Lok Sabha Question No. 98 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-25
Subject: Special Policy for Coastal States
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 98

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2024

## Special Policy for Coastal States

## 98 . SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that coastal States are affected by natural disasters every year, if so, whether the Government has formulated any policy to address this issue, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government has any data on the total losses caused by natural disasters in 36 coastal areas, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  details  of  total  assistance  provided  by  the  Government  to  the  affected  people  to mitigate these losses?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (c) As per inputs from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the coastal States are affected by natural disasters every year.

The Disaster Management is a State subject and States have primary responsibility in dealing with natural disasters. However, Central Government supplements efforts of State Governments as per their  requirement.  The  Government  with  its  continuous  efforts  has  significantly  improved  its preparedness to deal with natural calamities. As mandated by the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005, the National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM), had been issued, with the vision to build a safe and disaster resilient India by developing a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster oriented and  technology  driven  strategy  through  a  culture  of  prevention,  mitigation,  preparedness,  and response.

There  are  institutional  mechanisms  at  the  National,  State  &  District  level  in  the  country  viz. National  Disaster  Management  Authority  (NDMA),  State  Disaster  Management  Authorities (SDMAs)  &  District  Disaster  Management  Authorities  (DDMAs)  respectively  to  develop appropriate preparedness, coordination, and prompt response mechanism for effective management  of  natural  disasters.  Central  Government  has  also  set  up  the  National  Disaster

Response Force (NDRF) for providing a specialist response to threatening disaster situations or disasters.

Further, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has undertaken various tasks/initiatives including laying down policy and various guidelines on cross cutting issues on disaster management.  The NDMA is implementing the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) with the objective to reduce vulnerability of coastal communities to cyclones and other hydro-meteorological hazards and increase the capacity of the State entities to effectively plan for and respond to disasters in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal. The NDMA has launched 'Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme' to train volunteers in disaster response covering all States prone to landslides, cyclones, earthquake and floods.

For timely detection and improving early warning of weather-related disasters, IMD and other centres of the Ministry of Earth Sciences have implemented projects from time to time, in phased manner.  'Atmosphere  and  Climate  Research-  modelling  Observing  Systems  and  ServicesACROSS' project and recently launched Mausam Mission are among such projects. The ACROSS is for modernisation, expansion and improvement in weather and climate service. The Mausam Mission is to support various weather and climate sensitive sectors like agriculture, irrigation, shipping,  water  resource  management,  health,  aviation,  transport  sector,  disaster  management, offshore oil management, public safety etc. by mitigating the impact of climate change and extreme weather events and strengthen the resilience of the communities to severe weather phenomena like tropical cyclones, severe thunderstorms, dust storms, heavy rains and snowfall events, cold and heat waves, etc.

The  National  Disaster  Management  Information  System  (NDMIS)  has  been  launched  by  the Ministry of Home Affairs for capturing sector-wise data on disaster losses etc. from States.

The State Governments undertake relief measures in the wake of natural disasters from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), already placed at the disposal the States, in accordance with approved items and norms of the Government of India.  Additional financial assistance is provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), constituted under the DM Act, 2005, as per the norms laid down by the Government of India.  The allocation and releases of funds from SDRF and NDRF during 2024-2025 as on 01.10.2024 are detailed below:

|       |                    |                    |                    | (Rs. in crore)     | (Rs. in crore)     | (Rs. in crore)   |
|-------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|------------------|
|       | Allocation of SDRF | Allocation of SDRF | Allocation of SDRF | Releases from SDRF | Releases from SDRF | Release from     |
|       | Central Share      | State Share        | Total              | 1 st Instalment    | 2 nd Instalment    | NDRF             |
| Total | 20,550.40          | 6,291.20           | 26,841.60          | 10,728.00          | 4,150.40           | 4,043.37         |

# = includes arrears of previous year