20 June 2024 – The Hindu

Building Disaster Resilience in India

• India is a large nation vulnerable to numerous natural calamities. The nation has experienced the devastating power of nature, from the fury of cyclones like Odisha in 1999 to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 to the most recent landslides in the Northeast caused by Cyclone Remal.
• However, the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) creation was a step in the right direction. There has been a significant change in the very nature of disasters. Severe weather events are happening more frequently and with greater intensity due to climate change. Heat waves are one of the new threats that are on the rise. More worrying are multi-hazard disasters that cause significantly more devastation and cascade consequences.
• Reactive actions are no longer sufficient in this dire situation. India requires a proactive strategy that gives catastrophe preparedness top priority.

What is the Indian Framework for Disaster Management?

• The Disaster Management Act of 2005 established the institutional and legal foundation for disaster management at the federal, state, and local levels in India.
• While state governments are ultimately in charge of disaster management, the federal government assists state governments in their endeavours by offering financial and logistical help.

Institutional Structure as Per the 2005 Disaster Management Act:

• The Prime Minister is in charge of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the highest authority in charge of formulating plans, policies, and guidelines for disaster management (DM).
• The NDMA oversees enforcement and execution and deals with both man-made and natural disasters.
• The National Executive Committee (NEC), which is made up of several secretaries and officials, supports the NDMA and is presided over by the Union Home Secretary.
• oversees the creation of the National Plan for DM, keeps track of it, and plans how to respond in case of emergency.
• Under the direction of the Chief Minister, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is in charge of developing state-level disaster management policies and plans, coordinating their execution, and incorporating mitigation strategies into state development plans.
• District Collector is in charge of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), and a representative chosen by the electorate serves as co-chairperson.
• creates and carries out district-level DM strategies while making ensuring that state and federal regulations are followed.
• Local Authorities: These comprise Town Planning Authorities, District and Cantonment Boards, Municipalities, and Panchayati Raj Institutions. In charge of creating DM strategies, relief, rehabilitation, and capacity building.

Important Organisations:

• The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) is primarily concerned with research, documentation, training, and capacity building.
• follows NDMA regulations and strives to establish itself as a “Centre of Excellence” for DM.
• The National Disaster reaction team (NDRF) is a specialised reaction team that handles chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear emergencies in addition to natural and man-made disasters.
• operates with eight battalions dispersed over several places, all under the supervision of NDMA.

Committees:

• The Cabinet Committee on handling of Natural Calamities (CCMNC) proposes preventive measures, raises public awareness, and supervises the handling of natural calamities.

Foreign Assertions:

• India is a signatory to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), which was established in March 2015 during the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.
• India is committed to using methodical and long-term efforts to accomplish the seven goals outlined in the framework.
• India is a signatory to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), which was implemented globally to lessen the toll that natural disasters take on human life as well as financial and environmental assets.
• The HFA established five key action areas, three strategic goals, and capacity building to address preparedness, vulnerability reduction, and integrating disaster risk reduction into sustainable development policies.

Which major disaster threats does India currently face?

• Floods: During the monsoon season, India is prone to frequent floods. Floods and river erosion affect more than 40 million hectares of land, or 12% of the total area. Glacial lake outburst floods are making it worse.
• Storms and Cyclones: India’s coastline is vulnerable to storms that develop from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Approximately 5,700 km of the 7,516 km long coastline are susceptible to cyclones and tsunamis.
• Cyclones Biparjoy (2023) and Fani (2019) are two examples.
• Earthquakes: With multiple fault lines crisscrossing the nation, India is situated in a seismically active area. Earthquakes with a moderate to very high intensity can occur in 58.6% of the landmass.
• Examples are the earthquakes in Sikkim (2011) and Mizoram (2022).
• Droughts: Extended dry spells and irregular rainfall patterns can cause severe droughts that impact water resources and agriculture. Drought might affect 68% of the arable land.
• Example: 66% of Maharashtra experienced a drought in 2024.
• Landslides: India’s hilly and mountainous areas are vulnerable to landslides, particularly after intense rains or earthquakes. India is ranked as one of the world’s top five landslide-prone nations.
• Landslides in Manipur (2022) and Himachal Pradesh (2023) are two examples.
• Heat Waves: Life-threatening heat waves can be caused by rising temperatures and extended hot spells.
• Examples: India experienced heat waves in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
• Between March 11 and May 18, 2022, there were 280 heat wave days recorded nationwide.
• Forest Fires: Forest fires can result in environmental harm and air pollution due to their combination of dry weather and human activity. Records from the forest inventory show that 54.40% of India’s woods are susceptible to sporadic fires.
• Examples are the forest fires in Goa (2023) and Himachal Pradesh (2024).
• Industrial and Chemical Accidents: Inadequate handling of hazardous materials combined with India’s expanding industrial sector might result in industrial and chemical accidents.
• Examples are the industrial fire in Mumbai (2024) and the chemical spill in Surat (2023).

What Elements Are Making Disaster Risk in India Worse?

• Urbanisation and uncontrolled Development: Cities are becoming more vulnerable to natural disasters like earthquakes and floods as a result of rapid urbanisation and uncontrolled development.
• As an illustration, unregulated development and encroachment on wetlands and water bodies were blamed for the floods that hit Chennai in 2023.
• Growing Impact of Climate Change: The frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and cyclones are increasing due to climate change.
• As an illustration, the destructive Cyclone Amphan of 2020 was exacerbated by rising ocean temperatures brought on by climate change.
• India’s deteriorating infrastructure, including its buildings, bridges, and dams, along with poor maintenance, makes natural disasters more likely.
• The safety of historic dams that are more than a century old was an issue brought up by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water in 2023.
• Deforestation, mining, and unsustainable land-use practices have all contributed to environmental degradation by raising the danger of landslides and soil erosion.
• For instance, the Joshimath land subsidence issue in Uttarakhand in 2022 was linked to mining and construction operations that were not under control.
• Industrial and Technological Hazards: The risk of industrial accidents and chemical disasters is increased in India due to its expanding industrialization and reliance on hazardous products.
• Example: Thousands were exposed to poisonous fumes due to a gas leak at a chemical facility in Visakhapatnam in 2020.
• What Steps Should India Take to Boost Disaster Preparedness and Lower the Risk of Disaster?
• Create Dedicated Disaster Response Corridors: To provide continuous access for emergency services and aid during catastrophes, designate and create dedicated disaster response corridors, including road networks, rail connections, and aviation routes.
• These corridors could be built with the infrastructure and resources required for effective disaster response, as well as to be resistant to potential threats.
• Encourage the building of disaster-resilient infrastructure by requiring all vital infrastructure projects, including power plants, bridges, dams, and communication networks, to follow disaster-resilient design and construction guidelines.
• enforcing stronger building regulations that require the use of earthquake-, fire-, and wind-resistant materials in disaster-resistant construction.
• provides financial aid and tax advantages in addition to modifying current facilities to increase their resilience.
• Create Disaster-Resilient Agricultural Practices: Encourage the use of drought-resistant crops, precision farming, and soil conservation methods, among other disaster-resilient agricultural practices.
• Taking inspiration from successful models such as the Zai pit farming method used in Burkina Faso, which increases crop production and soil moisture retention during droughts.
• Encourage Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR): By preserving, repairing, and managing natural ecosystems including forests, wetlands, and coastal habitats sustainably, you can include ecosystem-based techniques into disaster risk reduction initiatives.
• These ecosystems can serve as organic barriers against natural disasters like storms, floods, and landslides in addition to offering side advantages like sequestering carbon dioxide and conserving biodiversity.
• Enhance Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems: Create strong, integrated early warning systems that are capable of identifying and promptly alerting people to a variety of disasters, including heat waves, landslides, floods, and cyclones.
• utilising cutting-edge technology to enhance risk communication, forecasting, and hazard monitoring, such as artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and big data analytics.
• Critical Infrastructure Micronet Grids: Create small-scale, self-sufficient power grids for hospitals and communication systems using renewable energy sources like microhydro and solar power.
• This guarantees uninterrupted operation even in the event of massive power outages brought on by natural disasters.
• Mental Health Response Teams: Including mental health specialists in disaster relief operations to help survivors who are experiencing trauma, anxiety, or displacement on a psychological level. This can greatly enhance the results of long-term rehabilitation.
• Enhanced Institutional Capacity: Instead of using contract labour, the institutions must hire permanent staff.
• Continuous skill development, information transfer, and institutional memory are made possible by a permanent staff.
• Compared to depending on temporary employees who might not have the necessary experience, this promotes a more capable disaster management system.
• Additionally, a sizeable catastrophe Readiness Reserve ought to be given to the Local bodies in order to supplement preventive measures with catastrophe responsiveness.