Bill to create Urban Disaster Management Authority introduced in Lok Sabha

Bill to create Urban Disaster Management Authority introduced in Lok Sabha

Subject: Polity

Sec: Legislation in news        

Context:

A bill that seeks to create Urban Disaster Management Authority for state capitals and large cities having Municipal Corporations and strengthen the working of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the State Disaster Management Authorities was introduced in Lok Sabha .

More on News:

• The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, also seeks to make provision for a “State Disaster Response Force” by the State Government, was introduced by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.
• Natural disasters has led to the loss of lives in Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the last few days.
• The bill seeks to amend the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which was enacted to provide for the effective management of disasters.
• The main purpose of the Disaster Management Act was to put in place necessary institutional mechanisms for drawing up and monitoring the implementation of disaster management plans, ensuring measures by various wings of Government for prevention of and mitigating the effects of disasters and for undertaking a holistic, coordinated and prompt response to any disaster or threatening disaster situation.
• To achieve this purpose, certain Authorities and Committees were established at the national level, state level and district level.

Disaster Management Act, 2005:

• The DM Act was passed by the government of India in 2005for the ‘efficient management of disasters and other matters connected to it. However, it came into force in January 2006.

Objective:

• To manage disasters, including preparation of mitigation strategies, capacity-building and more.
  • Definition of a “disaster” in Section 2 (d)of the DM Act states that a disaster means a “catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man made causes.

Major Features of The Act:

• Nodal Agency:
  • The Act designates the Ministry of Home Affairs as the nodal ministry for steering the overall national disaster management.
• Institutional Structure: It puts into place a systematic structure of institutions at the national, state and district levels.
  • National Level Important Entities:
    • The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): It is tasked with laying down disaster management policies and ensuring timely and effective response
    • The National Executive Committee (NEC):
      It is constituted under Section 8 of the DM Act to assist the National Disaster Management Authority in the performance of its functions. The NEC is responsible for the preparation of the National Disaster Management Plan for the whole country and to ensure that it is “reviewed and updated annually.
    • The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM):
      It is an institute for training and capacity development programs for managing natural calamities.
    • National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):It refers to trained professional units that are called upon for specialized response to disasters
  • State and District level:
    • The Act also provides for state and district level authorities responsible for, among other things, drawing plans for implementation of national plans and preparing local plans.
      • State Disaster Management Authority
      • District Disaster Management Authority.