INDIAI.

Natural hazards in India

1.1
Natural hazards likely to affect the country
Earthquakes, floods, cyclones, drought, tsunami, landslides, avalanches
1.2

Recent major disasters
year
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2004

dis_subset
killed total_affected dam (US ‘000s)―
Avalanche
250
5000
―
Storm
18
7550
―
Meningitis
48
405
―
―
Heat wave
329
Flood
239
4050002300000
Valley Flood
65000
200000―Flood
15700000
―
Flood
62
49000
―
Flood
12
10000
Flood
930
3400553500000―
Landslide
12
20――
Leptospirosis
66
Flash Flood
900
33000000
220000Source: "EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database,www.em-dat.net - Université catholique de Louvain - Brussels Belgium"
ASURES:
1. Description of recent major disaster and response activities
Gujarat Flood, 5 July 2005
Owing to unprecedented heavy rains in the state of Gujarat has been
experiencing floods and inundation of low lying areas. The situation in
the state is reported to be critical in the districts of Vadodara, Kheda andAnand in other parts of the state flood waters have started receding andlife is slowly getting back to normal. The affected Districts are: Surat,

Valsad, Navsari, Bharuch, Vadodara, Surendranagar, Dangs,
Ahmedabad, Anand, Kheda, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Rajkot,
Narmada, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar and Sabarkantha. The total numberof taluka affected is 117 with 8000 villages.
However the severely affected districts are Vadodara, Anand and Kheda
and 2000 villages. The cities experiencing severe inundation conditions
are Vadodara, Nadiad, Ahmedabad, Navsari, Surat and Limbdi,Dakor,
Anand, Kheda, Petlad, Borsad. Due to flooding and inundation of
topography, clogging of drainage channels
Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

Relief Operations and Restorations
Evacuation
The state administration evacuated 500,000 affected persons to Safe
locations including primary and secondary schools, community halls,‘Dharmasalas’ and temples in Village Panchayat were used as temporary
shelters.
Relief
At the relief/temporary camps necessary requirements such as 269678
food packets, 236000 water pouches and 300 family kits, 14100 packetsof milk powder have been distributed. The drinking water arrangements
are being coordinated by Gujarat Water Supply & Sewerage Board(GWSSB) through portable tankers. A team of 639 members of which 34
medical officers and 200 Para medics have been deployed in the relief
camps.
Rescue Operations
The state has deployed 14 army Colums of 610 personnel and company of
CRPF in Kheda, with 56 boats (OBM and Non-OBM) have been deployed
for rescue operations in Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad while 11 Indian
Air Force Helicopters have been conducting rescue operations and air
dropping of relief materials. 600 trained State Police force have been
deployed. The trained fire brigade rescue teams from all city municipal
cooperation and Nagarpalikas (city local bodies) are carrying out
emergency operations in the affected cities.
2. Activities for recovery and reconstruction after major disasters
Restoration
Power supply was restored in 5,068 villages and 52 towns with 2,022
feeders restored and 673 electricity distribution transformers restored.
Water supply was restored in 3,621 villages, and 25 Towns Water was
supplied through tankers in Kheda, Anand and Vadodara. Chlorinationof water source was done to prevent out break of water borne diseases.
Traffic on the Express Highway was opened for limited operation. The
State Express Highway and National Highway 6, 8 and 8E and 59 wereoperational for select vehicles. 4,690 skilled workers and 87 JCB 363
dumpers/tractors were used for restoring blocks roads. Rail transport
was revived on Delhi- Mumbai route. However Railway services between
Ahmedabad-Baroda-Mumbai, Ahmedabad- Bhavnagar-Rajkot had slow
rail traffic movement.

Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

II.

Disaster management system

2.1 Administrative system

Conventional long form:
Conventional short form:
Government type:
Capital:Administrative divisions:

Republic of India
India
federal republic
New Delhi
28 states and 7 union territories

2.2 Legal system, legal framework
2.3 Structure of disaster management
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 shall 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 primaryand secondary functions relating to the management of disasters
include: India Meteorological Department, Central Water Commission,
Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defense, 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, Ministryof 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 tothe 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.
National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC): Cabinet Secretary, isthe highest executive officer, heads the NCMC. Secretaries of all theconcerned Ministries /Departments as well as organizations are themembers of the Committee. The NCMC gives direction to the Crisis
Management Group as deemed necessary. The Secretary, Ministry ofHome Affairs is responsible for ensuring that all developments arebrought to the notice of the NCMC promptly. The NCMC can give
directions to any Ministry / Department / Organization for specific action

Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

needed for meeting the crisis situation.
Crisis Management Group: The Central Relief Commissioner in the
Ministry of Home Affairs is the Chairman of the CMG, consisting ofsenior 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 theirrespective sectors, measures required for dealing with natural disasters,
coordinate the activities of the Central Ministries and the State
Governments in relation to disaster preparedness and relief and toobtain 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 theaffected States to overcome the situation effectively. The Resident
Commissioner of the affected State is also associated with such meetings.
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 oftheaffected
States,interaction
with
other
CentralMinistries/Departments/Organizations in connection with relief,
maintaining records containing all relevant information relating toaction points and contact points in Central Ministries etc., keeping up-todate details of all concerned officers at the Central and State levels.
At the State level, disaster management is handled by the Departmentsof Relief & Rehabilitation. The Government of India is working with theState Governments to convert the Departments of Relief &Rehabilitation into Departments of Disaster Management with anenhanced area of responsibility to include mitigation and preparedness
apart from their present responsibilities of relief and rehabilitation. Thechange happened already in eight State Governments/Union Territory
Administrations.
With its enhanced mandate of mitigation and prevention, the district
heads and departments engaged in development are added as members
to the Committee so that mitigation and prevention is mainstreamed
into the district plan. The existing system of drawing up preparedness
and response plans will continue. A long term mitigation plan needs to
be in place. District Disaster Management Committees have been
constituted in several districts and are in the process of being constituted
in the remaining multi-hazard prone districts. A large number of village
level Disaster Management Committees and Disaster Management
Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

Teams have already been constituted.
2.4 Priority on disaster risk management
III.

Disaster Management Plan (describe the latest on a national
basis)The tenth 5 Year Plan (2005-2007)
India is a vibrant, pluralistic and federal democratic set-up. The decision
making process necessitates consensus building with extensive
consultations between the Central Government, State Governments,
numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations. Within
this complex framework, Five Year Plans over the last fifty years have
served three primary objectives:
1. To provide a common, agreed, framework of objectives, and a strategy
within which compatible decisions can be evolved;
2. To analyze the rationale of these decisions;
3. To delineate the strategy for accelerated growth of the economy andenhance the welfare of all citizens.
Strive for the achievement of these objectives has sustained national
unity within the complexity of daunting problems. The content and thestrategy of the Five Year Plans have necessarily varied in response to
the development issues being addressed and the evolution of policies
represents the contemporary needs of the time. It is in this evolving
context that the President of India in his address to the Joint Session of
the Parliament has described that the “Tenth Five Year Planconvincingly explains why these ambitious goals are achievable. It has
distinguished itself from previous Plans by underscoring that it is not
merely a Resources Plan but a Reforms Plan.”
The tenth plan regarding disaster management:
Although Disaster Management is not conventionally a subject for FiveYear Plans, disasters do in fact occur regularly – earthquakes, cyclones,
floods, droughts - and can significantly set back the development of aregion or State. It is therefore important to do what can be done in theway of advance prevention and mitigation of disasters, and prepare forpost-disaster management as well.
Disaster mitigation components need to be built into all Plan projects,
such as earthquake resistant structures, so as to minimize both thelikelihood of damage and the cost of post-disaster restoration andrehabilitation. This will mean some additional outlay for projects coming
up in disaster-prone areas, first for building a comprehensive data-baseon risks and actions already taken, and secondly for undertaking avulnerability analysis and risk assessment for the project in question. In

Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

addition, the construction of specific disaster-prevention projects (flood
defenses, cyclone shelters) needs to be considered in the context of thegrowing incidence of disasters worldwide.
The funding of relief is already institutionalized through the Calamity
Relief Fund and the National Calamity Contingency Fund. However,while it is clearly the responsibility of the State Government concerned
to manage relief, there are major gaps in the institutional arrangements
and systems that should be used within a State, and by Central
institutions in support of a State. There is a case for unified legislation todefine responsibilities, and this will be examined during the Tenth Plan.
Community awareness and preparedness is also a major mitigation tool,and this was recognized during the Eighth Plan by the establishment of
the National Centre for Disaster Management at the IIPA, creation ofdisaster management faculties in 23 States, as well as research,documentation and information exchange, and training. This will be
extended in all 28 States during the Tenth Plan. This will help eachState build the necessary teams of skilled personnel, communications
equipment and control rooms as required.
IV.

Budget size on national level

Financing of Relief Expenditures
The policy arrangements for meeting relief expenditure related tonatural disasters are based on the recommendations of financecommissions. The two main windows for meeting such expenditures are:(1) Calamity Relief Fund (CRF). This fund is used for providing
immediate relief to victims of cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, floodand hailstorm. Expenditure on restoration of damaged capital works
ordinarily comes from the normal budgetary heads, except when it isused for providing immediate relief like restoration of drinking water
sources or provision of shelters; restoration of communication links forfacilitating relief operations, etc. CRF comes from the contribution ofeach State and varies from Calendar years 2000-01 to 2004-05, as
indicated by the Finance Commission. The Government of India
contributes 75 per cent of the total yearly allocation in the form of a nonplan grant, and the balance amount is contributed by the State
Governments concerned. A total of Rs.11,007.59 crore was provided for
the Calamity Relief Fund from 2000-05.
(2) National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF). This was in-forced in
2000-01, pursuant to the recommendations of the Eleventh FinanceCommission, operative till the end of the financial year 2004-05. NCCF
Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

is intended to cover natural calamities like cyclone, drought, earthquake,fire, flood and hailstorm, which are considered to be of severe nature
requiring expenditure by the State Government in excess of the balances
available in its own Calamity Relief Fund. The assistance from NCCF isavailable only for immediate relief and rehabilitation.
V.

Progress and situations of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)

National Disaster Management Framework--Outputs
1. Institutional Mechanisms• level with appropriate systems• Creation of State Departments of Disaster Management• Setting up State Disaster Management Authorities
2. Disaster Mitigation/Prevention• Disaster mitigation/prevention to be mainstreamed into thedevelopment process• Techno-legal regime• Land-use Planning and Zoning regulations• Plan schemes for vulnerability reduction and preparedness
3. Legal/Policy Framework• Disaster Management to be listed in the Concurrent List of
Seventh Schedule to the Constitution• State Disaster Management Acts
• National Policy on Disaster Management• States to enunciate Policy on Disaster Management• State Disaster Management Codes
4.

Preparedness and Response• National Emergency Response Force/ Specialist Response teams• Specialized Response Teams at State level

5. National Network of Emergency Operation Centers (NNEOCs)• Setting up Emergency Operations Centre[EOC] at National level• State level EOC• District level EOC• Putting Incident Command System in Place• Emergency Support Function Plan
• India Disaster Resource Network• Communication linkages which will be functional even postdisaster• Regional Response Centers• Training in response to be made a part of training curriculum of
CPMFs and State Police Forces
Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

•
•
•
•

State Disaster Management Plans
District Disaster Management Plans
Block Disaster Management Plans
Community based mitigation, preparedness and response plans

6. Early Warning Systems• State of the art sensors to be set up• Hazard monitoring, tracking and modeling• Warning Protocols
7. Human Resource Development & Capacity Building
Training for services /cadres/ agencies involved in mitigation,
preparedness or response• Training of IAS/IPS, State Administrative Service Officers/State
Police.
• Engineers/Architects• Health Professionals• Youth organization• Masons• School curriculum• National mass media campaign for awareness generation• Non-government community-based organizations involved inawareness generation and community participation in disaster
preparedness and mitigation planning• Corporate sectors involved in awareness generation and disaster
preparedness and mitigation planning• Inter-state arrangements for sharing of resources during
emergencies and lessons learnt
8. Research and Knowledge Management• Institutionalize knowledge and lessons learnt in the process ofworking on the national roadmap• Develop national disasters database• Promote research in national, state and regional institutions in
the areas of disaster risk reduction
VI.

Projects on disaster reduction headed by Ministry

Program 1(1)

Sectional topic-Program objectives and targeted actions
Sustainable earthquake risk reduction in India:(i) Ensure seismically safer habitats by training of practicing
architects.
(ii) Capacity building of the Colleges of Architecture at the
National and State levels for ensuring effective training ofSource: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

practicing architects in earthquake safety.
(iii) Development of Resource Materials/ training modules forsensitization/ training of architects(iv) Putting in place a system of training and subsequently ofcertification for practicing architects.
(2)

Actor(s)Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, National
Disaster Management Division(3)

Partners
Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), Council of Architecture
(COA)

(4)

Title
National Programme for Capacity Building of Architects inEarthquake Risk Management (NPCBAERM)(5)Contents
In respect of architects who have passed out from the schools
before the inclusion of earthquake resistant components in thecourse curriculum but not yet started independent practice, it is
proposed that there will be one-week training modules. In
consultation with CoA, a system will be evolved for permitting
them to function as independent practicing architects after
completion of the course. In case of existing practicing architects,
they will be required to complete the above mentioned one weekmodule in a staggered system within a time frame of one monthand submit the certificate to CoA. A system will be devised inconsultation with CoA to make it mandatory.
Means of implementation
Courses of architecture offered in Colleges, orientation
programmes, workshops, training, support.

(6)

(7)

Target year
June 2004 to May 2007(8)

Target area/place
All the States and Union Territories of the country and thecountry(9)

Other info
Approval of the Home Secretary is solicited for taking up the
National Programme for Capacity Building for of Architects for
Earthquake Risk Reduction (NPCBAERM) over a period of three
years at the cost of Rs. 4.51 crore.

Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

Program 2
1. Name of the Scheme:
Natural Disaster Management Program.
2. Type of Scheme: Central Sector
3. Year of inception: 1992-93
4. Pattern of assistance: 100 per cent by Government of India.
5. Objectives:- To focus on disaster preparedness with emphasis on mitigation
measures.
- To increase level of awareness of community about disasters, preparethem adequately to face the crisis situation
6. Activitiesi.
Human Resources Development,ii.
Research and Consultancy Services.
iii.
Documentation of major events,
iv.
Operation of Faculty on NDM in State level training States.
v.
Operation of National Centre of Disaster Management.
vi.
Public education and community awareness program
7. Achievements(i). Setting up of a National Centre for Disaster Management in the
Indian Institute of Public Administration in 1995.
(ii) Setting up of separate Disaster Management Faculties in State
Administrative Training Institutes in 18 out of 25 States. These
Sates are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,
Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir. Karnataka, Kerala,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram Orissa, Punjab.
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
(iii) Documentation of major events like UP. and Maharashtra
earthquakes, research studies On land slides in Kerala, Sikkim
and Uttar Pradesh, Research study on Drought in Rajasthan.
(iv) Preparation of source book for use of trainees of the Lal Bahadur
Shastri National Academy of Administration,(v) Organized/sponsored about 100 training Programs/workshops on
various aspects of Natural Disaster Management(vi) Public education and community awareness campaign throughnewspapers, postal stationery, audio-visual media and observationof World Disaster Reduction Day annually.
8. Increase in activities
The occurrences of major natural disasters like Maharashtra earthquakeof 1993 and cyclone of Andhra Pradesh in 1996 and Orissa in 1999 havebeen instrumental in generating a lot of concern among the various
agencies of Government, NGOs and the public at large about the adverse
impact of natural disasters. This has increased the tempo of activities
under the Plan Scheme as many institutions /organizations States are
Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India

showing interest in the field of disaster reduction activities. Keeping inview the magnitude and frequencies of natural disasters visiting various
parts of the country annually; there is need to provide substantial budget
provision in the Annual Plan to commensurate with the requirements ofa vast country like ours in order to embark upon such activities in a big
way in the context of fast developing scientific and technologicaladvancements in the world.
9. Thrust Areas- Public education and community participation campaign,- Information Technology, building up data base,- involvement of NGOs, strengthening of State faculties on NDM,
- regional cooperation on sharing of experience,- expertise and technology in various fields of natural disaster- preparedness and mitigation.
VII.

Counterpart of ADRC
Joint Secretary & Central Relief Commissioner
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
Room No.194 North Block, New Delhi 110001

Source: WCDR Report, ADRC Country Report, WBI’s On-line Course on CDRMF, 2005, NDI
India