Bill to create Urban Disaster Management Authority, strengthen NDMA introduced in Lok Sabha

New Delhi [India], August 2 (ANI): 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 on Thursday.

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.

The objects and reasons of the bill states that the implementation of the Act has been reviewed in consultation with all stakeholders including state governments with the central Government laying thrust for mainstreaming the Disaster Management in the development plans.

The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to bring more clarity and convergence in the roles of Authorities and Committees working in the field of disaster management, provide statutory status to certain pre-Act organisations like the National Crisis Management Committee and the High-Level Committee and to empower the National Disaster Management Authority and the State Disaster Management Authorities to prepare the disaster plan at national level and state level instead of the National Executive Committee and the State Executive Committee.

The bill also seeks to provide for the creation of a disaster database at the national and state level.