Lok Sabha Question No. 256 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-15
Subject: Invoking of Disaster Management Act
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Bhola Singh, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sukanta Majumdar, Jayanta Kumar Roy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 256

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 15 TH  SEPTEMBER, 2020/BHADRAPADA 24, 1942 (SAKA)

INVOKING OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACT

256.  SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Disaster Management Act, 2005 was invoked for the first time in India to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  National  Disaster  Management  Authority  (NDMA)  has  failed  to understand the spread of COVID-19 in the country;
- (d) if so, the Government's reaction thereto along with the steps/initiatives being taken by the NDMA during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- (e) whether India's lockdown has been termed as one of the most strictly imposed in  the  world  but  the  curve  of  spread  of  the  disease  has  neither  declined  nor flattened;
- (f) if so, the Government's reaction thereto; and
- (g) the other initiatives/steps being taken by the Government for management and control of COVID 19 pandemic in the Country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a) to (d): Since the enactment of the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005, it has

- been implemented at National, States/UTs and District levels as per the requirement.

## LS.US.Q.NO.256 FOR 15.09.2020

COVID-19 pandemic, being a novel virus, provisions of DM Act were invoked for the first time by the various State/UT Governments, before the national Lockdown was announced on 24 th  March, 2020 by the Central Government under the provisions of DM Act, 2005, on the recommendation of the NDMA.

(e) to (g):  On  the  Lockdown  measures  taken  by  Government  of  India,    World Health Organization (WHO) has observed that India's response to COVID-19 has been  pre-emptive,  pro-active  and  graded  with  high  -level  political  commitment and  a  'whole  government'  approach  to  respond  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic.  By imposing  country-wide  Lockdown,  India  successfully  blunted  the  aggressive spread  of  COVID.  The  period  of  Lockdown  helped  the  nation  to  create  much required  additional  health  infrastructure.  During  this  time,  dedicated  isolation beds recorded an increase of 22 times and dedicated ICU beds above 14 times to what existed in March 2020. Similarly, laboratory capacity for testing COVID was increased  nearly  10  times  during  this  time.  Whereas  there  was  no  indigenous manufacturing  of  Personal  Protective  Equipments  (PPEs),  with  the  requisite standards, at that point in time, the country is now self-sufficient and in a position to export the same. Similarly, very limited indigenous manufacturing capacity was available for masks, ventilators, etc. at the time of Lockdown, was also enhanced to attain self-reliance in this regard.

During  this  period,  requirement  of  various  cadres  of  personnel  and  volunteers across sectors  and  departments  for  COVID  related  works  and maintenance of

## LS.US.Q.NO.256 FOR 15.09.2020

other essential medical services were worked out, and trained through resources made available on the website of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and iGOT an online platform (https://igot.gov.in/igot/).

It  has  been  estimated  that  the  decision  of  Lockdown,  by  slowing  down  the progress  of  pandemic  in  India,  has  prevented  14-29  lakh  cases  and  37-78 thousand deaths.