Lok Sabha Question No. 41 (STARRED), answered on 2024-02-06
Subject: Damages caused due to Natural Disasters
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Andimuthu Raja, A. Ganeshamurthi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*41

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH  FEBRUARY, 2024/ MAGHA 17, 1945 (SAKA)

DAMAGES CAUSED DUE TO NATURAL DISASTERS

*41.      SHRI A. RAJA: SHRI A. GANESHAMURTHI:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Union  Government has  sent  any  Central  team  to  assess the  damages  caused  due  to  very  heavy  rainfalls  and  flooding,  natural disasters  in  Chennai  and  its  suburbs  and  in  the  South  of  Tamil  Nadu  in December;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

- (c) whether the State Government of Tamil Nadu has requested for release of funds towards relief operations in the wake of natural disasters struck in its eight districts;
- (d) if so, the total funds requested by the State and the disaster relief fund released to the State so far; and
- (e)  the  time  by  which  the  total  funds,  grants  and  Central  assistance  as demanded by the State would be released for undertaking quick restoration of damaged public infrastructure?

ANSWER

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

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Statement  in  reply  to  the  Lok  Sabha  Starred  Question  No.  41  dated  6 th February, 2024.

(a) to (e): There  are  institutional  mechanisms  at  the  National  and  State level for effective management of natural disasters in the country. As per the National Policy on Disaster Management, the primary responsibility for disaster  management  rests  with  the  State  Governments  concerned. Central Government extends all possible logistics and financial supports to the States to supplement their efforts to meet the situation effectively. The  State  Governments  undertake  assessment  of  damage  and  provide financial  relief  in  the  wake  of  natural  disasters,  including  cyclone,  and flood  from  the  State  Disaster  Response  Fund  (SDRF)  already  placed  at their  disposal.    Additional  financial  assistance  is  extended  from  the National  Disaster  Response  Fund  (NDRF)  by  following  the  laid  down procedure, which includes an assessment based on the visit of an InterMinisterial Central Team (IMCT).  Financial assistance under SDRF/ NDRF in the wake  of  natural disasters is by way  of relief  and not for compensation of loss claimed.

In  order  to  support  the  affected  people  of  the  State,  an  amount  of  Rs. 1200.00 crore (900.00 crore Central Share + 300.00 crore State share) has been  allocated  to  the  State  Government  of Tamil Nadu for the financial

year  2023-24  under  SDRF.  The  first  installment  of  Rs.  450.00  crore  of Central  share  was  released  on  10.07.2023.  Apart  from  this,  in  order  to extend financial support during cyclone 'Michaung', the second installment of  SDRF  amounting  to  Rs.  450.00  crore  was  released  in  advance  on 12.12.2023  to  the  State  Government.  In  addition,  the  State  Government has reported an opening balance of Rs 813.15 crore in its SDRF account as on 1 st April, 2023. As such, an amount of Rs. 2013.15 crore is available in the SDRF account of the State for the relief operations.

Four districts in the north Tamil Nadu were affected due to heavy rainfall accompanied  by  Cyclonic  Storm  'MICHAUNG'  on  3-4 th   December  2023. Subsequently,  due  to  heavy  rainfall  from  17 th -18 th   December  2023,  four southern districts of Tamil Nadu were affected by floods and inundation.

In  the  instant  cases,  even  before  the  receipt  of  memoranda  from  State Government  of  Tamil  Nadu,  an  IMCT  was  constituted  by  the  Ministry  of Home Affairs (MHA), which visited the cyclonic storm 'Michaung' affected areas of the State from 11 th  to 14 th  December 2023.  In the case of floods caused by heavy rainfall in the southern part of the State, another IMCT was constituted by MHA, which visited the affected areas from 19 th  to 22 th

## L.S.S.Q.NO. *41 FOR 06.02.2024

December 2023 for assessment of damages. Government of Tamil Nadu has  submitted  two  memoranda  seeking  additional  financial  assistance, one for cyclonic storm 'Michaung' and second for floods caused by heavy rainfall  in  the  southern  parts  of  the  State.  After receipt  of  memorandum, IMCT visited  the  affected  areas  of  the  southern  Tamil  Nadu  from  11 th to 14 th   January  2024  again  for  an on-the-spot  realistic  assessment  of damages.  Upon  receipt  of reports from the IMCT,  further financial assistance under NDRF is considered as per laid down procedure.

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