The document outlines various aspects of disaster management in India, focusing on capacity building, incident response teams, civil defense, and the role of fire services. It emphasizes the need for training and coordination among different levels of government and community involvement in disaster preparedness and response. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is highlighted as the apex body responsible for laying down policies and ensuring effective disaster management across the country.

1. Anish Raj Goyal
anishrajgoyal09rockstar@gmail.com
Disaster Management

2. Introduction..
• Capacity building is an ongoing process that equips officials,
stakeholders and the community to perform their functions in a
better manner during a crisis/disaster. In the process of capacity
building, we must include elements of human resource
development, i.e., individual training, organizational development
such as improving the functioning of groups and organizations and
institutional development. At the national level, The National
Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) is the capacity building
arm and the States have disaster management cells in the State
Administrative Training Institutes performs the function of capacity
building for effective and efficient disaster management. There are a
number of other training institutes which are engaged in training
and capacity building in the area of disaster management.

3. Incident Response Teams
• Incident Response Teams are to be set up right from the State
to the District, Sub-division and Block levels. The co-
ordination process between the National, State and District
has also been clearly described. Presently the process for the
institutionalization of the system is going on through various
sensitization and training programs launched all over the
country by the NDMA. Up till now 30 Districts in 15 States
have already been covered where 3115 officers have been given
initial training and teams have been formed at different levels.
This program has also been started in the Lal Bahadur Shastri
National Academy of Administration and the Sardar Vallabh
Bhai Patel, National Police Academy where up till now 1768
officers have been trained on the Incident Response System.

4. Civil Defence
• Background
The Civil Defence policy of the Government of India, till the
declaration of Emergency in 1962, remained confined to
making States and UTs conscious of the need for civil
protection measures and asking them to keep ready civil
protection plans for major cities and towns under the
Emergency Relief Organisation [ERO] scheme. However,
following the Chinese aggression in 1962 and the Indo Pak
conflict of 1965, the policy and scope of Civil Defence
underwent considerable rethinking, which culminated in the
enactment of the Civil Defence (CD) Act 1968. After this the
organisation has functioned under the parameters delineated
in the Act.

5. Civil Defense
• Importance of Civil Defense
While global geo-political factors have reduced chances of
traditional wars, new challenges have emerged for the community in
the shape of natural calamities or human-induced disasters,
resulting in large scale destruction of property, loss of human life
and destabilization of normal life in society. Since the community is
invariably the first responder to any disaster situation, adequate
awareness and preparedness of the community to respond to any
such situation can be crucial in mitigating damage and suffering.
Civil Defence, being a community based voluntary organisation, can
in addition to rescue, relief and rehabilitation, play a stellar role in
the field of public awareness as well as community capacity building
to face any disaster.

6. Pre-disaster
Educating the Community
• Taking a lead role in spreading public awareness about the various
kinds of disasters and possible community responses to them.
• Educating/training the people at grass-roots level in vulnerable
areas as a part of community capacity building to respond to any
disaster situation.
• Liaising with print and electronic media for regular publicity of civil
Defence activities, including utilization of local TV channels to
conduct discussion, debated, etc., on civil defence.
• Holding regular mock drills, exercises and rehearsal of civil defence
activities, to generate public interest.
• Preparing publicity material, literature and brochures about Civil
Defence and distributing these in events related to Civil Defence.
• Organizing public functions to honour persons who have
contributed to the Civil Defence cause by participating in its
activities.

7. Pre Disaster
Civil Defence Awareness in Schools
• Taking guest lecturers in schools, holding
demonstrations, showing films, visits to Civil
Defence establishments, etc.
• Holding camps for students to provide them
basic training in skills for Civil Defence/Disaster
Management.

8. Pre Disaster
Sensitizing Government Servants
• Holding seminars and workshops in government departments
to sensitize government servants at various levels about Civil
Defence functions and their role in a disaster scenario.
• Identifying suitable personnel in local government offices, in
consultation with the Head of Office, and sponsoring them for
various courses in Civil Defence.
• Maintaining a record of ‘trained government servants’ and
keeping in regular communication with them to ensure their
constant association with Civil Defence activities.
• Developing resource personnel particularly in those
government departments which would not be directly
involved in any Disaster Management effort, since officials of
police, health, supplies, revenue, etc., may not be available to
Civil Defence in the event of a disaster.

9. During Disasters
• The Civil Defence organization should enhance its capacity to act as
first responder to any disaster situation with the help of its volunteers
at different levels. It should have its own ‘Quick Reaction Teams’(QRT)
of volunteers with pre-designated roles and responsibilities, based on
vulnerability and quick mobility to respond to any disaster situation.
The QRT should also have its communication network to keep in touch
with the Civil Defence control room on real-time basis for reporting
about its actions and getting instructions from the control room.
• After initially responding to the disaster with its own and locally
available resources of police, etc., the Civil Defence may integrate itself
with the Disaster Management efforts launched under the aegis of the
state/DDMA. It may deploy its personnel, volunteers and other
material resources such as communication equipment, Disaster
Management vehicles, etc., in consultation and coordination with other
agencies. In particular, the Civil Defence organization can supplement
the government efforts during and after a disaster

10. Fire Services
The role of fire services is very crucial in any emergency. In fact, in the developed
world, fire services are not only employed for firefighting but also for rescue
operations as emergency services. As per the Standing Fire Advisory Committee,
on the basis of laid down norms, existing deficiencies as regards fire stations, fire
fighting vehicles and personnel in the country are as follows:
• Fire Stations--------------------------------------------------97.54%
• Fire Fighting and Rescue Vehicles-------------------------80.04%
• Fire Personnel------------------------------------------------96.28%
• Taking note of these deficiencies, NDMA made a forceful case with the 13th
Finance Commission for allocation of funds to revitalize the fire services.
Realising the importance and need to revamp fire services in the country, the
Finance Commission has allotted Grants in Aid specifically to the states which
have made specific proposals before it. It has also more than doubled the grant to
local bodies in comparison to the allocation made by the 12th Finance
Commission and simultaneously recommended that the local bodies should
spend money on Fire Services.

11. Trauma Care
Medical Preparedness and Mass Casualty
Management
• India has suffered a number of natural and man-made
disasters, which have led a large number of casualties. Medical
Preparedness and Mass Casualty Management is one of the
essential component of the disaster management.
• NDMA has taken concerted steps to enhance preparedness in
this important domain in partnership with the Ministry of
health and Family Welfare and State Governments. Some
projects like improving Ambulance Services in the State, up-
gradation of Bio Safety Laboratories and creation of Trauma
Centers are in the offing. To create awareness amongst
stakeholders, mock exercise have also been conducted in
Hospitals Prepares and Mass Casualty Management. These
aspects have been comprehensively covered in the guidelines
issued by NDMA on the subject.

12. NDMA
Evolution of NDMA
• Emergence of an organization is always through an evolutionary process.
NDMA has also gone through the same stages. The Government of India
(GOI), in recognition of the importance of Disaster Management as a
national priority, set up a High-Powered Committee (HPC) in August 1999
and a National Committee after the Gujarat earthquake, for making
recommendations on the preparation of Disaster Management plans and
suggesting effective mitigation mechanisms. The Tenth Five-Year Plan
document also had, for the first time, a detailed chapter on Disaster
Management. The Twelfth Finance Commission was also mandated to
review the financial arrangements for Disaster Management.
• On 23 December 2005, the Government of India enacted the Disaster
Management Act, which envisaged the creation of National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister, and State
Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief
Ministers, to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach
to Disaster Management in India.

13. NDMA Vision
• "To build a safer and disaster resilient India by a
holistic, pro-active, technology driven and
sustainable development strategy that involves
all stakeholders and fosters a culture of
prevention, preparedness and mitigation."

14. Organisation Structure

15. Functions and Responsibilities
NDMA, as the apex body, is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and
guidelines for Disaster Management to ensure timely and effective response
to disasters. Towards this, it has the following responsibilities:-
• Lay down policies on disaster management ;
• Approve the National Plan;
• Approve plans prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the Government
of India in accordance with the National Plan;
• Lay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up the
State Plan;
• Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or
Departments of the Government of India for the Purpose of integrating the
measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its effects in their
development plans and projects;
• Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plans for
disaster management;
• Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation.