Introduction

1.1 India has been  traditionally vulnerable  to natural disasters on account of  its unique geo-climatic conditions.  Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes  and landslides  have been a recurrent  phenomena.  About 60% of the landmass is  prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares  is prone  to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone  to cyclones and  68% of the area  is susceptible to drought.   In the decade  1990-2000, an average  of about 4344  people  lost their lives and about 30 million people were  affected  by disasters every year.  The loss in terms of  private, community and public  assets  has been astronomical. 

1.2 At the global  level, there has been considerable  concern over  natural disasters.  Even  as substantial scientific and material progress is made,  the loss of lives and property due to disasters  has not  decreased.  In fact,  the human toll and economic  losses  have mounted.  It was  in this background that the United Nations General Assembly, in 1989,    declared  the decade 1990-2000 as the International Decade  for Natural Disaster Reduction with the objective  to reduce loss  of lives and property  and restrict socio-economic damage  through concerted international  action, specially in developing countries. 

1.3 The super cyclone in Orissa  in  October, 1999 and the  Bhuj earthquake in  Gujarat in  January, 2001 underscored the need to adopt a multi dimensional endeavour involving  diverse  scientific, engineering, financial and social processes; the need to adopt multi  disciplinary and multi sectoral  approach and incorporation  of risk reduction in the developmental plans and strategies.   

1.4. Over the past couple of years, the Government of India have brought about a paradigm shift in the approach to disaster management.  The new approach proceeds from the conviction that development cannot be sustainable unless disaster mitigation is built into the development process.  Another corner stone of  the approach is that mitigation has to be multi-disciplinary spanning across all sectors of development.  The new policy also emanates from the belief that investments in mitigation are much more cost effective than expenditure on relief and rehabilitation.  

1.5 Disaster management occupies an important place in this country’s policy framework as it is the poor and the under-privileged who are worst affected on account of calamities/disasters.   

1.6 The steps being taken by the Government emanate  from the approach outlined above.  The approach has been translated into a National Disaster Framework [a roadmap] covering institutional mechanisms, disaster prevention strategy, early warning system, disaster mitigation, preparedness and response and human resource development.  The expected inputs, areas of intervention and agencies to be involved at the National, State and district levels have been identified and listed in the roadmap.  This roadmap has been shared with all the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.  Ministries and Departments of Government of India, and the State Governments/UT Administrations have been advised to develop their respective roadmaps taking the national roadmap as a broad guideline.  There is, therefore, now a common strategy underpinning  the action being taken by all the participating organisations/stakeholders.  A copy of the roadmap is at Annexure – I.

SECTION-II

Institutional and Policy Framework

2.1  The institutional and policy mechanisms for carrying out response, relief and rehabilitation have been well-established since Independence.  These mechanisms have proved to be robust and effective insofar as response, relief and rehabilitation are concerned.   

2.2 At the national level, the Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal Ministry for all matters concerning disaster management.   The Central Relief Commissioner (CRC) in the Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal officer to coordinate relief operations for natural disasters. The  CRC receives information relating to forecasting/warning of a natural calamity from India Meteorological Department (IMD) or from Central Water Commission of Ministry of Water Resources on a continuing basis. The Ministries/Departments/Organizations concerned with the primary and secondary functions relating to the management of disasters include: India Meteorological Department, Central Water Commission, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Urban Development, Department of Communications, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Petroleum, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation. Ministry of Power, Department of Civil Supplies, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Planning Commission, Cabinet Secretariat, Department of Surface Transport, Ministry of Social Justice, Department of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Department of Food.  Each Ministry/Department/Organization nominate their nodal officer to the Crisis Management Group chaired by Central Relief Commissioner. The nodal officer is responsible for preparing sectoral Action Plan/Emergency Support Function Plan for managing disasters. 

2.3  National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC): Cabinet Secretary, who is the highest executive officer, heads the NCMC. Secretaries of all the concerned Ministries /Departments as well as organizations are the members of the Committee   The NCMC gives direction to the Crisis Management Group as deemed necessary. The Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for ensuring that all developments are brought to the notice of the NCMC promptly.  The NCMC can give directions to  any Ministry/Department/Organization for specific action needed for meeting the crisis situation.  

2.4  Crisis Management Group: The Central Relief  Commissioner in the Ministry of Home Affairs is the Chairman of the CMG, consisting of senior officers (called nodal officers) from various concerned Ministries. The CMG’s functions are to review every year contingency plans formulated by various Ministries/Departments/Organizations in their respective sectors, measures required for dealing with a natural disasters, coordinate the activities of the Central Ministries and the State Governments in  relation to disaster preparedness and relief and to obtain information from the  nodal officers on measures relating to above. The CMG, in the event of a natural disaster, meets frequently to review the relief operations and extend all possible assistance required by the affected States to overcome the situation effectively. The Resident Commissioner of the affected State is also associated with such meetings.  

2.5  Control Room (Emergency Operation Room): An Emergency Operations Center (Control Room) exists in the nodal Ministry of Home Affairs, which functions round the clock, to assist the Central Relief Commissioner in the discharge of his duties. The activities of the Control Room include collection and transmission of information concerning natural calamity and relief, keeping close contact with governments of the affected States, interaction with other Central Ministries/Departments/Organizations  in connection with  relief, maintaining records containing all relevant information relating to action points and contact points in Central Ministries etc., keeping up-to-date details of all concerned officers at the Central and State levels.