1 Natural Disasters and Relief Provisions in India: Commitments and Ground Realities Subrat Das Nandan Kumar Jha CBGA 2004 Series Editors : Praveen Jha, Amitabh Behar Editorial Inputs : Uma Ramesh Editorial Assistance : Deepak L. Xavier Design & Printing : Kriti Creative Studio Cell : 9810314474 Published by : Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (A programme of NCAS) B 64, Second Floor, Sarvodaya Enclave, New Delhi – 110 017, India Telefax : 91-11-26537603 Email : [email protected] © CBGA, 2004 The contents of this book may be reproduced by voluntary organisations, social action groups, people’s organisations, public interest professionals and citizens for non-commercial purposes with due acknowledgement of the source. Any other form of reproduction, storage in retrieval system or transmission by any means requires prior permission from the publisher. (for private circulation only) Chapter 1 PREFACE ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Since the commencement of the 9th Finance Commission, we have in place the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) scheme of the Central Government for financing relief expenditure of States in the wake of natural calamities. The main objectives of this initiative were to ensure that: the assistance extended to the States is in accordance with their needs the provision of relief to the victims is quick the States have greater autonomy in the relief operations and that the States are more accountable as well for their activities in providing relief to the affected people The present study is an attempt towards looking at various pertinent issues that have wide ranging implications for the welfare of the marginalized sections of our country who are the worst affected lot in the wake of any natural calamity. Thus, keeping this in focus, our efforts are directed towards highlighting and answering the below stated objectives: to assess the macro-level implications of the present framework/design of CRF scheme from the point of view of those sections of the population who need it most. to assess how much is CRF scheme helping the States in meeting expenditure on relief works in the wake of natural calamities. to highlight the irregularities in the implementation of the scheme at the ground level, especially those which affect the vulnerable sections of the society. to look at the reasons behind the high death tolls and extensive damage caused by natural disasters in the recent past. to discuss the approach of the Central Government towards disaster mitigation and preparedness. to suggest modifications in the CRF scheme as also in the approach of the Central Government towards disaster management. We have also tried to look at the ground realities in implementation of this scheme and its impact in a few sample constituencies in the States of Rajasthan, Orissa, and Gujarat. Many important observations have been highlighted and measures to address the same have also been suggested in this regard. Implications of the CRF scheme for the welfare of the marginalized and poor has always been the central focus of this report. CBGA through its research seeks to draw attention of the public to the Government expenditure processes and governance issues that arise because of these processes, which affect the lives of the poor in some way or other. This report is the one of such endeavours – and through the CBGA Manual Series we aspire to continue such efforts. Chapter 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ We express our heartfelt gratitude to all the individuals and organisations who have helped us in significant ways at different stages of this study. Our sincerest thanks to Dr. Praveen Jha, whose guidance, encouragement and support has driven us in this endeavour right from its conceptualisation till the finalisation of the report. Mr. John Samuel, formerly Executive Director, NCAS, Dr. Gnana Prakasham, Joint Director, NCAS, and Mr. Amitabh Behar, Executive Director, NCAS have not only lent us great support and encouragement but also given us adequate time to complete various stages of work associated with this study. We express heartfelt thanks to Ms. Barnali Bose and Mr. Nesar Ahmed for their valuable help in course of this study. We are grateful to Dr. Shekhar Singh of Centre for Equity Studies, New Delhi, for his very useful comments and suggestions on an earlier draft of this report. Special thanks are due to each of the participants of the Consultation on the draft version of this report, which was organised by CBGA on September 28, 2004. In the said consultation, Mr. Harsh Mander, Mr. Michael Siromony, Mr. Vinod Menon, Mr. N. M. Prusty, Mr. Richard Mahapatra, Ms. Purnima Tripathy, Mr. P. V. Krishnan, and Dr. Amit Prakash, among others, gave us valuable suggestions and critical insights into the discourse on disaster mitigation and relief. We are most grateful to Mr. Srilal Joshi and Ms. Manjula Joshi of Hadoti Hast Shilp Sansthan, Kota, Rajasthan, Mr. Tapas Roy of Kishanganj, Rajasthan, and Mr. Rashmi Ranjan Mishra of Jagatsinghpur, Orissa, for their unconditional help during the field visits for this study but for which our field visits would have borne no results. Above all, we are obliged to all our respondents in each of the fields visited, who gave us an objective account of their sufferings in natural disasters in the past without any visible incentive for doing so. We hope our effort towards facilitating a debate around the desirability of the prevailing mechanism for disaster relief in India would be successful, and we shall witness the adoption of a more comprehensive, effective and just mechanism for disaster mitigation and relief in the country. - CBGA TEAM CONTENTS ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Preface Acknowledgement List of Tables i Abbreviations ii 1. Introduction 1 2. A Historical Account of Calamity Relief in India 7 3. Calamity Relief Fund: Assessment as a Scheme for Financing Relief Expenditure 27 4. Ground Realities of Disaster Response of the State Governments 43 5. Measures for Disaster Mitigation in India 63 6. Conclusion 76 Annexures 81 Glossary 85 References 89 List of Participants in the Consultation on Draft of the Report 91 Appendix-1 92 Appendix-2 97 Appendix-3 100 Appendix-4 105 Chapter 1 LIST OF TABLES ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Table No. Title Page No. 1.1: Frequency of Disasters in India 2 1.2: Damage due to Natural Disasters in India 2 2.1: Development of Famine Relief, 1850-1900 9 2.2: Damage Caused by Floods from First to Eighth Plan 13 2.3: Annual Amounts of Margin Money for Different States for the Recommendation 14 Period of Second Finance Commission (1957-1962) (as estimated by the Second Finance Commission) 2.4: Allocations to Calamity Relief Funds of Different States for the Recommendation 19 Period of Ninth Finance Commission (as estimated by the Ninth Finance Commission for 1990-91 to 1994-95) 2.5: Average Annual Allocations to CRFs of Different States for the Recommendation 21 Period of Tenth Finance Commission (as estimated by the Tenth Finance Commission for 1995-96 to 1999-2000) 2.6: Releases From National Fund for Calamity Relief (NFCR) during 1995-96 to 1999-2000 23 2.7: Average Annual Allocations to CRFs of Different States for the Recommendation Period 24 of Eleventh Finance Commission (2000-01 to 2004-05) (as per the estimates of the Eleventh Finance Commission) 3.1: Allocations to CRFs of Different States for the Recommendation Period of Eleventh Finance 29 Commission (2000-01 to 2004-05) (as per the estimates of the Eleventh Finance Commission) 3.2: Releases from National Fund for Calamity Relief (NFCR) during 1995-96 to 1999-2000 34 3.3: Expenditure* under the Head “Relief on Account of Natural Calamities” 36 3.4: Expenditure* under the Head “Relief on Account of Natural Calamities” 37 4.1: Financial Assistance to Baran District (Rajasthan) for Drought Relief 49 4.2: Works Undertaken by Various Departments (of Government of Rajasthan) under 51 Drought-Relief Programmes in Kishanganj Tehsil (Panchayat Samiti), Baran District as on 23 April 2003. 4.3: Damage caused by Super Cyclone of 1999 in Orissa 54 4.4: Distribution of House Building Assistance 56 4.5: Payment of Ex Gratia Assistance 57 4.6: Distribution of Net and Boat 57 4.7: Disbursement of Betel vine Assistance 57 4.8: Loss of Human Lives Caused by the Bhuj Quake of 2001 (as on 26.02.2001) 59 4.9: Relief after the Earthquake of 2001 60 5.1: Ministries Responsible for Various Categories of Disasters. 67 5.2: Comparison of Outcomes of Three Events 75 i Chapter 1 ABBREVATIONS ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ARWSP Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme BMTPC Building Material and Technology Promotion Council C&AG Comptroller and Auditor General CACP Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices CBDP Community Based Disaster Preparedness CBO Community Based Organisations CRF Calamity Relief Fund DDP Desert Development Programme DPAP Drought Prone Area Programme FCI Food Corporation of India FYP Five-Year Plan HHD High Human Development HPC High Powered Committee IDNDR International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction IIPA Institute of Public Administration IMD Indian Meteorological Department IMG Inter Ministerial Group IST Indian Standard Time IWDP Integrated Wasteland Development Programme LHD Low Human Development MLA Member of Legislative Assembly MSP Minimum Support Price NA&ED National Afforestation and Eco-development