HM Amit Shah Calls for ‘Zero Casualty’ Disaster Management

• Amit Shah chaired the third Governing Body meeting of NIDM in New Delhi.
• He said disaster management has shifted from relief and rehabilitation to risk reduction and prevention.
• Shah called for disaster-resilient villages and cities through stronger preparedness and early warnings.
• SDRF allocation has increased nearly fourfold and NDRF allocation nearly threefold, he said.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 11th Sept: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired the third meeting of the Governing Body of the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) in New Delhi on Thursday and called for further strengthening India’s disaster management system with a focus on prevention, preparedness and ‘Zero Casualty’.

Shah said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the country’s approach to disaster management has undergone a comprehensive transformation over the past 12 years. He said the earlier focus on relief and rehabilitation has expanded to risk reduction, early-warning systems and Zero Casualty.

He said India has successfully faced several disasters with zero casualties, describing the achievement as a matter of pride. He stressed that the Whole of Government approach adopted during disasters should also be used to strengthen and institutionalise the overall disaster management system.

Shah called for making disaster-resilient villages and cities a priority and said research and continuous monitoring should be used to improve preparedness and response.

The Home Minister highlighted the role of environmental protection in reducing disaster risks. He said initiatives such as Mission LiFE, Pro-Planet People and the International Solar Alliance are contributing to disaster prevention and resilience.

He said the relevance of NIDM and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) would increase as global warming and climate change contribute to greater disaster risks, while new applications of science could create new types of disasters.

Shah directed stakeholders to establish a dedicated cell in their respective departments for implementing decisions related to disaster management. Departmental heads should review the progress of these cells at least once every three months, he said.

He also called on NIDM and NDMA to study global research and best practices in disaster management and adapt them to Indian conditions. The Agriculture Department was specifically asked to strengthen preparedness against locust attacks originating from Pakistan and examine international practices for dealing with such incidents.

The Home Minister called for nationwide guidelines jointly prepared by NIDM and NDMA, clearly specifying the actions to be taken and avoided during different types of disasters. NIDM should focus on training, while the NDRF, State Disaster Response Forces and other agencies should ensure implementation on the ground.

He also directed that research-based documents identifying the causes of disasters should be prepared. Following every disaster, joint teams involving NDMA, NIDM, NDRF and SDRFs should examine the causes of damage and prepare detailed reports.

Shah said NIDM has emerged as a national centre for research, innovation, policy support, training and departmental cooperation and called for further expansion of its role by bringing universities and institutions into its knowledge network.

He said knowledge and best practices should move beyond departmental silos and emphasised coordinated working across government agencies.

The Home Minister said the government has decided to distribute disaster relief funds through a scientific and systematic process. He noted that allocation under the State Disaster Response Fund has increased nearly fourfold, while the National Disaster Response Fund allocation has risen nearly threefold.

Around ₹2.5 lakh crore has been spent in the disaster management sector over the last 11 years, Shah said. He also highlighted amendments to the Disaster Management Act after 20 years, the creation of Urban Disaster Management Authorities, digital disaster databases and statutory status for the National Crisis Management Committee.

Shah said the 16th Finance Commission has provided ₹2 lakh crore for the period ahead. He also noted that four acres of land had recently been allocated to NIDM and said the institution is working towards becoming a world-class model organisation.

The Home Minister called for wider adoption of the disaster management mobile application through primary, secondary and higher education institutions. He said international cooperation is important, but the priority must remain strengthening disaster resilience across India’s five lakh villages.

Shah also called for at least one top-level NIDM meeting every year to ensure meaningful deliberations and effective implementation of decisions.

He said the objective should be to transform knowledge into capacity, capacity into preparedness and preparedness into outcomes, thereby advancing the national goal of Zero Casualty.