Dial 122’ is an initiative to strengthen proactive community policing that would end confusion amongst distress callers, who at times end up dialling 100 in fire or medical emergency cases.
• India Universities and Institutions Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (IUIN-DRR- NIDM)- It has been established by National Institute of Disaster Management to address the commitment of India and keeping the importance of Universities and Institutions in disaster risk management.
• Subhash Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award- It was given to recognize the contribution and selfless service of individual and institutions in the field of disaster management.
• Mobile Application-

What are the international cooperation initiatives taken by India in disaster management?

• Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction- In 2016 India announced a 10 point agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi.
• Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure- It is an international climate initiative by India in 2019 to promote resilient climate-proof critical infrastructure in member countries.
• Standardization- NDRF is striving to get global recognition from INSARG (International Search and Advisory Group) which will enable the force to carry out search and rescue operations on United Nations mandated standards.
• Turkey earthquake- India has sent 3 teams of NDRF personnel to Turkey in 2023 with all necessary equipment for search and rescue operations in the affected areas of Turkey devastated by massive earthquake.

What lies ahead?

• With 'Mission Zero Casualty', India is not just responding to disasters; it's pre-emptively striking against the inevitable challenges posed by nature.
• As India continues to refine its disaster management strategies, the world watches and learns, witnessing a nation that transforms its vulnerabilities into strengths.

References

1. PIB- Disaster management plan
2. MHA- Schemes of  disaster management