New Delhi, September 10: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday called for strengthening India’s disaster management system with greater emphasis on prevention, preparedness and early warning mechanisms, rather than focusing primarily on relief and rehabilitation after a disaster.
Chairing the third meeting of the Institute Body of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) in New Delhi, Shah said the country’s disaster management framework has undergone a significant transformation over the past 12 years.He stressed the need to work towards a “zero-casualty” approach by improving risk assessment, preparedness and coordination among government agencies.
The objective, he said, should be to minimise loss of life and protect communities from the impact of natural and other disasters.Shah emphasised a Whole-of-Government approach, under which central and state departments, disaster response agencies and local administrations work together at different stages of disaster management.
He called for developing disaster-resilient villages and cities and highlighted the importance of protecting the environment as part of long-term disaster risk reduction. He also referred to initiatives promoting sustainable lifestyles and renewable energy as part of efforts to address environmental challenges.
The Home Minister said NIDM should strengthen its role in research, innovation, training and capacity building and emerge as a major national centre for disaster-management knowledge. He also encouraged the institute to establish stronger links with universities and academic institutions.
With climate change and global warming increasing the frequency and complexity of several disaster risks, Shah called for greater research into emerging threats and international disaster-management practices.
He said global experiences should be studied and adapted according to India’s geographical and local requirements.
Shah also directed the Agriculture Department to develop a long-term preparedness mechanism to deal with locust attacks, particularly those entering from Pakistan, while drawing on international experience in controlling such outbreaks.
On training, he said programmes should focus on participants who can effectively contribute to disaster preparedness and response. He called for clear, disaster-specific guidelines explaining what should and should not be done during emergencies and stressed their effective implementation by agencies such as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF).
The minister further called for detailed reviews after every major disaster. Joint teams involving NIDM, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), NDRF and SDRF should examine the causes, extent of damage and shortcomings in response and prepare comprehensive reports, he said.
Shah highlighted the expansion of financial support for disaster management and referred to steps taken to strengthen institutional mechanisms, digital disaster databases and urban disaster-management systems.He also stressed the need to increase awareness among students by promoting disaster-management applications and preparedness practices through schools, colleges and higher educational institutions.
The Home Minister directed departments concerned to create dedicated mechanisms for implementing the decisions taken during the meeting.
Department heads should review progress at regular intervals, while the NIDM Institute Body should hold at least one high-level meeting every year.
Shah said the broader objective should be to convert disaster-management knowledge into institutional capacity, preparedness and effective action on the ground.The meeting reviewed various aspects of NIDM’s functioning and its future role in strengthening India’s disaster risk-reduction framework.
