Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 Important Features:
- Preparation of Disaster Management Plans:
- The bill proposes that NDMA and SDMAs prepare their disaster management plans directly.
- National and State Disaster Database:
- Bill makes provisions for a comprehensive disaster database at national and State levels.
- Appointment into NDMA:
- The bill gives authority to NDMA to determine requirement of its staff and appoint experts with approval of the central government.
- Urban Disaster Management Authority:
- The bill establishes Urban Disaster Management Authorities (UDMA) for state capitals and metropolitan cities which will plan and implement such UDMAs activities.
- Establish State Disaster Response Force:
- The bill empowers state governments to create SDRFs, defining functions and terms of service.
- Statutory Status to Existing Committees:
- The bill would give statutory status of NCMC and HLC with reference to dealing with major disasters and providing financial assistance respectively.
- Penalties and Directives:
- The bill introduces new section 60A in enabling central and state governments to direct any person for any action or refrain from any action for reducing impact of a disaster and impose a penalty not exceeding 10,000 rupees.
Concerns Relating to Bill, 2024:
- More centralization of Powers:
- It further centralizes the already very-centralized Disaster Management Act, 2005. This ably creates more authorities and committees at innumerable levels.
- Lack of Local Resources:
- The bill does not consider the possible dearth of resources and funding for establishing and maintaining the UDMAs at the local level.
- Enforcing Disaster Relief as a Judicial Right:
- The Bill does address the issue of making disaster relief as a justice-filed right.
- Difficulties of Integration:
- Transfer of Liability from National Executive Committee and State Executive Committees to NDMA and SDMAs is likely to pose other integration problems.
- Restricted definition of ‘Disaster’:
- It is not declared or not notified disaster under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 heatwaves.
- The government has yet to categorize heatwaves under any such disasters.
- Impact on Federal Dynamics:
- This bill, in its current form, may positively shift the frictions in central-state relations as it is bound to bring a more centralized and restrictive approach to resource-allocation decisions.
Loopholes in Disaster Management Act, 2005:
- Very Poor Instrumental Structure:
- The Vice-chairman of NDMA has not been appointed for the last ten years, and this has caused much inefficiency and lost time.
- Bureaucratic Failure:
- The Act is bureaucratically styled and is top-down in approach as far as decision-making is concerned. The significance of the grassroots administration is minimized.
- Ambiguity:
- the definitions of key terms such as disaster and calamity are not explicit.
- Financial:
- At times, the amount allocated is insufficient to meet the requirement in case of widespread disasters and delays then start in response and recovery.
