The Modi 3.0 government has sanctioned ₹12,554 crore this year to various states for relief and rehabilitation following natural disasters, officials concerned have informed.
According to senior officials, this fund allocation aims to help states tackle urban floods, fire service expansion, and mitigate risks from potential glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF).
Additionally, ₹890.69 crore has been sanctioned to five states by the Ministry of Home Affairs to bolster fire services under the "Scheme for Expansion and Modernisation of Fire Services."
This initiative includes upgrading infrastructure and ensuring better preparedness in disaster-prone regions.
The funding, aimed at supporting the affected populations and improving disaster management, has been sanctioned from multiple sources including the
National Disaster Mitigation Fund, National Disaster Response Fund, State Disaster Mitigation Fund, and State Disaster Response Fund.
According to officials, this funding covers a broad spectrum of disaster management initiatives.
Of this amount, Rs 890.69 crore has been specifically allocated by the Union Home Ministry to enhance and modernise fire services in five states through the Scheme for Expansion and Modernisation of Fire Services.
The initiative is part of a larger strategy to improve the overall infrastructure and preparedness for fire emergencies.
The sanctioned funds are being channelled into various critical areas, including urban flood management, fire services, and mitigation of risks associated with glacial lake outburst floods.
The latter has been a particular focus, with Rs 150 crore allocated under the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Mitigation Programme.
This programme is directed towards four states—Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh—to implement both structural and non-structural measures to tackle the risks posed by glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF).
Additionally, Rs 2,514.36 crore has been earmarked for integrated urban flood management projects and urban flood risk management programmes. This funding aims to support states in developing comprehensive solutions for managing and mitigating urban flood risks.
In an effort to strengthen community-based disaster response, the Central government has introduced the 'Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme' as an extension of the existing 'Upscaling of Aapda Mitra Scheme'.
With an outlay of Rs 470.50 crore, the scheme plans to train 2.31 lakh volunteers, including members from the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), and Bharat Scouts and Guides (BSG), along with 1,300 trainers in disaster response techniques.
The ongoing schemes under this initiative include the training of approximately 100,000 community volunteers across 350 multi-hazard disaster-prone districts. The 'Aapda Mitra Scheme' focuses on equipping these volunteers to handle a range of disaster situations effectively.
Furthermore, the government has enhanced its emergency response capabilities by providing geographical alerts on impending emergencies and disasters through mobile phones.
The introduction of a unified emergency response system, featuring a single emergency number 112, ensures that all emergency signals—whether through voice calls, SMS, emails, panic SOS signals, or the ERSS web portal—are promptly addressed.
In addition to these measures, the government is poised to amend the Disaster Management Act of 2005.
A bill introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 2 seeks to refine the roles of central government organisations such as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Executive Committee.
The proposed amendments aim to provide statutory status to certain pre-existing organisations like the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and High-Level Committee (HLC), enhance the efficiency of NDMA and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), and foster the creation of a comprehensive disaster data base at national and state levels.
The bill also proposes the establishment of urban disaster management authorities and state disaster response forces, which is expected to bolster the institutional framework for disaster management and potentially generate employment opportunities in this sector.
By refining these mechanisms, the government aims to achieve greater clarity and convergence in disaster management roles, leading to more effective responses and ultimately contributing to the country's goal of becoming self-reliant in managing disasters.
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