Disaster Management in India
ByV.P.Pasrija
Assistant Director
Disaster Management Division
Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of India

Country and Climate
z Area : 3.2 million Sq.kms-7th largest

country in the world
z Common border with Afghanistan,Pakistan,z China,Bhutan,Nepal, Myanmar andBangladesh.
z Four Regions: Great mountain Zone, Plainsof the Ganga and Sindhu, Desert andSouthern Peninsula1

Country and Climatez Climate :Four seasons– Winter(January-February)– Hot weather,summer-March-May– Rainy season-monsoon-July-September– Post monsoon period-October-December

Country and Climatez Population: over 1000 millionz Average population density:about 300

persons per Sq.km
z Literacy rate: 53.00 percent

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Country and Climatez Urbanization :about 26 percent
z Administrative Set Up:z 28 States and 7 Union Territories
z District Collectorsz Tehsils/Blocks
z Villages

VULNERABILITY TO
NATURAL DISASTERSz India vulnerable to major disasters offloods,cyclones,drought and earthquakes
z 40 million hectares prone to floods
z 68% area vulnerable to droughtz 56% area exposed to seismic activities
z Over 8000 Kms coastline prone to cyclones
z Hailstorm,landslides,avalanches fire toooccur frequently

3EARTHQUAKE ZONING MAP
z 27 earthquakes of 5.0

magnitude or more
between 1819 to 2001(10of between 7and above)z Largest magnitude of 8.7
in 1897(Assam) and 8.6 in(Assam) 1950
z Rivers changed theircourses,ground elevations
got changed and stones
were thrown upward

CYCLONE HAZARD MAP
z 1891-1990: 262

cyclones (92 severe)in
50 KM wide strip on
the East Coastz Less severe cyclonicactivities on WestCoast(33 cyclones)

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FLOOD HAZARD MAP
z About 80% of annual

rainfall received withinfour months(JuneSeptember)z On an average 8.0 million
hectares affected , over2000 persons killed anddamage Rs.9720.0 million
z 40 million hectares area
prone to floods,over 14
million hectares protected

EXETNT OF DAMGE AND
DESTRUCTION(average annual)z Human loss-3600
z Cropped area affected- 1.42 million hect.
z Number of houses damaged : 2.36 million

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RESPONSE MECHANISMz Basic responsibility of State Governmentsz Union Government supplements the efforts

by extending logistics and financial support
as well as coordinate efforts at national andinternational levels

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA-NODALMINISTRIES FOR DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
Disaster
Nodal Ministryz Natural (except drought) Home Affairs
z Air Accidents
Civil Aviationz Civil Strife
Home Affairsz Railway Accidents
Railwaysz Chemical Disasters
Environmentz BiologicalHealthz Nuclear Accident
Atomic Energy

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MANAGEMENT MECHANISMz Integrated Administrative Machineryz National Contingency Action Plan- identifies

role of different players
z Ministry of Home Affairs-Nodal Ministryz Central Relief Commissioner-Chief Nodal
Officerz State/District Contingency Plans and Relief
Manuals

NATURAL DISASTER RESPONE–UNION GOVERNMENT LEVELz National Crises Management Committee

under Cabinet Secretaryz Crises Management Committee under CRC
z Group of Ministers, Task Forces, Group of
Secretaries and High Level Committees –Need based

7CABINETCABINET COMMITTEEPRIME MINISTERNCMC

CABINETSECRETARYSECRETARY
TO P.M.

DY.PM & HOMEMINISTERSECRETARY (MHA)
NATIONAL DISASTER
MANAGEMENTAUTHORITYCENTRALMIN.

CENTRAL RELIEFCOMMISSIONER &DISASTER MANAGEMENTDIVISIONIMDCWCNRSASTATES &UTs

ORGANIZATIONAL SETUP

NATURAL DISASTER RESPONSESTATE LEVELz State Cabinetz States Crises Management Group-headed by Chief

Secretaryz Relief Commissioner-State Nodal Officerz District Collector- the key role player

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FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTSz Based on recommendations of FinanceCommission- Constituted after every five years
z Calamity Relief Fund for each State-Allocationfor 2000-05 Rs.110,075 million against Rs.63042
million for 1995-2000
z Additional assistance from National Calamity
Contingency Fund-need based- for severecalamity

RECENT MAJOR DISASTERSz Super Cyclone – October, 1999-Orissaz Human live lost:8913
z Population affected: 18.97 millionz Houses damaged:
02.03 million
z Livestock perished: 00.44 millionz Trees felled:
90.00 million
z Cropped area affected: 01.84 millionz School buildings damaged :13443

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RECENT MAJOR DISASTERSCONTD.
Orissa super cyclone-contd.
Relief and Rehabilitation work is overReconstruction work is going on(School-cumcyclone Shelters, HealthInstitutions,Houses,Buildings)
DFID and World Bank assisting (Schoolbuildings,supply of essential drugs,livelihood
restoration,lift irrigation point rehabilitation
project,Road work,water supply )A view of cyclone
formation/eye

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Pulllng out bodies fromlakes

Linemen repairing snapped wires

Thached house
being repaired

12Residents constructing their house withmutual help

Boatman making
brisk business

RECENT MAJOR DISASTERSCONTD
z Gujarat earthquake – January,2001
z Human lives lost:13805
z Persons injured :20,747
z Villages affected: 7633
z Houses affected: 1.2 million
z Loss to public andPrivate properties : Rs 150,000 million

13RECENT MAJORDISASTERSz Gujarat Earthquake-2001-contd.
z Emergency relief work completed
z Process of reconstruction and rehabilitation isgoing on- expected to be completed by 2002
z Rs. 17,730 million spent till June,2002
z Rehabilitation Sectors include Housing,Livelihood,Social
rehabilitation,Health,Education,Public buildings
and Industries

A view of temple : Lakpatiji’s Chhatardi before and after earthquake of 26th January,200114

A student body in Ahmedabad School after earthquake

Rescue of 2 years old child15

Cracks on the Bhuj-Ahmedabad RoadA view of destroyed building in Bhuj

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Swami Narayan SchoolJalasmriti
Apartments17Collapsed multi-storeyed building

Swiss teamrescuing elderly
woman

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Russian teamrescuing elderly
woman

Restarting
Restarting
livelihood
livlie19

Restarting livelihood

UNION OF INDIARESPONSE TO MAJORDISASTERSz Immediate Policy decisionsz Single authority for clearancesz Finances-no constraint
z Bureaucratic procedures simplified
z Red tape given a go awayz Resource pooled and channelised

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UNION OF INDIA RESPONSE
TO MAJOR DISASTERSz National resources at the disposal of theState Governmentz Necessary exemptions given to accelerate
rescue and reliefz International assistance offered wasaccepted with gratitudez Well coordinated responses/efforts

ONGOING INITIATES IN DISASTERPREPARED AND MITIGATIONz Setting up of National Committee on Disaster

Management under Prime Minister with Nationaland State level political parties as members interalia to suggest institutional and legislative
measures needed for effective long term strategy
to deal with future major disasters
z Setting up of High Powered Committee onDisaster Management Planz Ministry of Home Affairs focal point for naturaland manmade disasters

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ONGOING INITIATES IN DISASTERPREPARED AND MITIGATIONz Creation of Search and Rescue Teams-at Nationaland State Levels
z Setting of National Disaster ManagementAuthority
z Setting up of National Institute for DisasterManagement as an autonomous bodyz Strengthening Institutional net workz Four digits common telephone for DisasterManagers

ONGOING INITIATIVES IN
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND
MITIGATIONz Recently concluded UNDP Project 0n

strengthening Disaster Management
Capacity(1997-2001)
z Implementation of a new UNDP Project fromJuly,2002-2007 for sustainable reduction innatural disaster risk by involving community insome of the disaster prone districtsz USAID-Programme for Enhancement ofEmergency Responsez Preparation of Vulnerability Atlas of India forFlood,Cyclone and Earthquake

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ONGOING INITIATIVES IN
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND
MITIGATIONz Setting up of Orissa State Disaster Mitigation

Authority
z Setting up of Gujarat State Management
Authorityz Working out legal frameworkz Implementation of a Plan Scheme for
HRD,institutional strengthening,public awarenessand community
participation,documentation,research andconsultancy

OUR APPROACH/MISSIONz Preparedness rather than crises managementz Coordinated participatory approach rather

than only State responsibilityz Technology up-gradation and deploymentz Information – a tool for disastermanagement

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PRIORITY AREAS
z Quick damage assessment Technology
z GIS web enabled networkingz State of art control roomsz Mobile onsite control roomsz Human resource developmentz Greater attention in North eastern regionz Regular review of Sectoral Emergency Support

Functions

EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE POLICYz No formal appeal for external assistancemade for reliefz External assistance, if offered as solidarity,
accepted with gratitude
z Guajrat Earthquake –international responseoverwhelmingz Bi-lateral agreements suggested by somecountries

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INTERNATIONAL DISASTERRESPONE COOPERATONz Asian Region-Membership of ADRC andADPCz UNDP and USAID projects
z Member of UNDAC Teamz UNOCHA Regional office inDelhi(proposed)z Organised ADRC/UNISDR/UNOCHA
meeting in Delhi

NAMASKAR

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