Disaster Management Act 2005

• The Disaster Management Act (DMA) of 2005 was enacted by the Indian government for efficient disaster management.
• The DMA 2005 contains 11 chapters and 79 sections.
• The President of India gave assent to the act on December 23, 2005.
• The DMA 2005 is significant for:
  • Planning and implementing disaster plans
  • Preventing or mitigating harm to people in disaster-affected areas
  • Facilitating response and recovery from disaster events
  • Coordinating and managing disaster-affected areas

Governing Bodies Established by DMA 2005

• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is one of the governing bodies created by the DMA 2005.
• The Prime Minister of India heads the NDMA as chairperson.
• NDMA includes a Vice-Chairperson and no more than nine members.
• Members of the NDMA hold their positions for five years.
• The NDMA's main job is to create policies, plans, and guidelines for disaster management.
• The NDMA is responsible for laying down policies for disaster management.
• NDMA also approves plans prepared by different government departments and draws up National and State Plans.
• The National Executive Committee (NEC) is empowered by the DMA to assist the NDMA.
• The NEC includes Secretary-level officers from various ministries such as home affairs, health, power, finance, and agriculture.
• The NEC readies the National Disaster Management Plan for the entire country and ensures it undergoes annual review and updates.
• State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is responsible for creating disaster plans for its specific state.
• The Chief Minister is the chairperson of the SDMA, which also has 8 members appointed by the Chief Minister.
• According to section 28, the SDMA ensures all state departments prepare disaster management plans as prescribed by national and state authorities.
• The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is led by the Collector, District Magistrate, or Deputy Commissioner of the district, who serves as the Chairperson.
• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is tasked with responding to potential disasters or similar situations.
• The NDRF is headed by a Director-General appointed by the Central Government.
• The NDRF has been involved in rescuing people during events like the 2014 Kashmir floods and the 2018 Kerala floods.
• The DMA is founded on the belief that mitigating disaster-related losses is more effective than focusing solely on relief and rehabilitation.
• The act has enabled significant advancements in areas like detailed disaster management guidelines, capacity development, consolidation of past initiatives, and international cooperation.

Challenges to the DMA

• A significant inadequacy of the DMA is the absence of a provision for declaring 'disaster-prone zones'.
• Most disaster-related laws globally have mapped out disaster-prone zones within their jurisdictions.
• States cannot proactively act unless an area is declared disaster-prone, which is important for assessing damage extent.
• The Act inaccurately presents disasters as sudden events, ignoring their progressive nature.
• The Act does not address diseases like dengue and tuberculosis.
• The Act establishes multiple national-level bodies with overlapping functions, which complicates coordination.
• The Act barely mentions local authorities, who are often first responders, and lacks substantial guidance for them.
• The disaster management scheme in India suffers from delayed responses, poor implementation, and procedural delays.
• The lack of adequate technology for accurate disaster prediction and measurement leads to extensive damage.
• The DMA does not consider the possibility of predicting disasters.