Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024
Kartavya Desk Staff
Syllabus: Disaster Management
Source: PRS
Context: The Parliament has passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aiming to strengthen disaster response mechanisms.
About Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024:
Key Features and Amendments:
• Disaster management plans: NDMA and SDMA will now prepare plans, replacing previous delegation to executive committees.
• Expanded functions of NDMA and SDMA: Periodic disaster risk assessments, including climate-related risks. Providing technical guidance and minimum relief standards. Preparing national and state-level disaster databases. Conducting post-disaster audits and assessing state preparedness.
• Periodic disaster risk assessments, including climate-related risks.
• Providing technical guidance and minimum relief standards.
• Preparing national and state-level disaster databases.
• Conducting post-disaster audits and assessing state preparedness.
• Urban Disaster Management Authorities: To be set up in state capitals and cities with municipal corporations. Headed by the Municipal Commissioner with District Collector as Vice-Chairperson.
• To be set up in state capitals and cities with municipal corporations.
• Headed by the Municipal Commissioner with District Collector as Vice-Chairperson.
• State Disaster Response Force (SDRF): Empowering states to form SDRFs with defined roles and service conditions.
• Empowering states to form SDRFs with defined roles and service conditions.
• Statutory status: Given to the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and the High-Level Committee (HLC) for disaster financial oversight.
• Given to the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and the High-Level Committee (HLC) for disaster financial oversight.
• NDMA appointments: NDMA can now specify staffing needs and appoint experts with Centre’s approval.
• NDMA can now specify staffing needs and appoint experts with Centre’s approval.
Need for the Amendment:
• Climate change: Rise in extreme climate events necessitates proactive disaster planning.
• Decentralization gaps: States faced difficulties with the 2005 Act’s execution framework.
• Strengthening institutions: Aims to create accountable, well-defined structures at national and sub-national levels.
• Data and tech integration: Need for real-time disaster databases and post-disaster audits.
Issues with New Disaster Management Bill, 2024
• Centralization concerns: Opposition claims excessive powers given to the Centre, undermining federal balance.
• Overlap with state powers: Potential encroachment on state authority in disaster planning and fund utilization.
• NDRF allocation control: Greater central monitoring may delay decentralized relief efforts.
• Omission of climate-induced disasters: Exclusion of phenomena like heatwaves from disaster definitions.
• Lack of dedicated state-specific relief budgets: States like Bihar demand region-focused disaster funding.
Way Ahead:
• Ensure federal balance: Respect state autonomy in disaster management execution.
• Incorporate climate change disasters: Update definitions to cover emerging threats.
• Transparent fund usage: Clear guidelines for state and district-level fund allocations.
• Strengthen local bodies: Capacity-building for District and Urban Disaster Management Authorities.
• Regular post-disaster audits: Transparent evaluations to improve readiness.
Conclusion:
The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is a step toward strengthening disaster resilience in India. However, addressing federal concerns and climate realities is crucial. Collaborative, transparent, and proactive disaster governance will be key in safeguarding lives and livelihoods.
• With reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines, discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand. (UPSC-2016)