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Disaster Management Bill
Context:
The Lok Sabha passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, despite strong opposition and heated debates.
More on News:
The bill, introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in August 2024, aims to strengthen the disaster management framework in India by bringing greater coordination and uniformity in administrative procedures.
The Disaster Management Act, 2005, was enacted by the Parliament of India to provide a legal framework for the effective management of disasters and to ensure a coordinated response to emergencies. This Act came into effect on December 23, 2005, and has since been a cornerstone of India’s disaster management strategy.
Key Provisions of the Bill:
- Amendment to Disaster Management Act, 2005: The Bill amends the Disaster Management Act, which established National, State, and District Disaster Management Authorities (NDMA, SDMA, DDMA).
- NDMA and SDMA’s Role: The Bill proposes that NDMA and SDMA directly prepare disaster management plans, instead of delegating this task to their executive committees.
- Expansion of Roles: NDMA and SDMA’s roles are expanded to include assessing emerging risks from climate change, providing technical assistance, and maintaining national and state disaster databases.
- Urban Disaster Management Authorities: Provisions for these authorities are introduced in state capitals and cities with municipal corporations.
- Statutory Status to Existing Bodies: This bill grants statutory status to bodies like the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and the High-Level Committee (HLC).
- Empowerment of NDMA: NDMA is empowered to appoint staff and consultants as needed.
- State Governments’ Authority: State governments are authorised to create State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF).
Opposition’s Concerns:
- Exclusion of Man-Made Disasters: Opposition members argued that the bill excludes man-made disasters, leaving affected individuals without recourse.
- Funding Allocation: Concerns were raised about the formula for allocating funds to the State Disaster Management Force, which disadvantages states with controlled populations.
- Early Warning Systems: Criticism of the early warning radar system, which issues warnings only when storms are 150 kilometres away, compared to 300 kilometres in other countries.
- Climate Change Impact: Calls for further discussion on the bill in light of the growing impact of climate change-induced calamities.
Government’s Response:
- The Union Home Minister highlighted that the Bill will empower response forces to shield citizens from calamities, making India more disaster-resilient.
- The Minister of State for Home Affairs emphasised that the legislation aims to bring clarity and uniformity in the roles of various institutions at national, state, and district levels.
