Bill to set up State Disaster Response Force, Urban Disaster Management Authority introduced in Lok Sabha

The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 also seeks to to bring more clarity and convergence in the roles of authorities and committees working in the field of disaster management and provide statutory status to certain organisations like the National Crisis Management Committee and the High Level Committee.

New Delhi: A bill to amend the Disaster Management Act 2005, which was tabled in Lok Sabha on Thursday, seeks to set up a State Disaster Response Force on the lines of National Disaster Response Force, establish Urban Disaster Management Authority for state capitals and large cities and create disaster databases at national and state level.

The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 also seeks to bring more clarity and convergence in the roles of authorities and committees working in the field of disaster management and provide statutory status to certain organisations like the National Crisis Management Committee and the High Level Committee.

In Lok Sabha, the introduction of the Bill ran into objections from senior Congress MP Manish Tewari who said disaster management is not part of the  List 1 or List 2 of the Constitution dealing with central and state subjects. He also said any law based on "derived legislative power" may not stand the test of constitutionality.

Trinamool Congress' Saugata Roy said the multiplicity of authorities will create confusion. Minister of State or Home Nityanand Rai, who introduced the Bill after a voice vote, asserted that there is no interference in the rights of the states and disaster management is the first responsibility of the states.

The Bill also proposes to strengthen the efficient working of the National Disaster Management Authority and the State Disaster Management Authorities and empower the NDMA and SDMA authorities to prepare the disaster plan at national level and state level instead of the National Executive Committee and the State Executive Committee doing it.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the Bill also provides for creation of disaster databases at national and state level. It also makes provision for the constitution of 'Urban Disaster Management Authority' for state capitals and large cities having municipal corporations.

The setting up of the State Disaster Response Force is aimed at strengthening the disaster response capability of states. At present, the union government sends National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams at the time of disasters.

It also proposes to allow the National Disaster Response Fund to utilise its money for "different aspects of disaster management" instead of just "for meeting any threatening disaster situation or disaster".

The new amendment also allows the union and the state governments to direct any person to take any action or refrain from taking any action for reducing the impact of a disaster and to impose a penalty not

exceeding Rs 10,000.

The fresh amendments to the existing Act comes after a review with all stakeholders and states following "learnings from past disasters, and experience gained" during the implementation of the Act, it said. (ENDS)