Pushes ‘Zero Casualty’ disaster strategy
New Delhi, Sep 10: Disaster-management funding has increased sharply under the Narendra Modi government, with allocation under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) rising nearly fourfold and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) nearly threefold, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday, while pushing a “Zero Casualty” strategy focused on prevention, preparedness and coordinated response.
Shah said around Rs 2.5 lakh crore had been spent on disaster management over the past 11 years, describing the increase in funding as a major achievement. He also said the 16th Finance Commission had provided Rs 2 lakh crore for the current period.
Chairing the third meeting of the Governing Body of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) in New Delhi, Shah said disaster management in the country had undergone a comprehensive transformation over the past 12 years, moving beyond the traditional emphasis on relief and rehabilitation.
He said the country had entered a new era based on three pillars—risk reduction, early warning systems and “Zero Casualty”—and called for the approach to be strengthened through research, continuous monitoring and a “Whole of Government” response.
Shah said the “Zero Casualty” approach should not be limited to responding to disasters after they occur, but should also focus on preventing disasters in the first place.
He directed all stakeholders to establish a dedicated disaster-management cell in their respective departments, with departmental heads reviewing its functioning at least once every three months.
The Minister also called for NIDM and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to study global research and best practices and adapt them to Indian requirements. He specifically directed the Department of Agriculture to maintain permanent preparedness against locust swarm attacks originating from Pakistan and adopt effective practices followed by other countries.
Shah said NDMA and NIDM should jointly issue nationwide guidelines for different types of disasters, clearly specifying what should and should not be done and how. NIDM should handle the training component, while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Forces (SDRFs) and other agencies should implement the guidelines on the ground.
He also called for a joint post-disaster assessment mechanism, directing NDMA, NIDM, NDRF and SDRFs to constitute teams after every disaster to examine the causes of damage and prepare detailed reports.
Shah said NIDM had emerged as a national centre for research, innovation, policy support, training and departmental cooperation, but these areas needed to be further strengthened. He stressed the need to break departmental silos and develop a culture of coordinated working.
The Home Minister said the relevance of NIDM and NDMA would increase as global warming and climate change contributed to a greater incidence of disasters, while new applications of science could also create new forms of risk.
He also highlighted recent institutional changes, including amendments to the Disaster Management Act after 20 years, the introduction and establishment of Urban Disaster Management Authorities, the creation of digital disaster databases at the national and state levels and statutory status for the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC).
Shah said the government was also strengthening NIDM infrastructure, with four acres of land recently allocated to the institution, and that both its campuses were functioning smoothly. He called for the disaster-management mobile application to be promoted widely through primary, secondary and higher education.
He said environmental protection was ultimately one of the most effective ways of preventing disasters and cited initiatives such as Mission LiFE, Pro-Planet People and the International Solar Alliance as contributing to disaster prevention and resilience.
Shah said international cooperation in disaster management was welcome, but the priority should remain the country’s five lakh villages. He called for efforts to create disaster-resilient villages and cities while learning from global experience and sharing India’s best practices with other countries.
The Minister also referred to the evolution of NIDM from its predecessor, the National Centre for Disaster Management, which he said had once remained largely inactive at Krishi Bhawan. He recalled that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had taken the decision to revive the institution in 2003 and bring it under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had subsequently played a significant role in revitalising and strengthening the institution.
He called for at least one top-level NIDM meeting every year, saying the meetings should be meaningful, outcome-oriented and followed by effective implementation of decisions.
“Knowledge” must be converted into capacity, capacity into preparedness and preparedness into outcomes, Shah said, stressing that this was essential to achieving the country’s “Zero Casualty” goal.
