The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill is knotty

The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill is knotty

Context:

Recently, the centre introduced the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill which aims to amend the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The aim of the bill is to address climate-related disasters more effectively.

Relevance:
GS-03 (Disaster management)

 

Dimensions of the Article:

• What is Disaster Management (Amendment Bill), 2024
• The Concern: Centralization in Disaster Management
• Learning from Past Failures: The Need for a New Approach

 

What is Disaster Management (Amendment Bill), 2024:

• The bill intends to amend the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• It allows the state capitals and large capitals having municipal corporations to form “Urban Disaster Management Authority”, with an exception to union territories of Delhi and Chandigarh.
• The bill empowers the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMA) to prepare the disaster plan at the national level and state level, respectively, instead of the plans made by the National Executive Committee and the State Executive Committees earlier.
• The bill seeks to create a “disaster database at national and State level” which will include disaster assessment, preparedness and mitigation plan, fund allocation detail, expenditure according to type and severity of risk, in accordance with such policy, as may be determined by the Union government.
• The bill shall also grant statutory recognition to existing bodies like the National Crisis Management Committee and the High-Level Committee.
• It also seeks to make provision for a “State Disaster Response Force” by the State Governments.

 

The Concern: Centralization in Disaster Management

• More centralized: Centralization often results in slower responses to disasters, as it creates multiple layers of decision-making. Despite, the current Disaster Management Act, 2005 having a top-down approach, with several authorities and committees functioning at national, state, and district levels, the bill seems to show even more central control over the disaster management processes.
• Delays in relief and rehabilitation: It is also argued that the decision to give statutory status to bodies like National Crisis Management Committee and a High-Level Committee that existed before the Act, is invariably going to affect the decision-making and response process during emergencies.
  • Example: During the recent floods occurred in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) were delayed.
• Lack of financial autonomy: Although the amendment claims to strengthen NDMA and SDMAs by creating  ‘Urban Disaster Management Authority’ , they do not come with a matching commitment of funds. The state authorities eventually have to rely on central government for resources, which can hinder quick and effective disaster management.
• Narrow definition of ‘Disaster’: According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in the year 2023, India experienced 536 heatwave days, the highest in 14 years. But the act does not recognize heatwave as disaster.
  • The Act lists specific events like cyclones, earthquakes, floods, and droughts as disasters eligible for financial assistance.

 

Learning from Past Failures: The Need for a New Approach

• The bill should learn from the past mistakes and must aim o improve upon the shortcomings of the 205 act.
• It should focus on developing  cohesive plan that strengthens cooperative federalism.
• In situations like the floods in Wayanad, Kerala, it is more crucial to work on predicting and managing future disasters rather than debating which government entity is to blame.

 

Way Forward:

• Decentralization of Powers: The bill should focus on empowering local and state-level authorities with decision-making powers and financial autonomy.

• Revisiting the Definition of Disasters: The definition of disaster should be made more holistic to include recent climate-induced events such as the heatwaves.

• Clear Guidelines for Fund Usage: The focus should be on bringing more transparency and  clarity in the line of disbursement and usage of disaster relief funds.

• Building Climate Resilience: Disaster management policies should focus on long-term resilience-building measures, such as sustainable urban planning, infrastructure development, and community awareness programs to minimize the impact of disasters.