REPORT NO. 178

PARLIAMENT OF

DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHTH REPORT Disaster Management in the Country

(Presented to the Rajya Sabha on 19th February, 2014) (Laid on the Table of on 19th February, 2014)

Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi February, 2014/Phalguna, 1935 (Saka) Hindi version of this publication is also available

C.S.(H.A.)-348

PARLIAMENT OF INDIA RAJYA SABHA

DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHTH REPORT

Disaster Management in the Country

(Presented to the Rajya Sabha on 19th February, 2014) (Laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on 19th February, 2014)

Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi February, 2014/Phalguna, 1935 (Saka) Website: http://rajyasabha.nic.in E-mail: [email protected] CONTENTS

PAGES

1. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ...... (i)-(iv)

2. PREFACE ...... (v)-(vi)

3. ACRONYMS ...... (vii)-(x)

4. REPORT ...... 1—113

Chapter-I Introduction ...... 1—5

Chapter-II Institutional and Legal Framework...... 6—27

Chapter-III Major Disasters and Lessons Learnt ...... 28—32

Chapter-IV Suggestions of State/UT Governments on Disaster Management setup and comments of Ministry of Home Affairs thereon ...... 33—58

Chapter-V Preparedeness and Response Work (Study Visits to Select Places) ...... 59—74

Chapter-VI Response, Rehabilitation and Restoration works in the aftermath of Uttarakhand Disaster ...... 75—98

Chapter-VII Mechanism for Financial Assistance ...... 99—107

Chapter-VIII Policy Guidelines and Rules Pertaining to Disaster Management 108—113

5. OBSERVATIONS/CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE — AT A GLANCE ..... 114—133

6. RELEVANT MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE ...... 135—159

7. ANNEXURES ...... 161—173

(i) Rules notified under Disaster Management Act, 2005 ...... 163—164

(ii) Nodal Ministry/Department for Management/Mitigation of Different Disasters .. 165—166

(iii) List of the Reports of the Committee on Home Affairs ...... 167—173

COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (re-constituted w.e.f. 31st August, 2010)

RAJYA SABHA 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman 2. Shri Rishang Keishing 3. Dr. N. Janardhana Reddy 4. Shri S.S. Ahluwalia 5. Shri Naresh Chandra Agrawal 6. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee †7. Shri Javed Akhtar 8. Shri Tariq Anwar 9. Dr. V. Maitreyan 10. Shri D. Raja

LOK SABHA 11. Shri L.K. Advani 12. Dr. Rattan Singh Ajnala 13. Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar 14. Shri Ramen Deka 15. Shri L. Raja Gopal 16. Shri Mohd. Maulana Asrarul Haque 17. Shri Naveen Jindal 18. Shri Jitender Singh Malik 19. Shri Lalubhai Babubhai Patel 20. Shri Natubhai Gomanbhai Patel 21. Dr. Nilesh N. Rane 22. Shri Bishnu Pada Ray 23. Adv. A. Sampath 24. Shri Hamdullah Sayeed 25. Shri Neeraj Shekhar 26. Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh 27. Shri Ravneet Singh 28. Shrimati Seema Upadhyay 29. Shri Harsh Vardhan 30. Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure 31. Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav

SECRETARIAT Shri P.P.K. Ramacharyulu, Joint Secretary Shri D.K. Mishra, Joint Director Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director Shri Sanjeev Khokhar, Committee Officer

† Shri Javed Akhtar nominated w.e.f. 21st September, 2010 vice Shri Tiruchi Siva, who has resigned from the Membership of the DRSC on Home Affairs w.e.f. the 13th September, 2010.

(i) COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (re-constituted w.e.f. 31st August, 2011)

RAJYA SABHA 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman 2. Shri Rishang Keishing 3. Dr. N. Janardhana Reddy †4. Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy ♣5. Shri Satish Chandra Misra 6. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee 7. Shri Tariq Anwar 8. Dr. V. Maitreyan 9. Shri D. Raja 10. Shri Javed Akhtar LOK SABHA 11. Shri L.K. Advani 12. Shri Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary 13. Shri Khagen Das 14. Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar 15. Shri Ramen Deka 16. Shri Lagadapati Raja Gopal 17. Shri Mohammad Asrarul Haque 18. Shri Naveen Jindal 19. Shri Jitender Singh Malik 20. Shri Babulal Marandi 21. Shri Baijayant Panda 22. Shri Lalubhai B. Patel 23. Shri Natubhai Gomanbhai Patel 24. Dr. Nilesh N. Rane #25. Shri Navjot Singh Siddhu 26. Shri Adhi Sankar 27. Shri Hamdullah Sayeed 28. Shri Neeraj Shekhar 29. Shri Ravneet Singh 30. Shri Harsh Vardhan 31. Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav SECRETARIAT Shri P.P.K. Ramacharyulu, Joint Secretary Shri D.K. Mishra, Joint Director Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director Shri Sanjeev Khokhar, Committee Officer Shri Anurag Ranjan, Committee Officer

† Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy nominated w.e.f. 4th July, 2012 vice Shri S.S. Ahluwalia ceased to be Member consequent upon expiration of term of membership from Rajya Sabha on 2nd April, 2012. ♣ Shri Satish Chandra Misra nominated w.e.f. 4th May, 2012 vice Shri Naresh Chandra Agrawal who resigned from the membership of Rajya Sabha w.e.f. 13th March, 2012. # Shri Navjot Singh Siddhu nominated w.e.f. 3rd January, 2012 vice Shri Bishnu Pada Ray who was nominated to the Committee on Rural Development w.e.f. 3rd January, 2012.

(ii) COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (re-constituted w.e.f. 31st August, 2012)

RAJYA SABHA 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman ^2. Vacant †3. Shri Santiuse Kujur 4. Shri Janardan Dwivedi 5. Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy 6. Shri Satish Chandra Misra 7. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee #8. Vacant ♣9. Vacant %10. Dr. V. Maitreyan LOK SABHA 11. Shri Anandrao Adsul 12. Shri L.K. Advani 13. Dr. Shafiqur Rahman Barq 14. Shri E. T. Mohammed Basheer 15. Shri Avtar Singh Bhadana *16. Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal 17. Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar 18. Shri Ramen Deka 19. Shri Sandeep Dikshit 20. Shri Naveen Jindal 21. Shri Aaron Rashid J.M. 22. Shri Datta Meghe 23. Shri Lalubhai Babubhai Patel 24. Shri Sanjay Dina Patil 25. Shri Lalu Prasad 26. Shri Rathod Ramesh 27. Shri Hamdulla Sayeed 28. Shri Neeraj Shekhar 29. Shri Navjot Singh Siddhu 30. Shri Ravneet Singh 31. Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav SECRETARIAT Shri P.P.K. Ramacharyulu, Joint Secretary Shri Vimal Kumar, Director Shri D.K. Mishra, Joint Director Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director Shri Sanjeev Khokhar, Assistant Director Shri Anurag Ranjan, Committee Officer ^ Shri Santiuse Kujur, Member, Rajya Sabha nominated w.e.f. 7th August, 2013 to the Committee on Home Affairs due to the resignation of Shri Rishang Keishing, Member, Rajya Sabha from the Membership of the Committee on Home Affairs w.e.f. 22.02.2013. † Due to the Appointment of Shri Tariq Anwar as Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries on 28th October, 2012. ^ Shri D. Raja, Member, Rajya Sabha nominated w.e.f. 28th December, 2012 to the Committee on Home Affairs due to the appointment of Shri K. Rahman Khan as Minister of Minority Affairs in Union Cabinet on 28th October, 2012 and Shri D. Raja, Member, RS ceased to be Member of the Committee due to expiration of term in Rajya Sabha w.e.f. 25th July, 2013 * Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal, MP, Lok Sabha nominated w.e.f. 7th August, 2013 to the Committee on Home Affairs due to the Appointment of Shrimati Santosh Chowdhary as Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare w.e.f. 17th June, 2013. # Shrimati Kanimozhi ceased to be Member of the Committee due to expiration of term in Rajya Sabha w.e.f. 25th July, 2013 % Dr. V. Maitreyan ceased to be Member of the Committee due to expiration of term in Rajya Sabha w.e.f. 25th July, 2013 and Dr. V. Maitreyan, MP, Rajya Sabha was re-nominated to the Committee w.e.f. 27th July, 2013.

(iii) COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (re-constituted w.e.f. 31st August, 2013)

RAJYA SABHA 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman 2. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee 3. Shrimati Vandana Chavan 4. Shri Janardan Dwivedi 5. Shrimati Kanimozhi 6. Shri Santiuse Kujur 7. Dr. V. Maitreyan 8. Shri Satish Chandra Misra 9. Shri D. Raja 10. Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy LOK SABHA 11. Shri Anandrao Adsul 12. Shri L.K. Advani 13. Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal 14. Dr. Shafiqur Rahman Barq 15. Shri E. T. Mohammed Basheer 16. Shri Avtar Singh Bhadana 17. Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar 18. Shri Ramen Deka 19. Shri Sandeep Dikshit 20. Shri Naveen Jindal 21. Shri Aaron Rashid J.M. 22. Shri Datta Meghe 23. Shri Lalubhai Babubhai Patel 24. Shri Sanjay Dina Patil ♣25. Vacant 26. Shri Rathod Ramesh 27. Shri Hamdulla Sayeed 28. Shri Neeraj Shekhar 29. Shri Navjot Singh Siddhu 30. Shri Ravneet Singh 31. Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav SECRETARIAT Shri P.P.K. Ramacharyulu, Joint Secretary Shri Vimal Kumar, Director Shri D.K. Mishra, Joint Director Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director Shri Sanjeev Khokhar, Assistant Director Shri Anurag Ranjan, Committee Officer

♣ Consequent upon disqualification of Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav from the Membership of Lok Sabha w.e.f. 30th September, 2013 in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, he ceases to be a Member of the Committee.

(iv) PREFACE

I, the Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, having been authorized by the Committee to submit the Report on its behalf, do hereby present this One Hundred and Seventy Eighth Report on Disaster Management in the Country. 2. The Committee, in its sitting held on 11th May, 2011, identified the subject “Disaster Management in the Country” for detailed study. The Committee in its sitting held on 20th June, 2011 heard the presentation of Home Secretary on the Disaster Management in the Country. The Committee in its meeting held on 30th June, 2011 further heard Secretary, Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs on the subject. The Committee in its sitting held on 4th July, 2013 again heard the Home Secretary on the colossal disaster occurring in Uttarakhand and the rescue and rehabilitation activities being undertaken. The Committee in its sitting held on further 21st October, 2013 further took up the review meeting with the Home Secretary on the Disaster Management in the country including the rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities going on in Uttarakhand in the aftermath of disaster of cloud burst and floods there. 3. The Committee visited Hyderabad on 5th July, 2011 to have first hand information on the Disaster Management set-up at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad. The Committee undertook visit to Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi on 20th July, 2011 to assess the disaster management arrangement at the airport. The Committee further visited from 13th to 16th June, 2012 to assess disaster management set up in and around , Madras Atomic Power Station, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited, Chennai Port Trust and in the State of Tamil Nadu as a whole. The Committee again visited Andhra Pradesh from 6th to 10th November, 2012 to study disaster management arrangement in and around Nellore and at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR at Sriharikota, Tirumala and Tirupati. 4. The Committee in its sitting held on 28th December, 2011 decided to obtain the views of the State Governments/UT Administrations on the subject. In response, Views/suggestions from sixteen States and five Union Territories were received by the Committee which were forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs for their comments. In response to that, the Ministry furnished their comments thereon which have been reflected in the report. 5. The Committee considered the draft Report in its sitting held on 17th February, 2014 and adopted the same. 6. The Committee, while making its observations/recommendations, has relied mainly upon the following papers:– (i) Background Note on Disaster Management in the Country as furnished by Ministry of Home Affairs; (ii) Background Note on disaster occurred in Uttarakhand and the rescue and rehabilitation activities being undertaken; (iii) Verbatim Records of the proceedings of the Committee’s meetings alongwith the replies of the Ministry of Home Affairs in response to the queries raised by the Chairman and Members; (iv) Annual Report of the Ministry of Home Affairs;

(v) (vi)

(v) Disaster Management in India published by Union Ministry of Home Affairs; (vi) Report of the Task Force – A Review of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 published by Union Ministry of Home Affairs; (vii) C&AG Report (No. 5 of 2013) on Performance Audit of Disaster Preparedness in India; and (viii) Comments of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the Views/suggestions from State/UT Governments. 7. For facility of reference and convenience, the observations and recommendations of the Committee have been printed in bold letters in the body of the Report.

M. VENKAIAH NAIDU Chairman, NEW DELHI; Department-related Parliamentary 17th February, 2014 Standing Committee on Home Affairs ACRONYMS

APSDMP Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Plan AEP Airport Emergency Plan AWS Automatic Weather Stations ACA Additional Central Assistance ATI Administrative Training Institute APSDRF Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Response Force BSNL Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited BRO Border Road Organisation BMTPC Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council CRF Calamity Relief Fund CSS Centrally Sponsored Schemes CISF Central Industrial Security Force C&AG Comptroller and Auditor General CNE Committee on Non-Plan Expenditure CWCS Cyclone Warning Dissemination System CERTI Central Emergency Relief Training Institute CBDM Community Based Disaster Management CRO Complex and Central Reservation Office CPMF Central Para Military Forces CD Civil Defence CPCL Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited CEO Chief Executive Officer CBDM Capacity Building in Disaster Management CGI Corrugated Galvanized Iron CLRI Central Leather Research Institute CPRO Chief Public Relation Officer CAR Civil Aviation Requirements CSR Corporate Social Responsibility CBRN Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear DGCA Director General Civil Aviation DIAL Delhi International Airports (P) Ltd.

(vii) (viii)

DAEP Delhi Airport Emergency Plan DDMA District Disaster Management Authority DMI Disaster Management Institute DDWS Digital Disaster Warning System DMS Disaster Management Support DDMP District Disaster Management Plan DPR Detailed Project Report DM Disaster Management DMSAR Disaster Management Synthetic Aperture Radar DAC Department of Agriculture and Cooperation DG Director General DRR Disaster Risk Reduction EOC Emergency Operation Centre ETRP Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project ENS Earthquake Notification System EPZ Emergency Planning Zone EMS Environmental Management System ECC Emergency Communication Centre EOC Emergency Operation Centre EFC Expenditure Finance Committee FFTPs Face to Face Training Programs FLC Fishing Landing Centres FLEWS Flood Early Warning System GOI Government of India GSDMA State Disaster Management Authority HR Human Resource HRVA Hazard Risk and Vulnerability Analysis HLC High Level Committee ISRO Indian Space Research Organization IMG Inter Ministerial Group IMCT Inter-Ministerial Central Team IGIA Indira Gandhi International Airport ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization IIPA Indian Institute of Public Administration ITBP Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ix)

IDMC India Drought Management Centre IDNDR International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction IGNOU Indira Gandhi National Open University IOCI Indian Oil Corporation of India KSDMA Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority KSNDMC Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests MDP Major Development Plan MNRE Ministry of New and Renewable Energy MRDS Mobile Radiation Detection System MCP Manual Call Point MAPS Madras Atomic Power Station MFL Madras Fertilisers Limited MOP Manual of Office Procedure MGREGA Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act MHA Ministry of Home Affairs MCGM Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai NPP Nuclear Power Plants NEC National Executive Committee NIDM National Institute of Disaster Management NRSC National Remote Sensing Centre NDRF National Disaster Response Force NCMC National Crisis Management Committee NDMP National Disaster Management Plan NSSP National School Safety Project NDEM National Database for Emergency Management NPCIL Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited NSS National Service Scheme NDMA National Disaster Management Authority NCDC National Civil Defence College NFSC National Fire Service College NCCF National Calamity Contingency Fund NCRMP National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project NCC National Cadet Corps NCRF National Calamity Relief Fund (x)

OED Off-site Emergency Director OHSMS Occupational Health and Safety Management System OEC Off-site Emergency Committee OHS Occupational Health Services PMC Project Management Consultant PIU Project Implementation Unit PSHA Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Map of India SWOT Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat SED Site Emergency Director SCE Shift Charge Engineer SPIU State Project Implementing Unit SDSC Satish Dhawan Space Centre SEC State Executive Committee SCMC State Crisis Management Committee SFC Standing Finance Committee SPA Special Plan Assistance SFDR State Fund for Disaster Response SOP Standard of Procedure SDRF State Disaster Response Force TF Task Force TOR Terms of Reference TPL Tamil Nadu Petro-products Limited TRP Tsunami Rehabilitation Program TPQA Third Party Quality Auditor UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund VPN Virtual Private Network WBSDMA West Bengal State Disaster Management Authority WANO World Association of Nuclear Operators

1

REPORT

CHAPTER-I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 India’s hazard profile is extremely dependent on the geo-climatic conditions and topographic features, and the underlying vulnerabilities cause annual disasters of varying degree like floods, droughts, cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and forest fire in the country. It is estimated that about 59 per cent of the land area is prone to earthquakes and the and adjoining areas, north east, parts of Gujarat and Andaman Nicobar Islands are seismically the most active regions. Around 68 per cent of the country is prone to drought of varying degrees (-38 per- cent) receiving 750-1125 mm of rainfall, and 33 per cent receiving less than 750 mm of rainfall. The drought prone areas are confined to peninsular and western India primarily arid, semi-arid, and sub humid regions. Out of 40 million hectares of flood prone area in the country, around 7.5 million hectares get affected every year by recurring floods. While flood occurs in almost all river basins in India, large parts of States such as Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal gets affected almost every year. Approximately 71 per cent (5300 kms.) of the 7500 kms. long coast of India are susceptible to cyclones. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry get affected periodically due to cyclones. According to Annual Report (2012-13) of Ministry of Home Affairs, out of 35 States and Union Territories (UTs) in the country, 27 are disaster prone. Almost 58.6% landmass is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity; 12% land is prone to flood and river erosion; out of 7,516 km. coast line, 5,700 km. is prone to cyclones and tsunamis; 68% of the cultivable land is vulnerable to drought and hilly areas are at the risk from landslides and avalanches. 1.2 The livelihood security of the coastal communities and ecological security of the coastal zones of India is already under stress due to high population density, rapid urbanization and industrial development, high rate of coastal environmental degradation and frequent occurrence of natural disasters such as cyclones and storms. The problem is going to be further aggravated by increase in sea level rise due to climate change. The coastal zone in India, particularly the east coast is vulnerable to hydrometeorological hazards such as cyclones, floods and geophysical hazards like tsunami. 1.3 Disasters are classified as “natural” disasters, or “human-made” disasters. For example, disasters caused by floods, droughts, tidal waves and earth tremors are generally considered “natural disasters.” Disasters caused by chemical or industrial accidents, environmental pollution, transport accidents and political unrest are classified as “human-made” or “human induced” disasters since they are the direct result of human action. A more modern and social understanding of disasters, however, views this distinction as artificial since most disasters result from the action or inaction of people and their social and economic structures. Fire incidents, industrial accidents and other manmade disasters involving chemical, biological and radioactive materials are additional hazards due to socio- economic factors. Due to its distinguished socio-economic conditions and fast pace of urbanization, modernization and industrialization, India is considerably vulnerable to various man-made disasters of industrial nature and the threats of manmade and technological disasters have also increased substantially as modern industrial units are processing, storing and 2 transporting hazardous chemicals and hazardous materials. 1.4 All these disasters underscore the need for strengthening mitigation, preparedness and response measures. The high disaster risk and exposure of millions of people in India living in vulnerable areas prone to geological disasters, hydro-meteorological disasters and man-made and technological disasters makes it imperative that a national campaign on mission mode is launched to strengthen disaster preparedness, prevention and mitigation efforts in India. According to the Ministry of Home affairs the basic responsibility for undertaking rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures in the event of a disaster rests with the State Governments. The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments by providing logistic and financial support in case of severe natural calamities. The Government has brought about a change in the approach to disaster management from a relief-centric to a holistic and integrated approach covering the entire gamut of disasters encompassing prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation. The approach is based on the conviction that development cannot be sustainable unless disaster mitigation is built into the development process. Therefore, ‘disaster management’ is not confined to ‘disaster response’ alone. The mitigation works pertain to various Central Ministries, State Governments and to local bodies. There are also some aspects of disaster management which are actively played by NCC, NSS, NYK and the civil society at large. 1.5 The Government of India has enacted the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005. ‘Disaster management’ has been defined very broadly by Section 2(e) read with 2 (d) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The Disaster Management Act, 2005 defines disaster as “a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man-made causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area”. The United Nations defines disaster as “the occurrence of sudden or major misfortune which disrupts the basic fabric and normal functioning of the society or community”. 1.6 The High Power Committee on Disaster Management, constituted in 1999, has identified 31 various disasters categorized into five major sub-groups which are enumerated below:–

(A) Water and climate related disasters:– (i) Floods and drainage management (ii) Cyclones (iii) Tornadoes and hurricanes (iv) Hailstorm (v) Cloud burst (vi) Heat wave and cold wave (vii) Snow avalanches (viii) Droughts (ix) Sea erosion (x) Thunder and lightning (xi) Tsunami

(B) Geological related disasters 3

(i) Landslides and mudflows (ii) Earthquakes (iii) Dam failures/Dam bursts (iv) Minor fires

(C) Chemical, industrial and nuclear related disasters (i) Chemical and industrial disasters (ii) Nuclear disasters

(D) Accident related disasters (i) Forest fires (ii) Urban fires (iii) Mine flooding (iv) Oil spills (v) Major building collapse (vi) Serial bomb blasts (vii) Festival related disasters (viii) Electrical disasters and fires (ix) Air, road and rail accidents (x) Boat capsizing (xi) Village fire

(E) Biological related disasters (i) Biological disasters and epidemics (ii) Pest attacks (iii) Cattle epidemics (iv) Food poisoning. 1.7 The Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005 provides provisions for the effective management of disasters and lays down the institutional mechanism for drawing up and monitoring the implementation of the disaster management plans, ensuring measures by various wings of the Government for prevention and mitigation of the effects of disasters and prompt response to any disaster situation. The Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a Task Force to gather information from the States/Union Territories and other stakeholders on their perception in implementation of Disaster Management Act, 2005, to study the global best practices, to hold consultations with the stakeholders and to suggest necessary modifications, if any, in the Act. The said Task Force submitted its report and its recommendations are under consideration of the Government. 1.8 The Act also provides for setting up of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) 4 under the Chairmanship of Chief Ministers and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) under the Chairmanship of Collectors/ District Magistrates/Deputy Commissioners. The Act further provides for the constitution of a National Executive Committee (NEC), headed by Union Home Secretary, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). It also provides for the concerned Ministries and Departments to draw up their own disaster management plans in accordance with the National plan. In addition, the Act contains provisions for constitution of a National Disaster Response Fund and National Mitigation Fund and similar Funds at the State and District levels. The Act also provides for a specific role for local bodies in disaster management. 1.9 According to the publication of the Union Government namely ‘Disaster Management in India’, the concept of disaster management in India has evolved from an activity-based reactive setup to a proactive institutionalized structure; from single faculty domain to a multi-stakeholder setup; and from a relief-based approach to a ‘multi-dimensional pro-active holistic approach for reducing risk’. The beginnings of an institutional structure for disaster management can be traced to the British period following the series of disasters such as famines of 1900, 1905, 1907 and 1943, and the Bihar-Nepal earthquake of 1937. Over the past century, the disaster management in India has undergone substantive changes in its composition, nature and policy. During the British administration, relief departments were set up for emergencies during disasters. Such an activity- based setup with a reactive approach was functional only in the post disaster scenarios. The policy was relief-oriented and activities included designing the relief codes and initialising food for work programmes. Post-Independence, the task for managing disasters continued to rest with the Relief Commissioners in each state, who functioned under the Central Relief Commissioner, with their role limited to delegation of relief material and money in the affected areas. Every five-year plan addressed flood disasters under “Irrigation, Command Area Development and Flood Control”. Until this stage, the disaster management structure was activity-based, functioning under the Relief Departments. 1.10 A permanent and institutionalized setup began in the decade of 1990s with the set up of a disaster management cell under the Ministry of Agriculture, following the declaration of the decade of 1990 as the ‘International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction’ (IDNDR) by the UN General Assembly. Following series of disasters such as Latur Earthquake (1993), Malpa Landslide (1994), Orissa Super Cyclone (1999) and Bhuj Earthquake (2001), a high powered Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. J.C. Pant, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture was constituted for drawing up a systematic, comprehensive and holistic approach towards disasters. There was a shift in policy from an approach of relief through financial aid to a holistic one for addressing disaster management. Consequently, the disaster management division was shifted under the Ministry of Home Affairs and a hierarchical structure for disaster management evolved in India. 1.11 The Ministry of Home Affairs, after the transfer of the subject from Ministry of Agriculture in 2002, is the nodal Ministry for co-ordination of the work relating to application of NDRF/SDRF in natural disasters, except drought, hailstorm and pest attack which continue to be handled by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Disaster Management Division is headed by Joint Secretary (DM) in MHA, who is assisted by three Directors, Under Secretaries, Section Officers, Technical Officer, Senior Economic Investigator consultants and other supporting staff. The upper echelon of the structure consists of Secretary (Border Management), Home Secretary, Minister of State in charge and the Home Minister. 1.12 However, according to the Union Government, the SWOT analysis of Disaster Management in the country is as below:– 5

Strengths

● Post DM Act 2005, a well-built institutional and legal framework for disaster management in the country;

● Specialized Force of NDRF and its 10 battallions;

● Establishment of SDRF in 14 States;

● Subject of disaster management has been included in school curriculums;

● 17 Guidelines were issued on different aspects of disaster management by NDMA and kept on public domain.

Weaknesses

● A lot remains to be done in the area of community participation;

● Mitigation measures are to be built in all developmental schemes;

● SDRFs are required to be set up in all the 35 States and UTs;

● The process of constituting NDMF is still on.

Opportunities

● India is a country of young population which can take effective part in preventive measures, community based preparation and its dissemination of ideas on disaster management;

● Our federal structure provides both the State and Central Governments, to work in synergy for disaster management;

● New opportunities for learning arise in the paradigm shift from a ‘disaster response approach’ to a holistic approach.

Threats

● Coordination among stakeholders is a big challenge in our country especially during the disaster mitigation phase;

● Psycho-social aspects of a disaster are new areas of concern;

● With the increasing population and migration of population from villages to towns and cities, masses are becoming more vulnerable to disasters, specially urban disasters;

● Weak enforcement mechanism and techno-legal regime can be a serious challenge at the urban local bodies. 1.13 The Committee proposes to discuss and deal with the various issues in the succeeding chapters in the Report. 6

CHAPTER-II

INSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK

2.1 According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides institutional mechanisms for drawing up and monitoring the implementation of the disaster management. The Act also ensures measures by various wings of the Government for prevention and mitigation of disasters and prompt response to any disaster situation. A legal institutional framework based on the provision of the Act across the country, in vertical and horizontal hierarchical and in the federal setup of country, is in existence for appreciation of response mechanism. Further, with the enactment of 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution and emergence of local self- Government, both rural and urban, as important tiers of governance, the role of local authorities has become very important. The DM Act, 2005 also envisages specific roles to be played by the local bodies in disaster management. 2.2 The Act also provides for setting up of a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) under the Chairmanship of the Chief Ministers, District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) under the Chairmanship of Collectors/District Magistrates/Deputy Commissioners. The Act further provides for the constitution of different Executive Committee at national and State levels. Under its aegis, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) for capacity building and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for response purpose have been set up. It also mandates the concerned Ministries and Departments to draw up their own plans in accordance with the National Plan. The Act further contains the provisions for financial mechanisms such as creation of funds for response, National Disaster Mitigation Fund and similar funds at the State and district levels for the purpose of disaster management. The Act also provides specific roles to local bodies in disaster management.

2.3 National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA) 2.3.1 The Ministry stated that the NDMA, was initially constituted on 30th May, 2005 under an executive order. Following enactment of DM Act, 2005, it was formally constituted in accordance with Section 3 (1) of the Act on 27.09.2006. NDMA has a Vice-Chairman and eight Members. Members are nominated by the Prime Minister, who is Chairperson of the Authority. The organisational structure consists of a Secretary and five Joint Secretaries including one Financial Advisor. They are assisted by Secretary NDMA, Joint Secretaries, Advisors, Consultants and support staff. The total strength of NDMA Secretariat including personal staff of VC and Members is 93. There are also 20 consultants working in NDMA. 2.3.2 According to section 6 (2) of the Act, NDMA is mandated to perform the following functions:– (i) Approve the National Plan; (ii) Approve plans prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the Government of India in accordance with the National Plan; (iii) Lay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up the State Plan;

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(iv) Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or Departments of the Government of India for the purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its effects in their development plans and projects; (v) Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plan for disaster management; (vi) Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation; (vii) Provide such support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the Central Government; (viii) Take such other measures for the prevention of disaster, or the mitigation, or preparedness and capacity building for dealing with the threatening disaster situation or disaster as it may consider necessary; (ix) Lay down broad policies and guidelines for the functioning of the National Institute of Disaster Management. 2.3.3 The Committee was informed that the Task Force (TF) constituted to review the Disaster Management Act observed that the role and functions of the NDMA should cover policies, plans, guidelines and regulation relating to prevention, mitigation and preparedness. It should coordinate with agencies concerned and ensure that all activities relating to prevention, mitigation and preparedness envisaged by the Act are performed. The Task Force viewed that the role of NDMA should also include coordinating the implementation of policies and guidelines and preparation of plans. Coordination of disaster response functions with States and UTs would be done by the MHA. However, besides legislative support NDMA would also need logistical and HR support to carry out these functions. 2.3.4 The Task Force was also of the view that some functions of the NEC mentioned in Section 10 of the Act, which require sustained attention, may be assigned to the NDMA, which inter-alia includes:–

● Preparation of the National Plan [Section 10(2) (b)]

● To monitor, coordinate and give directions regarding the mitigation and preparedness measure to be taken by different Ministries or Departments [Section 10(2)(h)]

● To plan and coordinate specialized training programs for Disaster Management (DM) for different levels of officers, employees and voluntary rescue workers [10(2)(j)]. 2.3.5 The Task Force further viewed that NDMA should have the responsibility of preparing and approving the National Plan and once the same is restructured, suggested by the TF, the Office of the NDMA would prepare the National Plan and place it before the National Authority for approval. The process will be somewhat similar to the process of finalization of Five-Year Plans, the plans are also placed before the National Development Council. In case of NDMA, there would be no such requirement of placing the National Plan before National Development council or any other equivalent Body. Section 6(2)(b) of the Act will need to be amended accordingly. 2.3.6 On the issue of endowing NDMA’s role of preparing and approving the national plan, the Secretary, NDMA during interaction with the Committee submitted that National Executive Committee (NEC) in its meeting on 21.10.13 approved National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP). Draft NDMP has since been submitted by NEC to NDMA for finalization. The NDMA will give its approval after giving due consideration looking into all the aspects. He further informed that since the NDMP is being formulated for the first time, all the Ministries and Departments will be involved and therefore it may take some time. If job for preparation and updation of NDMP is 8 assigned to NDMA; it could undertake it, however the final view in the regard has to be taken by the Government. The Secretary further commented on the issues of enlarging the role and function of NDMA by stating that the Task Force constituted to review the D.M. Act has, basically, proposed changes in the Disaster Management Act and organizational structure of the NDMA, apart from corresponding changes in provisions pertaining to State Disaster Management Authority, District Disaster Management Authority, National Institute for Disaster Management and National Disaster Response Force. The MHA has taken up the matter and would decide. However on the part of NDMA, it has done its task as laid down in the D.M. Act and enlarging of the task to it, is a bigger issue, on which an appropriate view has to be taken by the Government and in case the Government wants to enlarge its jurisdiction, assignment and responsibilities, it is willing to take it up. 2.3.7 The Committee underlines the pivotal role of NDMA in laying down policies of disaster management and finalization of national plan besides co-ordinating the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plan for disaster management. The Committee also takes into consideration the observation of Task Force for enlarging the role of NDMA and observes that the NDMA should be provided with suitable logistic and HR support to carry out its functions in case the Government decides in favour of enlarging its role and responsibility. The Committee understands that finalization of National Disaster Management Plan may take some time. But there should not be undue delay in finalizing the Plan and steps may be taken for its early finalisation. 2.3.8 On the issue of structure of the NDMA, the Task Force observed that the NDMA should have not more than four full-time Members including the Vice-Chairperson, the others–Ministers for Home, Defence, Finance, Agriculture and Urban Development being ex-officio. Though the Vice- Chairperson is the chief executive of the NDMA, one of the full-time Members can be designated as Member Secretary so that there is a Formal interface linkage between the high-level Council/ Authority and the administrative wing of the NDMA. All full-time Members will, of course, be involved in broader policy decisions of the Council and also in the executive functions of the organization relating to disaster management. The full-time Members, including the Vice- Chairperson, will be persons with experience, domain knowledge and credible accomplishments in disaster management. The tenure and age limit of the Members need to be specified as in other Acts such as those relating to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Election Commission, the Competition Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission etc. 2.3.9 According to the Task Force Report, the Selection of Members of NDMA should be through an open and transparent process. For this purpose a Search and Selection Committee may be constituted. The following provisions may be included in Chapter II of the Act: The National Authority shall consist of the following:– – the Prime Minister of India, who shall be the Chairperson of the National Authority, ex-officio – the Ministers in charge of the Ministries of the Government of India dealing with Home, Defence Finance, Agriculture and Urban Development as Members, ex-officio – not more than four full-time Members, one of whom may be designated by the Chairperson to be the Vice-Chairperson of the National Authority.

● The full-time Members of the National Authority shall be persons of ability, integrity and standing, with knowledge of and credible accomplishments in disaster management, science and public policy. 9

● Full-time Members of the National Authority shall be appointed by the Government of India after obtaining the recommendation of a Committee comprising the Prime Minister (as Chairperson), Speaker of the House of the People, Minister-in-charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India, Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People, Leader of the Opposition in the Council of States and Deputy Chairperson of the Council of States.

● A full-time Member shall hold office for a term of five years from the date of entering office; provided that s/he shall not be eligible for re-appointment in the same capacity: Provided further that no full-time Member shall hold office as such after attaining the age of sixty-five years.

● The salary, allowances and other terms and condition of service of the full-time Members shall be such as may be prescribed by the Government of India. 2.3.10 The Secretary, NDMA, however, argued before the Committee that the rationale for less number of full time Members is not in consonance with additional functions and responsibility assigned to NDMA, as proposed by Task Force. He was of opinion that since vulnerabilities in India are increasing and there are demands from States for adding to list of existing calamities, number of Members in NDMA should not be reduced. 2.3.11 The Committee agrees with the recommendation of Task Force that the selection of members of NDMA should be through an open and transparent process and for that purpose a Search and Selection Committee may be constituted. The Committee is also in agreement with the views of the Task Force that the tenure and age limit of the Members should be specified in the DM Act, 2005 as has been prescribed in other Acts such as those relating to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Election Commission, the Competition Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission etc. The Committee, however, is in agreement with the views of NDMA that keeping in view the recommendation of the Task Force for enlarging the role of NDMA and with the frequency of occurrence of new types of disasters in the country, any reduction in the number of full time Members of the NDMA would make NDMA handicapped in the performance of its functions and accomplishing its responsibilities. The Committee is, therefore, not in agreement with the recommendation of Task Force in this regard.

2.4 Implementation Of National Guidelines 2.4.1 The Committee also had the opportunity of considering the audit observations of the C&AG made in its report no. 5 of 2013 on Performance Audit of Disaster Preparedness in India. According to C&AG as per mandate in the DM Act, NDMA had been circulating various National Guidelines since April 2007 but there was no information as to whether these were being adopted and used by Ministries, Departments and State Governments. C&AG recommended that NDMA should follow up implementation of its National Guidelines by the Ministries, Departments and State Governments. 2.4.2 The Committee was informed by the NDMA that the National Disaster Management Guidelines are guiding documents that provide compiled information/action points to the Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India, State Governments/Union Territories and the stakeholders to come up with effective and implementable plans as per their availability of resources and the feasibility of implementation etc. The timelines indicated in the Guidelines are indicative for the various stakeholders and they are expected to come out with their own plans and coordination mechanisms for the management of disasters pertaining to their domains for integrating of measures for prevention of disasters and mitigation by the Ministries or Departments in their 10 development plans and project. As per Section 8(2) of the said Act NEC is chaired by Home Secretary and it has 15 other Secretary level officers as Members. Secretary NDMA is a special invitee to NEC. The Committee was apprised that as per section 10(2) (g) of the DM Act, 2005, it is NEC’s responsibility to monitor the implementation of the guidelines laid down by the National Authority. 2.4.3 In view of the Committee the National Disaster Management Guidelines are guiding documents which provide compiled information/action points to the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, State Governments/ Union Territories and other stakeholders and it would just be voluminous paper work, if there is no feedback on putting those guidelines/ action points in practice. The Committee therefore, recommends that a mechanism should be placed in the NDMA to address this shortcoming and to encourage all stakeholders to strive for effective implementation of those guidelines as per their availability of resources and the feasibility of implementation etc.

2.5 Business Rules Pertaining To Internal Conduct Of NDMA 2.5.1 C&AG observed that “NDMA was constituted in September 2006 under the DM Act but business rules pertaining to internal conduct of NDMA were yet to be framed. In February 2011, MHA directed NDMA to prepare the business rules followed by reminders. However, NDMA had not submitted these rules for approval as of August 2012. MHA stated (December-2012) that NDMA was in the process of framing business rules pertaining to its internal conduct.” 2.5.2 In response to the observation of the C&AG, the NDMA stated that in compliance with the observation of C&AG,, the following decisions were taken in the internal Meeting of NDMA chaired by VC, NDMA on 10.9.13. (i) NDMA would henceforth follow extant provisions of Manual of Office Procedure (MOP) of Government of India. (ii) Wherever necessary, separate SOPs and circulars will be issued in case of any modification required in MOP to facilitate working of NDMA. (iii) So far as Minister is mentioned in above Manual, the same would be construed to refer to VC in NDMA case. 2.5.3 According to the NDMA, this issue is no longer pending. 2.5.4 The Committee is surprised to observe that NDMA was constituted in 2006 under the DM Act, 2005 and even after elapse of a period of seven years, NDMA has not framed its business rules pertaining to internal conduct of NDMA and it is only after observation of C&AG that in an internal meeting of NDMA a decision was taken to follow the provisions of Manual of Office Procedure (MOP) of Government of India. The Committee feels that separate and specific business rules and SOPs for NDMA would inject functional efficiency. The Committee, therefore, recommends that NDMA must frame its own business rules pertaining to its internal working.

2.6 Demarcation Of Functions Of Stakeholders 2.6.1 C&AG also noted that the role of MHA in relation to NDMA lacked clarity. In the absence of regular NEC meetings, MHA functioned as an executive arm of NDMA. On the other hand, MHA also acted as an administrative Ministry, in so far as the approval of the Government was concerned for various mitigation projects of NDMA. Roles and responsibilities of MHA, NEC and NDMA should be specified for clear demarcation of functions of these stakeholders. 11

2.6.2 The Committee was informed that the DM Act, 2005 demarcates functions between NDMA, NEC and MHA and other institutions namely NIDM and NDRF. As per the Disaster Management architecture laid down by the DM Act, 2005: (i) State Government is the First Responder in any disaster situation. Central Government supports the State Government in terms of manpower and financial resources. (ii) NDMA issues guidelines and lays down the broad details of framework in which disaster management work has to be carried out. (iii) Depending upon the severity of disaster, normally the State Government takes the first step. Whenever it involves support from Central Police forces, it is the NEC under Home Secretary which acts as per provisions of Section 10 of the DM Act, 2005. If defence forces and Central Government Departments are required to assist in disaster response it is the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) headed by Cabinet Secretary which initiates action. (iv) Section 45 of DM Act provides that general superintendence, direction and control of NDRF shall be vested and exercised by the NDMA. (v) NIDM supports capacity building efforts by developing training modules. It conducts training of master trainers and other trainees. 2.6.3 The Committee presumes that obscurity over the role and responsibility of stakeholders of disaster management lies primarily because of the fact that MHA functions as an executive arm of NDMA while on the other hand MHA also acts as an administrative Ministry of it. Although the DM Act stipulates the various functions of NDMA, NEC, NCMC, NDRF and NIDM but the Committee feels that clear demarcation of role and responsibility of various stakeholders in disaster management would be crystal clear only when the functional relation between MHA and NDMA is explicitly mentioned in the DM Act or at least in the Rules.

2.7 Delay In Constitution Of Advisory Committee Of NDMA 2.7.1 The C&AG in its Report observed that DM Act provided for the NDMA constituting an Advisory Committee consisting of experts in the field of disaster management and having practical experience of disaster management at the national, State or district level to make recommendations on different aspects of disaster management. The Advisory Committee with 12 members was constituted in June, 2007. The term of Advisory Committee was initially fixed for a period of two years followed by an extension of the term of the Committee for one year. Thus, the extended term of the Committee expired on 14 June, 2010. NDMA functioned without the services of the Advisory Committee since June, 2010. MHA stated (December, 2012) that names of experts from several institutions had been received and the same were being processed for approval of PMO. 2.7.2 The Chairman of the Committee also raised the issue of delay in the constitution of the Advisory Committee in the sitting of DRSC on Home Affairs held on 25th November, 2013. However, the Secretary, NDMA could not give satisfactory reply and stated that it was in the process and will be constituted in the next 2-3 months. The concerned Joint Secretary of MHA interjected that MHA has been writing to NDMA for constitution of the Advisory Committee because MHA does not have jurisdiction over the said Advisory Committee. 2.7.3 The Committee is not happy to note that Advisory Committee which ceased to exist from mid of June, 2010 had not been re-constituted till 2013. The Committee understands that Advisory Committee is a significant organ of NDMA consisting of experts in the field 12 of disaster management and having practical experience of disaster management at the national, state or district level to make recommendations on different aspects of disaster management but unfortunately such significant Committee has not been reconstituted since 2010. The Committee takes serious exception to this inordinate delay and wants to convey its strong feeling in this regard. The Committee strongly recommends that the advisory Committee be constituted without further delay.

2.8 Implementation Of Project By NDMA 2.8.1 The C&AG made its observation that the Working Group of Planning Commission in December, 2006 recommended various projects to be taken up by NDMA during the Eleventh Five Year Plan for Disaster Management. For the purpose of Audit, the projects undertaken by NDMA were categorized as: (i) Projects on vulnerability assessment and microzonation of major cities; (ii) Mitigation Projects; (iii) Communication network projects; and (iv) Other projects. 2.8.2 The performance of NDMA in terms of project implementation had been abysmal. So far, no major project taken up by NDMA had seen completion. It was noticed that NDMA selected projects without proper ground work and as a result either the projects were abandoned midway or were incomplete after a considerable period. In many cases, NDMA realized midway that some other agency was already executing project with similar objectives. NDMA experimented with varying strategies to undertake projects. All agencies appointed to execute the work, were appointed on nomination basis. The project design and scope were revised mid-way. Timelines were mostly absent and wherever timelines were given, they were not adhered to. 2.8.3 As part of the programme on Vulnerability Analysis and Risk Assessment with respect to various natural hazards, NDMA had undertaken the task of preparing the upgraded hazard maps and atlas of Indian Landmass. NDMA awarded the work of these Maps to BMTPC in January, 2011. NDMA has also taken up National earthquake Risk Mitigation Project. This project was still in preparatory phase after a lapse 5 years of its conceptualization. 2.8.4 The NDMA pleaded before the Committee that it was not correct to say that the performance of NDMA in terms of project implementation has been abysmal. Out of 10 projects, 5 projects were sanctioned during Eleventh Five Year Plan. Out of these one project namely, Microzonation of Major Cities with two sub-components (a) Development of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Map of India (PSHA) and (b) Geo-Technical Investigation for Seismic Microzonation of Indian Land Mass has been completed. Further four projects viz. Vulnerability Atlases Projects having components of preparation of Upgraded earthquake Hazards Maps; Preparation of Upgraded Flood Hazard Maps; Preparation of Upgraded Landslide Hazards Maps, Setting up of Mobile Radiation Detection Systems (MRDS), National School Safety Project, and National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project are under implementation. Following 5 projects were not sanctioned by Government during Eleventh Five Year Plan:– (i) National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project (Project has been approved on 5.4.13) (ii) National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project (iii) National Flood Risk Mitigation Project (iv) National Disaster Communication Network (v) National Disaster Management Informatics System 13

2.8.5 The NDMA also submitted that Disaster management is a subject involving cross-cutting issues with, very often, multi-sectoral approach. Schemes are generally evolved with the involvement of several stakeholders and experts and a concept paper/preliminary reports is prepared with small initial expenditure. If during consultations, overlaps are detected with plan activities/ programmes of other ministries/departments/agencies, these are removed from the scope of the project. At present NDMA is not implementing any project wherein the scope overlaps that of other ministries/departments/agencies’ programmes/projects. 2.8.6 The Committee is constrained to express its displeasure over the Government’s state of affairs pertaining to approval and execution of projects entrusted to NDMA. Out of ten projects which were identified during Eleventh five year plan, four are yet to be approved and one project i.e. National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project has been approved as late as on 5th April, 2013. Out of the remaining five projects which were sanctioned during Eleventh Five Years plan, only one project viz. Micro-zonation of major cities has been completed and the remaining four are still under various stages of implementation. This is sorry status of working of NDMA which has been mandated to perform functions relating to disaster management. The Committee, therefore, strongly recommends that the administrative ministry must monitor the functioning of NDMA.

2.9 Functions Of NDMA 2.9.1 The C&AG pointed out that as per the DM Act, NDMA was mandated to perform the following tasks:

● Section 6(2)(g) of the Act provides for recommending provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation.

● Section 13 provides that in cases of disasters of severe magnitude, NDMA recommend relief in repayment of loans or for grant of fresh loans to the persons affected by disasters on such concessional terms as may be appropriate. 2.9.2 The C&AG observed that MHA stated in December, 2012 that Reserve Bank of India had issued instructions in July, 2009 to all Scheduled Commercial Banks to take necessary action in this regard. It included grant of fresh loans, consumption loans and restructuring of existing loans. The banks are guided by these guidelines; there is nothing more that NDMA can add in this stage. Till 2012, NDMA had not initiated any action for recommending relief in repayment of loans or for grant of fresh loans to the persons affected by disaster. The C&AG also noticed that RBI guidelines existed on this subject since 1984 and were being updated regularly. The intention of the legislature as contained in the said provision of the DM act was clearly for NDMA to play a pivotal rather than a peripheral role, being the nodal agency. 2.9.3 NDMA pointed out that Section under reference must be read with Section 47 of the Act. NDMA has recommended creation of the National Disaster Mitigation Fund in line with Section 47 of the DM Act. With regard to grant of fresh loans, consumption loans and restructuring of existing loans after disasters, RBI has issued circular dated 1.7.09 to all Scheduled Commercial Banks. None of the affected States has sought NDMA’s intervention in the matter. 2.9.4 The Committee is in agreement with the observation of C&AG that the action by NDMA is lacking as has been mandated under the DM Act for recommending provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation and relief in repayment of loans or for grant of fresh loans to the persons affected by disasters. The contention of NDMA that no affected State has sought NDMA’s intervention in the matter is in contrast with the expected level of activism on the part of an institution at apex level. The Committee believes that once the Act mandates NDMA to perform certain functions, it would be inappropriate to await the 14 request of the State Government for the intervention of NDMA particularly when the State is reeling under the disaster effect. The Committee feels that NDMA should intervene in the matter suo-motto and act promptly in case of occurrence of any disaster in the State. The Committee recommends that NDMA should be more proactive as mandated by the Act. NDMA must also undertake follow up action to observe as to what extent its recommendations have been complied with.

2.10 Review Of Major National Projects 2.10.1 According to the Cabinet note on “Organizational Structure of the NDMA”, it was to review all major ongoing National Projects, to include structural requirements for disaster reduction. C&AG, however, noted that NDMA had not been performing the task assigned to it by the Cabinet. 2.10.2 The Committee was apprised that NDMA has played a significant role in highlighting the need to mainstream Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into program of various Ministries and Departments. As a result, Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure) had issued OM No. 37(4)/PF-II/2003 dated 19th June, 2009 and OM No. 1(9)/E.II (A)/2007 dated 14th July, 2009 including detailed questions/checklist to be addressed, while preparing EFC/ SFC/ CNE Memo and DPR respectively. 2.10.3 In this regard, in a meeting with Planning Commission, on 26th April, 2013 NDMA requested it to ensure that Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is inbuilt in all schemes of Central and State Governments. On NDMA’s persuasion MHA has requested Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance to issue instructions for enforcing DRR for new schemes and revisions amounting to R 50 crore and above. NDMA has requested early action on the matter vide correspondence dated 22.10.13. It was also informed that the Building Code (NBC) 2005 shall be put in public domain for free access (including the codes in Group 2 and 4 which can be downloaded with a fee of R 130/- per download) against compensation to be given by NDMA. In addition to this it has been agreed that Vice Chairman, NDMA shall be made a Member of BIS Advisory Committee headed by Minister of State (Independent Charge), Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. These codes would also be revised to ensure disaster resilience and to incorporate retrofitting principles. 2.10.4 The Committee understands that the mandate of NDMA is not only confined to requesting the stakeholders i.e. the concerned Ministries/Departments and the State Governments to incorporate into its programs the mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Program but also to ensure the implementation of DRR of the concerned projects of stakeholders. NDMA should review the projects undertaken by stakeholders to ensure that DRR is inbuilt in all schemes of Government of India and State Governments. NDMA should perform the task assigned to it by the Cabinet, i.e. to review all major national projects to include structural requirements for disaster reduction.

2.11 Vacancies In NDMA 2.11.1 As per the Cabinet Note on “Organizational Structure of the NDMA” it was to have 124 posts. However, C&AG noted 33 to 60 percent vacancies at the end of each financial year covered by audit. C&AG noted that many ‘critical posts’ like advisor (Operations and Communication), assistant advisor (IT), duty officer (Operations centre) etc. were not filled in since 2008. 2.11.2 MHA stated (Deccember, 2012) that out of 124 posts, 92 posts were filled and advertisement to fill the remaining posts had been published in local dailies. The Committee was apprised that efforts are continuously made to fill up the vacant posts. The status as on 23.10.2013 is as under: 15

Position as on Sanctioned Men-in Vacant Percentage of strength position posts vacant posts 23.10.2013 123 114 09 7.31

2.11.3 Out of 9 vacant posts selection is on-going for 6 posts which inter-alia includes (a) selection for one post of JS has been made and approval of ACC is awaited, (b) Applications have been invited for the post of Jt. Advisor and interview is being scheduled. (c) Selection is under process for four vacant posts of Senior Research Officers. The remaining posts are those of Sr. PPS, P.A and Hindi translator which are not so critical. 2.11.4 The Committee in this context recommends that NDMA should not procrastinate in filling up of vacant posts. The number of vacant posts should not be allowed to increase beyond a point. There should be a constant effort to fill up vacancies.

2.12 Appointment Of Consultants 2.12.1 C&AG observed that as per extant GOI rules for appointing consultants, the Terms of Reference (TOR) of consultants should be prepared which includes precise statement of objectives, tasks to be carried out; schedule for completion of tasks and final outputs that will be required of them. It was noted that NDMA appointed 13 consultants in different areas of specialization, who were attached with the concerned Members’ Secretariat. C&AG further noted that these consultants were engaged in day to day work in NDMA and no specified tasks were assigned to them. Their tenures were also renewed routinely. In this regard, C&AG made following recommendations:– (i) NDMA should ensure early constitution of its Advisory Committee of experts. (ii) NDMA needs to review and strengthen its project execution approach. Better coordination is required with nodal Ministries to avoid duplication of efforts. (iii) NDMA should start the work of assessment of major national projects with a view to include structural requirements for disaster reduction. (iv) NDMA should make efforts for formulation of the retrofitting policy. 2.12.2 The Committee was apprised by the NDMA that consultants were being appointed as per revised guidelines with detailed Terms of Reference and specific tasks to be assigned to them. Now out of 23 disciplines, 21 consultants/ Sr. Consultants have been engaged. 2.12.3 The Committee desires that whenever NDMA appoints experts/consultants, the Terms of Reference (TOR) of consultants should be clearly indicated which inter-alia include precise statement of objectives, tasks to be carried out, schedule for completion of tasks and final outputs.

2.13 NDMA – IGNOU - Pilot Project On Capacity Building In Disaster Management 2.13.1 A Pilot Project on “Capacity Building in Disaster management” for Government Officials and Representatives of Local Bodies at District Level was implemented through an MOU between Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and NDMA in February, 2010 at an estimated cost of R2.18 crore. The duration of the project was 12 months. The project was to be undertaken in 55 Districts of selected eleven States identified on the basis of their vulnerability to various natural and manmade hazards. Delay in implementation of this project had also affected the future plans of capacity building in disaster management across the country. 16

2.13.2 The Committee was intimated that the Project on Capacity Building in Disaster Management (CBDM) for Government Officials and Representatives of Local Bodies at District Level funded by NDMA and carried out by the Faculty of Public Administration, IGNOU. CBDM was the first capacity building Pilot Project designed by NDMA in consultation with various institutes. As this was a pioneering work and all stakeholders were on their learning- curve, it was but natural that for on-course correction, several revisions and changes were introduced at different stages from conceptualization to final execution. 2.13.3 Work on the project is successfully completed. In all, 16479 participants have attended the Face To Face Training Programmes (FFTPs), against a target of 16200. With some delay in the project, tangible results could be achieved by way of development of training material translated in vernacular languages. Project reports are also available in public domain. 2.13.4 The Committee feels that NDMA should be prompt in monitoring the execution of its programs/projects to avoid time and cost overrun. The training material so developed should be effectively utilized for future training programmes.

2.14 Action On NDMA Guidelines 2.14.1 NDMA issued National Disaster Management Guidelines for management of drought in September, 2010. The guidelines envisaged the following role and responsibilities of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC): ➢ Setting up of India Drought Management Centre (IDMC) as an autonomous body under DAC. ➢ Developing specific guidelines for the use of Information and Communication Technology for online interaction and availability of real-time drought related information. ➢ Formulation of cloud seeding policy. ➢ Establishing a dedicated faculty in selected ATIs and organizations exclusively for research and training in drought management by instituting chair positions. 2.14.2 DAC stated in November, 2012 that a system for online interaction and availability of real time drought related information would be developed. It further added that other activities were also under consideration by the department. The fact remained that these activities were yet to be undertaken. The C&AG, therefore, recommended that NDMA should complete its project on ‘Vulnerability Assessment and Risk Analysis’ with respect to various natural hazards. 2.14.3 The NDMA management apprised the Committee that as per section 10 (2) (g) NEC is responsible for monitoring the implementation of NDMA guidelines for integrating of measures for prevention of disasters and mitigation by the Ministries or Departments in their development plans and projects. The Committee was further informed by the representative of NDMA that the matter of drought falls within the jurisdiction of DAC and would be required to address this issue. 2.14.4 The Committee understands that the NEC is responsible for monitoring the implementation of NDMA guidelines. Keeping in view the observation of C&AG on the non- implementation of National Guidelines on Drought Management as issued in 2010 by NDMA, the Committee recommends that the responsibility of ensuring implementation of guidelines as issued by NDMA must lie with NDMA. The Committee is of the view that NDMA should even otherwise undertake review exercise to assess and ensure the implementation of its National Disaster Management Guidelines. 17

2.15 High Level Committee(HLC) 2.15.1 The High Level Committee (HLC) takes a final decision on assistance to States from NCCF/NDRF, based on the recommendations of the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG). HLC is headed by the Union Agriculture Minister and includes the Union Ministers of Home, Finance and the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission. At present, the NDMA has no role to play in this important decision. With the restructuring of the NDMA, as recommended by Task Force, NDMA could have a linkage in the sense that almost all members of the HLC are also Members of the NDMA. The Task Force further observed that the HLC may be incorporated in the Act in its present form. Similarly, the IMG may also find place in the Act. 2.15.2 In response to the observation of Task Force over HLC, NDMA management is of view that Vice Chairman, NDMA should be a permanent invitee (presently Vice Chairman, NDMA is a special invitee) to HLC and Secretary NDMA should be a permanent invitee to Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG). A NDMA representative should also be a member of Inter-ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which undertakes visit to a disaster affected State and its report forms the basis of HLC deliberations. With these provisions, TF recommendation may be implemented. 2.15.3 The Committee is of the view that provision of HLC may be made in the DM Act because HLC plays a pivotal role in determining the assistance to be given to the States from NDRF keeping into account the recommendation of Inter Ministerial Group (IMG). Since, the recommendation of Inter-ministerial Central Team (IMCT) is taken into account in deciding the quantum of assistance to be given to the State and at present NDMA has no representative in IMCT, it would be appropriate that there is a provision for nominating a representative of NDMA as a member of IMCT in the Act to have a linkage in the overall system. The Ministry may look into this.

2.16 National Executive Committee (NEC) 2.16.1 A National Executive Committee consisting of Home Secretary as its Chairperson, ex- officio, with other Secretaries in the Ministries or Departments having administrative control of the Agriculture, Atomic Energy, Defence, drinking Water Supply, Environment and Forest, Finance (Expenditure), Health, Power, Rural Development, Science and Technology, Space, Telecommunication, Urban Development, Water Resources assist the NDMA. The Chief of Integrated Defence Staff of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, ex-officio, is also its Members. NEC has been given the responsibility to act as the coordinating and monitoring body for disaster management, to prepare a National Plan, and monitor the implementation of National Policy etc. 2.16.2 The Task Force observed that the NEC which is mandated to assist the NDMA in the performance of its functions and has to undertake a wide range of activities, including disaster response (as enumerated in Section 10 of the Act), has hardly performed any of these tasks. It has not been able to even meet in the last seven years. In the event of a crisis it is the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) which takes over; the NEC is nowhere in the picture. NEC is neither equipped nor appropriately structured to be able to undertake the tasks envisaged by the Act. Most of the participants at the national consultation suggested that there was no need for two committees, i.e., the NCMC and the NEC, both of which could be merged, with the Cabinet Secretary as chairperson. Its secretariat could be in the MHA. 2.16.3 The Task Force recommended that the NEC may be abolished and its functions assigned to the NCMC which should find place in the Act. The NCMC may be included in the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Necessary amendment to the Act may be made by substituting the NEC in Sections 8, 9, 10 and other relevant provisions. The composition of the NCMC may be similar to that provided in Section 8(2) with a modification to the effect that the Cabinet Secretary shall 18 be Chairperson and the Home Secretary a Member. The Task Force further recommended that the function of the NCMC could be the functions of NEC, besides the functions assigned to the NDMA as enumerated in Section 10(2). 2.16.4 In response to the above recommendation, the NDMA observed that NCMC which is chaired by Cabinet Secretary has other responsibilities, in addition to natural disasters like terrorism, law and order situations, serial bomb blast, hi-jacking, air accidents, CBRN weapon systems, mine disasters, port and harbour emergencies, forest fires, oil field fires and oil spills. As NDMA is not mandated to deal with such cases, it may create complications in its functional relationship with NCMC. In addition as per Rule, the NEC is required to meet at least once in three months. For NCMC with its heavy responsibilities, it may not be possible to meet that often on DM issues. In the above context NDMA is of the view that Cabinet Secretary needs to be consulted on these recommendations. 2.16.5 The Committee takes note of the observation of NDMA that National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) chaired by the Cabinet Secretary has multifarious tasks in addition to natural disasters and entrusting all the functions of NEC to NCMC would detract NCMC. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government should have brainstorming session involving all the stakeholders before taking any final decision in the matter.

2.17 State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) 2.17.1 State Disaster Management Authorities have been set up for disaster management in States and are in the process of becoming operational. 33 States/UTs have constituted SDMAs as per the provisions of the Act. Gujarat, , Rajasthan and Daman and Diu have established SDMAs prior to enactment of DM Act, 2005. Gujarat has constituted its SDMA under its Gujarat State Disaster Management Act, 2003. 2.17.2 According to the report of the Task Force, the role and functions of the SDMA should cover policies, plans, guidelines and regulations relating to prevention, mitigation, preparedness and long-term recovery. It should coordinate with the agencies concerned and ensure that all activities relating to prevention, mitigation and preparedness envisaged by the Act are performed. This will include coordinating the implementation of policies and guidelines and preparation of plans. The Task Force further recommended that the following functions of the SEC mentioned in Section 22 and 23 of the Act, which require sustained attention, may be assigned to the SDMA:– (i) Preparation of the State Plan (ii) To examine the vulnerability of different parts of the State (iii) To promote general education, awareness, community training, etc. 2.17.3 The Task Force further added that the SDMA will be responsible for preparing and approving the State Plan. Once it is restructured, as suggested by the TF, the Secretariat/Office of the SDMA will prepare the State Plan and place it before the State Authority for approval. The process will be similar to that of the preparation and approval of the National Plan by the NDMA. 2.17.4 The Committee is of the view that SDMAs need to be strengthened so that assigned functions could be effectively performed. The Committee, however, feels that since the recommendation of the Task Force has far reaching implications, final decision in the matter may be taken by Government in consultation with State Governments. 2.17.5 The Task Force further recommended that the Members may be ex-officio or part-time as in several States at present. However, the State Government may have the discretion to appoint not 19 more than two full-time Members. Ministers of the relevant Departments, the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police and one or two eminent experts, may be included as Members, part- time or full-time. The SDMA should have a separate secretariat with professional staff and a CEO who could be of the rank of Principal Secretary to the State Government. The Relief Commissioner could function as Additional CEO. In the alternative, particularly in smaller States, the Relief Commissioner could function as CEO, SDMA. Full-time Members, if any, including the Vice- Chairperson, should be persons with experience, domain knowledge and credible accomplishments in disaster management. The tenure and age limit of Members need to be specified as in other Acts such as those relating to regulatory and other commissions. The selection of full-time Members of the SDMA should be through an open and transparent process. For this purpose a Search and Selection Committee may be constituted. In Section 14, a clause may be added to provide for the Chairperson of the State Authority when a State is under President’s rule. The full-time Members of the State Authority shall be appointed by the Government after obtaining the recommendations of a Committee comprising the Chief Minister (as Chairperson), Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the State, Minister-in-charge of the Department dealing with disaster management, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly. 2.17.6 The Committee is of the view that in case the Government takes the decision to assign the functions of SEC to SDMA, all efforts should be taken to restructure SDMA as per the recommendation of the Task Force. The NDMA management agreed to the recommendations of the Task Force. However, the final decision in the matter may be taken only after consulting the State Governments.

2.18 State Executive Committee (SEC) 2.18.1 State Executive Committee is headed by the Chief Secretary of the State with four other Secretaries. It has the responsibility for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the National Policy, the National Plan and the State Plan as provided under Section 22 of the Act. The Task Force observed that the SEC may be discontinued and the provision for the SCMC may be included in the DM Act, 2005. It may substitute the SEC in Sections 20, 21, 22 and other relevant provisions. The composition of the SCMC may be as provided in Section 20(2) with a modification to the effect that the Director General of Police, senior most officer of the armed forces and of the NDRF, if it has a unit stationed at the State headquarters, and any other officer as the State Government may think fit, may be included in the SCMC. 2.18.2 The Committee observes that the recommendation of the Task Force for discontinuing SEC and assigning its task to State Crisis Management Committee (SCMC) and SDMA are on similar line as adopted for NCMC, NEC and NDMA. The Committee recommends that it will be appropriate if the proposal to assign the functions of SEC to SCMC is deliberated threadbare with the State Governments and necessary amendments are accordingly made in the Act thereafter.

2.19 District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) 2.19.1 The Committee was given to understand that the country has an integrated administrative machinery for management of disasters at the National, State, District and Sub-District levels. The 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments recognise Panchayati Raj Institutions as ‘Institutions of self- government’. These local bodies can be effective instruments in tackling disasters through early warning system, relief distribution, providing shelter to the victims, medical assistance etc. 2.19.2 Section 25 of the DM Act provides for constitution of DDMA for every district of a State. The District Magistrate/ District Collector/Deputy Commissioner heads the Authority as Chairperson 20 besides an elected representative of the local authority as Co-Chairperson except in the tribal areas where the Chief Executive Member of the District Council of Autonomous District is designated as Co-Chairperson. Further in the district, where Zila Parishad exists, its Chairperson shall be the Co-Chairperson of DDMA. Other members of this authority include the CEO of the District Authority, Superintendent of Police, Chief Medical Officer of the District and other two district level officers are designated by the State Government. The District Authority is responsible for planning, coordination and implementation of disaster management and to take such measures for disaster management as provided in the guidelines. The District Authority also has the power to examine the construction in any area in the district to enforce the safety standards and also to arrange for relief measures and respond to the disaster at the district level. 2.19.3 The Task Force observed that at the district level, the district administration headed by the District Collector has handled disaster management activities for decades, though these activities mostly relate to relief and response. It has the experience, expertise as well as motivation to handle such a task. Yet, there are serious deficiencies. The district administration responds as and when there is a threatening disaster situation, or disaster. There is another aspect to it as well. The District Collector administers programmes such as watershed development and MNREGA, which involve the creation of assets relating to flood control, water conservation, water harvesting, drought proofing, micro-irrigation and land development. These are disaster reduction activities. But none of these is linked with the disaster management organization at the district level. Hence, there is a need for an organisational structure at the district level to address disaster management in a holistic manner. 2.19.4 However, the Task Force was of the view that the provisions of the Act relating to the DDMA may be retained with some amendments. The composition of the DDMA provided in Section 25(2) of the Act may be modified to include two eminent persons with experience and knowledge of disaster management. If necessary, the number of Members may be increased from seven to nine. The DDMA should have a separate office or secretariat with professional staff, as may be prescribed by the State Government, in order to effectively perform the numerous tasks enumerated in Section 30 of the Act. This office should be headed by the Additional Collector/ Additional Deputy Commissioner who is the CEO of the DDMA under Section 25(4) of the Act. 2.19.5 Section 29 may, as in the case of similar provisions for the NDMA and SDMA, be amended to vest some powers in the DDMA to recruit personnel and engage consultants with respect to sanctioned posts. Section 34 of the Act enumerates the powers and functions of the DDMA in the event of any disaster situation or disaster. A dozen items included are of the nature of regulatory/administrative activities such as giving direction for the release of resources, control of vehicular traffic and removal of debris, search and rescue operations, and disposal of unclaimed dead bodies. For timely and prompt action, these powers and functions should be vested in the District Collector/District Magistrate. In the title of Section 34, ‘District Authority’ may be replaced by ‘Collector or District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner’. 2.19.6 The Committee is of the considered view that the Government must give due consideration to strengthen the Disaster Management set up at the district level so that the district authority must be in a position to act as the first and foremost effective responder of the disaster in its locality. There should be mechanism of sustained and continuous work especially for preparedness and mitigation. The Committee also views that Disaster Risk Reduction Programme must be implemented at the grass root level keeping in view that the district collector administers MNREGA and other land related programs. District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) should try to fill up vacancies on a regular basis. The Committee agrees that there is a need for organizational structure at the district level to address disaster management in a holistic manner. The Committee, therefore, recommends 21 that the Government should not delay in considering the observation of the Task Force. However, before arriving at final decision the Government should consult all the stakeholders.

2.20 Local Authorities 2.20.1 The responsibilities of local authorities have been laid down in Chapter VI of the DM Act, 2005. Such authorities have to perform the functions enumerated in Section 41(1) subject to directions of the District Authority. According to Section 41(2), the local authorities may take such other measures as may be necessary for disaster management. The Task Force observed that the main functions, which needed to be assigned to local authorities, are as follows: – (i) ensuring compliance of building regulations and safe construction of buildings (new and old) and other structures; (ii) preparing a disaster management plan for the local area; (iii) organising disaster management drills periodically; and (iv) undertaking programmes to enhance community based disaster preparedness, mitigation and preventive measures. 2.20.2 However, the Task Force was of the view that in view of the three-tier system of Panchayats existing in the country, the functions of local authorities during relief and rehabilitation phase need to be defined. Another critical issue was the absence of any obligation on the part of local authorities to maintain a certain level of emergency services related to fire, health, water, and sanitation. Some States pointed out that various Acts governing the local bodies have some provisions for emergency services as a mandatory function. Inclusion of such provisions under the DM Act would help in strengthening, upgrading and supplementing ongoing efforts towards emerging and new vulnerabilities. 2.20.3 Section 41(1) provides for the functions of Local Authorities for the purpose of disaster management. It enumerates activities such as training of officers and employees; maintaining and keeping resources ready for use in the event of a disaster; ensuring that all construction projects conform to prescribed standards; and carrying out relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities. The Task Force pointed out that for more clarity, the following two aspects may be incorporated: (i) Ensuring compliance with the laws, codes, and rules relating to building safety and fire safety. (ii) A reference to the preparation of a disaster management plan as envisaged in Section 32 of the Act. 2.20.4 In Chapter VI of the Act, some new sections similar to Sections 25, 26, 27, 29 and 30 may be added so as to enable the State Government to constitute a Disaster Management Authority for large cities, e.g., those with Municipal Corporations. Such an Authority should have the following features:

● The Mayor of the Municipal Corporation may be the Chairperson, with the Municipal Commissioner, Police Commissioner, District Collector and two experts/specialists as Members.

● The Authority shall act as the planning, coordinating and implementing body for disaster management and take all such measures for the purpose of disaster management in the area of the city under its jurisdiction in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the National Authority and State Authority. 22

● The functions of the Authority may be enumerated in the proposed section as those of the DDMA mentioned in Section 30(2) of the Act.

● It needs to be specifically mentioned that the Authority would function in close coordination with the DDMA. Its disaster management plan should be linked to the District Disaster Management Plan and the State Disaster Management Plan. 2.20.5 The NDMA pointed out that there are pros and cons to any such assignment of higher roles to local authorities and municipal corporations. A cautious view has to be taken by Government in consultation with State Governments. 2.20.6 The Committee is in agreement with the observation of the Task Force that the function of the local authority during response, relief and rehabilitation phase of disaster should be well defined as the same would strengthen upgrade and supplement efforts towards combating emerging and new vulnerabilities. The role and responsibility of local authorities and municipal corporations in the management of disaster may be cautiously and diligently explored. Necessary amendments may be made in the DM Act after discussions with the State Governments. 2.20.7 The Committee believes that as mandated by the Disaster Management Act 2005, District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) chaired by the respective District Collectors and co-chaired by the chairmen of the Zilla Parishads at the district level have been established. However, in many cases, these are not active and operational except a few exceptions. Similarly, even though the Disaster Management Act 2005 stipulates the setting up of the Disaster Response Fund and the Disaster Mitigation Fund at national, state and district levels, only the National and State Disaster Response Funds have become operational till now. The Committee therefore desires that the provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005 should be enforced in letter and spirit in view of the increasing frequency of disasters in the country and resultant damage to property, assets and infrastructure caused by them.

2.21 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 2.21.1 The Committee was apprised that the National Disaster Response Force has been constituted for the purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster. It has 10 battalions drawn from BSF, ITBP, CISF and CRPF and these are located at Guwahati, Kolkata, Mundali, Arakkonam, Pune, Gandhinagar, Bhatinda, Greater Noida, Patna and Vijayawada. The General superintendence, direction and control of the NDRF is vested with and exercised by NDMA and the command and supervision of the force is vested with the Director General, National Disaster Response Force and Civil Defence. The Task Force observed that NDRF has done quite well under the existing legal framework. There is no need to amend the existing provisions relating to the NDRF in the Disaster Management Act, 2005. However, the Task Force suggested two administrative measures in respect of the NDRF:

● At present NDRF personnel come from different Forces and go back after a specified period. Their skill, experience and expertise developed while working with the NDRF, might not be available for disaster response after they leave. Some of them may be allowed to continue or the NDRF may recruit some of its personnel so that there is continuity and institutional memory in respect of some types of expertise.

● The present arrangement of DG, NDRF, having the duties of Civil Defence, Home Guards and Fire Services can help integrate disaster management activities of these organizations. However, the DG, NDRF and Civil Defence should not be given 23

additional duties of any central armed police force. The DG should also have an administrative reporting line to the NDMA and ideally should be under as an officer on deputation. 2.21.2 The committee also took into consideration the submission of The DG, NDRF that the fire and emergency services are, in fact, the primary responders in most countries other than India, but their expertise is limited to collapsed structure rescue and medical first responder. In India, there is NDRF which has capabilities to look into chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies and other areas which are not strictly in the fire and emergency service domain. 2.21.3 The Committee acclaims the role of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in combating the major disasters occurring in the country including the recent one that took place in Uttarakhand. The Committee agrees that institutional mechanism should be developed to have the benefits of expertise of NDRF as store house in combating disaster management. To have the continuity in the system, the Committee recommends that tenure of some experienced NDRF Personnel be extended beyond normal deputation period of 5 years to 7-10 years. Some regular staff may also be recruited as suggested by the Task Force for continuity.

2.22 State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF) 2.22.1 The States/UTs have also been advised to set up their own Specialist Response Force for responding to disasters on the lines of National Disaster Response Force vide Ministry of Home Affairs letter dated 26th July, 2007 and 8th March, 2011. The Central Government is providing assistance for training of trainers. The State Governments have been also advised to utilize 10 per cent of their State Disaster Response Fund and Capacity Building Grant for the procurement of search and rescue equipment and for training purposes of the Response Force. 2.22.2 The Committee, keeping in view the paramount role of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in disaster management, recommends that due consideration must be paid to evolve mechanism to strengthen SDRF. All the States/UTs that have not yet set up SDRFs may be insisted upon the need to set up the same at the earliest.

2.23 National Institute Of Disaster Management (NIDM) 2.23.1 In the backdrop of the International decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), a National Centre for Disaster Management was established at the Indian Institute for Public Administration (IIPA) in 1995. The Centre was upgraded and designated as the National Institute of Disaster management (NIDM) on 16th October, 2003 which has now achieved the status of a statutory organisation under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Section 42 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 entrusts the institute with numerous responsibilities, namely to develop training modules, undertake research and documentation in disaster management, organise training programmes, undertake and organise study courses, conferences, lectures and seminars to promote and institutionalize disaster management, undertake and provide for publication of journals, research papers and books. The Union Home Minister is the President of the Institute. The management structure of the Institute was constituted on 23rd February, 2007 and has a general body of forty two members comprising of secretaries of various ministries, departments of the Union Government and heads of national level scientific, research and technical organizations. In terms of Section 42(4) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 vide order dated 3rd May, 2007, the Government also constituted a 14 member Governing Body with Vice-Chairperson of NDMA as its Chairperson. NIDM is headed by an Executive Director. He is assisted by Professors, Associate and Assistant Professors, Consultants and support staff. At present the strength of NIDM is 46. 24

2.23.2 The Task Force examined the issue as to whether the NIDM should become the ‘capacity building arm’ of the NDMA. The Governing Body of the NIDM already has representation from NDMA and MHA. The Act already provides that it has to function within the broad policies and guidelines as laid down by the NDMA. Hence, it should function autonomously in respect to its activities and human resources practice and not as a subordinate organisation of the NDMA/MHA for the functions entrusted to it by the Act. 2.23.3 The Task Force pointed out that Section 43 of the Act stipulates that “The Central Government shall provide the National Institute of Disaster Management with such officers, consultants and other employees as it considers necessary, for carrying out its function”. This provision may have to be amended so that the NIDM does not have any procedural constraints in having the required human resources. For this purpose, Section 43 of the Act may be amended as follows:

● The National Institute of Disaster Management may, with the approval of the Central Government, specify the numbers, nature and categories of officers and employees.

● The salaries and allowances payable to, and other terms and conditions of service of the officers and other employees shall be such as may be specified with the approval of the Central Government.

● The National Institute of Disaster Management may also appoint consultants on the terms and conditions as may be specified. 2.23.4 As regards state level disaster management institutes or creation of regional centres of the NIDM, there is no need to make any provision in the Act. States may decide whether to have a disaster management cell at the Administrative Training Institutes, a separate institute of disaster management (as in Gujarat) or an arrangement with the NIDM for capacity building of their personnel. The TF, however, emphasised the critical role of capacity building for effective disaster management and recommended to the State Governments to accord priority to creating a state level organisational arrangement for this purpose. Further, the NIDM being the national focal point for capacity building in the country for disaster management, it is important that it has some organic linkages with state level DM institutions. 2.23.5 The NDMA pointed out that the recommendation of Task Force over National Institute of Disaster Management may be read with Section 42 and 43 of DM Act, 2005 and may be considered. 2.23.6 The Committee is of the view that National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) should act as centre for excellence so far as the capacity building for effective disaster management is concerned. The Committee is in agreement with the observation of the Task Force that NIDM should function as an autonomous body in respect of its entrusted activities and human resource practice and not as a subordinate organisation of either NDMA or MHA. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) can, however, have linkages with NIDM for capacity building and other activities. Action may be taken in this direction. 2.23.7 The Committee further believes that personnel involved in the exercise have to draw upon knowledge of best practices and resources available to them. Information and training on ways to better respond to and mitigate disasters to the responders should go a long way in building the capacity and resilience of the country to reduce and prevent disasters. Training is an integral part of capacity building as trained personnel respond much better to different disasters and appreciate the need for preventive measures. Professional training in disaster management should be built into the existing pedagogic research and education. 25

Specialised courses for disaster management may also be developed by universities and professional teaching institutions, and disaster management should be treated as a distinct academic and professional discipline. The Committee recommends that NDIM may be entrusted with this task. Specific component in professional and specialised courses like medicine, nursing, engineering, environmental sciences, architecture, and town and country planning could also find place in the curriculum. An appropriate component of disaster awareness at the school level will help increase awareness among children and, in many cases, parents and other family members through these children. 2.23.8 Capacity building should not be limited to professionals and personnel involved in disaster management but should also focus on building the knowledge, attitude and skills of a community to cope with the effects of disasters. Capacity building for effective disaster management therefore needs linked to the community and local level responders on the one hand and also to the institutional mechanism of the State and the Nation on the other. The Committee desires that all out efforts should be made to warn communities in any part of the country about extreme weather conditions substantially well in advance to enable them to save the lives and property. Satellite imagery has become an important tool for decision makers in getting alerts for disasters and in assessing the situation pre and post disaster. These capabilities need further refinement and intensification to enable functionaries at the district level to take appropriate and timely decisions. Therefore, the concerned departments viz., Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Space and the organizations under them need to be strengthened to provide advance and effective information on disasters. It is also necessary to create a national platform for sharing, using and disseminating the data. 2.23.9 The Committee feels that the Human Resources Development has to be made systematic. Mere training alone is not enough to develop the capacities. The trainers and trainees have to be selected systematically and there should be provisions for refresher training and utilization of the trained personal. In addition there should be an enabling environment to facilitate the mainstreaming of DRR and tools and methodologies developed.

2.24 Civil Defence 2.24.1 Directorate General of Civil Defence was established in 1962 with its headquarters at New Delhi in the Ministry of Home Affairs to handle all policy and planning matters related to Civil Defence, Home Guards and Fire Services including the functioning of National Civil Defence College and National Fire Service College, Nagpur. The DG, NDRF and CD heads the organisation. In the States, Director of Civil Defence is appointed to head the CD organisation and he may also constitute, for any area within the State, a body of persons to be called the Civil Defence Corps. The legislation on Civil Defence (CD) known as Civil Defence Act was enacted in 1968 which is in force throughout the country. The Act has since been amended in 2010 to cater to the needs of disaster management so as to utilise the services of Civil Defence volunteers effectively for enhancement of public participation in disaster management related activities in the country. 2.24.2 Three tier structure viz Civil Defence Advisory Committee under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister; Civil Defence Committee under the Chairmanship of Home Secretary and Civil Defence Joint Planning Staff Committee under the Chairmanship of Director General Civil Defence has been created to formulate CD policy and for coordinating and supervising measures to implement it. 2.24.3 Civil Defence includes any measure not amounting to actual combat, for affording protection to any person, property, place or thing in India or any part of the territory thereof against any hostile attack whether from air, land, sea or other places or for depriving/mitigating the 26 effect of any such attack, whether such measures are taken before, during or after the time of such attack. During times of war and emergencies, the CD organisation has the vital role of guarding the hinterland, supporting the armed forces, mobilising the citizens and helping civil administration for saving life and property, minimising damage, maintaining continuity in production centers and raising public morale. The concept of CD over the years has shifted from management of damage against conventional weapons to also include threat perceptions against nuclear weapons, biological and chemical warfare and environmental disasters. 2.24.4 Presently, 259 towns from 35 States/UTs have been notified as CD towns. The District Magistrate is designated as a Controller for CD Towns. The present strength of CD volunteers is 5.68 lakhs, out of which 4.25 lakhs are already trained. 2.24.5 The DG, NDRF during his deposition submitted that specific steps have been taken, both in the last Plan and in the ongoing Plan, for the revamping and restructuring of the civil defence organizations. However the problem with the civil defence is that the initial thrust was towards a response during war time the mechanism has become a little dull which need to be overhauled. 2.24.6 The Committee underlines the significant role of Civil Defence in the case of occurrence of any disaster in the Country. The Committee, therefore, recommends that all efforts should be made for strengthening and revitalization of Civil Defence in the Country and the Government should allocate adequate fund as contingent amount for the purpose. 2.24.7 Regarding having bomb shelters in the buildings in public as well as in private sector, in the event of war like situations, the DG, NFRF responded that there is a national building code in place which takes care of these primary concerns and to the best of his knowledge, it has not been adopted by most of the States. The Committee, therefore, strongly, recommends that national building code must be enforced by all the State Government.

2.25 National Civil Defence College (NCDC), Nagpur 2.25.1 The first Disaster Management Training Institution of the country was founded on 29th April, 1957 at Nagpur as the Central Emergency Relief Training Institute (CERTI) to support the Emergency Relief Organisation of the Government of India. This Institute organised advanced and specialist training for revenue officials responsible for Disaster Relief Operations against any natural or manmade disaster. CERTI was renamed as National Civil Defence College on 1st April 1968. NCDC is mandated for conducting training courses for various groups of stakeholders. 2.25.2 The National Civil Defence College (NCDC) at Nagpur is the main centre for disaster relief and management training and a nodal centre for radiological, nuclear, biological and chemical emergency response. The College has been upgraded to an Institute of Excellence at national level in order to train a professional cadre of trainers for disaster response and recovery management. 2.25.3 The Committee recognizes the role of National Civil Defence College (NCDC) in disaster relief and management training. The Committee is of the view that while deciding the officers for undergoing training at the centre, due care must be taken that nomination for training must come from all States/UTs.

2.26 Fire Services 2.26.1 Fire services are mandate of the Municipal Bodies as enshrined in Schedule 12 of the Constitution. Presently Fire prevention and Fire Fighting Services are organized by the concerned States and UTs and the Ministry of Home Affairs renders technical advice to the States, UTs and Central Ministries on Fire Protection, Fire Prevention and Fire Legislation. The structure of fire services across the country however is not uniform. Fire Services in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, 27

Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh excluding Indore are under the respective concerned Municipal Corporations. In other States it is under the Home Department. While some States have enacted their own Fire Act, some others have not. As on today, there is no standardization with regard to the scaling of equipment, the type of equipment, or the training of their manpower. In each State it has grown according to the initiatives taken by the States and the funds provided for the Fire Services. Presently the only Basic Life Line of Fire and Emergency Services which is fully committed to the common public is the Municipal Authority in some States and State Fire Services. The Airport Authority, Big Industrial Establishments, CISF and Armed Forces, however also have their own Fire Services and many a times in case of need, they rush in aid to the local Fire Services. Apart from the lack of being a proper government department with a complete developmental plan, State Fire Services have their own organizational structure, administrative setup, funding mechanism, training facilities and equipments. 2.26.2 The National Fire Service College (NFSC) at Nagpur is a national level institution mandated to train the personnel of State Fire Services/brigades in all spheres of fire engineering. A scheme for upgradation of NFSC was launched in June, 2010 to enhance the capacity of the College to meet the requirements of specialized professional training in all aspects of emergency management, especially fire. The College offers many courses and so far trained 15,874 Fire Officers in the country. 2.26.3 In recent years, the country has witnessed many incidents of fire causing huge loss of lives and property. Therefore the role of National Fire Service College (NFSC) becomes more important in imparting training to personnel of State Fire Services and brigades in all spheres of fire engineering. The Committee recommends that NFSC should get benefits of the experience and expertise of institutions of other leading countries where the occurrence of fire incidents take place frequently and incorporate the same in its curriculum. The Committee also feels that there is need of a Plan for Fire Services at National and State level. The experience of developed countries may be looked into in this regard.

2.27 Home Guard 2.27.1 Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act and Rules of the States and UTs. They are recruited from a cross section of the population such as doctors, engineers, lawyers, private sector organisations, college and university students, agricultural and industrial workers, etc. who give their spare time to the organisation for betterment of the community. The role of Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary to the police in the maintenance of law and order, internal security and help the community in any kind of emergency such as air-raid, fire, cyclone, earthquake, epidemic etc. They are also expected to help the police in maintenance of communal harmony, assist the administration in protecting weaker sections, participate in socio-economic and welfare activities and perform Civil Defence duties. 2.27.2 The Committee observes that the interface between stakeholders and the disaster management framework is permanent, backed by legislative measures, decisions, such as those taken for establishment of the bodies and committees for managing disasters and the government orders to execute these decisions. These decisions or measures direct the composition of the structure by identifying the stakeholders to be involved in the disaster management framework. The role to be performed by each stakeholder is in the evolving stage and needs to be defined within different SOPs. 2.27.3 The Committee understands that Home Guards play pivotal role as an auxiliary to the police, serve as an auxiliary to the police in the maintenance of law and order, internal security and help the community in any kind of emergency such as air-raid, fire, cyclone, earthquake, epidemic. The Committee, therefore, recommends that Home Guard should be given due training in the disaster management and their service conditions should also be improved in order to motivate them in the service of the nation. 28

CHAPTER-III

MAJOR DISASTERS AND LESSONS LEARNT

3.1 The Committee desired to learn about incidents of major disasters in the country during last five years, and how the same were dealt with along with lessons learnt to avoid recurrence through prevention and mitigation. In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs furnished the details of some of the following major disasters country faced in the recent past along with actions of concerned State and technical and logistic assistance of the Central Government pertaining to response, rehabilitation and long term reconstruction activities:-

3.2 Tsunami Of 2004 3.2.1 On 26th December, 2004, Indian Ocean Tsunami caused extensive damage to the infrastructure including harbours, jetties, roads, bridges, power, telecom, hospitals, schools and other social sector buildings besides loss of lives of 10,749 persons. 5640 persons were missing after the disaster and 2.79 million people were affected. The estimated loss in monetary terms including damage to property was reported at R 11544.91 crore (Andhra Pradesh- R 342.67 crore, Kerala- R 2371.02 crore, Tamil Nadu- R 4528.66 crore, Andaman and Nicobar Islands R 3836.56 crore and Puducherry – R 466 crore). 3.2.2 In the disaster, 86,688 houses were damaged, with 53,192 more houses rendered vulnerable to damage. About 12000 hectares of agricultural land was damaged and 3000 hectares of land was rendered unusable due to salinity in the soil. A total of 47 Fishing Landing Centres (FLC) got damaged and about 28000 boats were damaged. 3.2.3 The Committee was informed as to how the State Governments and District Administration rose to the occasion in the search and rescue operation besides providing relief. The Central Government supported the relief operations by deploying 20,800 personnel of Armed Forces as well as Central Armed Police Forces in the affected States and UTs. The Government of India also sent support to , Maldives and Indonesia. 881 relief camps were set-up and a total of 6,04,335 people were housed in these camps. About 12,735 tents were dispatched to the affected areas – mostly to A&N Islands. 64 special flights were operated between 27th December, 2004 – 1st Jan, 2005 to evacuate 6,318 stranded people including tourists in A&N Islands. In all 28,734 persons were rescued – 9950 in Kerala, 9284 in A&N Islands, and 9500 in TN including 1000 persons stranded at Vivekanand Memorial. 6.45 lakhs persons – Main Land (6.30 lakhs) and A&N Islands (0.15 lakhs) were moved to safer places. 3.2.4 Government of India made immediate release of R 700 crore for the Tsunami affected States and UTs. An amount of R450 crore was released as immediate assistance from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) to the States of Tamil Nadu (R 250 crore), Kerala (R 100 crore) and Andhra Pradesh (R 100 crore). An amount of R 50 crore to Puducherry and R 200 crore for Andaman and Nicobar Islands was also earmarked. 3.2.5 Government of India provided assistance to the Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the Union Territories of Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands to implement the special package of Rs. 3644.05 crore under “Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package for Tsunami affected areas” for immediate relief and response, revival of fishery and agriculture

28 29 sectors, construction of temporary (intermediate) shelters and repair/restoration of infrastructure. The amount of Rs. 700 crore was released immediately from NCCF which became a part of this package. 3.2.6 Out of the total outlay of R 3644.05 crore under RGRP some of the components like Housing, Livelihood and Fisheries etc., requiring an amount of R 1776.62 crore were subsequently merged in the “Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme” (TRP).

3.3 Kosi Floods Of 2008 (BIHAR) 3.3.1 On 18th August, 2008, the Kosi River breached the embankment at the Birpur barrage in Supaul district and after the breach, the entire river spilled out and started flowing along a new course running straight down south. The course of the river was approximately 15 to 20 km. wide and 150 km. long north to south. The entire countryside within this 3000 sq. km. was totally devastated by the rapid surging flow of the river along its new course. Houses, schools, roads, dispensaries were all flooded and swept away. A total of 35 blocks, 407 panchayats and 980 villages in five districts with a total population of 33,89,000 were in fell along the new course of the river. Totally, 217 people and 868 cattle were killed and 3,38,986 houses were partly or fully damaged due to the catastrophe. 3.3.2 The affected areas had never experienced such a catastrophe and had not seen such floods for the last 50 years. Therefore, the State faced inadequate arrangements to face the situation. The State administration deployed 1500 boats locally in addition to the 561 motor boats organized from NDRF, army, navy and other sources. About 12 helicopters carried out 314 sorties and air dropped about 1,21,892 packets of food, water and halogen tablets besides distribution of about 2,39,858 food packets by boats to the people in the affected areas. The State government carried out one of the largest evacuation operations of about 9,93,992 persons ever organized in the country. About 5000 civilian personnel, 3500 police men, 35 columns of army, 4 columns of the navy, 850 personnel of NDRF, 1500 boats and 560 motor boats were deployed for the evacuation. 3.3.3 The State Government set up 362 relief camps in the buildings of schools and colleges. At the peak of the disaster 4,40,739 people were living in the camps. Self-help groups were constituted to look after the preparation and distribution of meals. A special thrust was on women and newly born children; clothes and utensils were given to each camp inmate as relief measures. Other features of the shelter are outlined below: (i) A total of 3,750 temporary toilets constructed, 2,155 hand pumps installed in the camps, generators and solar lamps provided for lighting in the camps; (ii) Schools set up for the children in the camp and 56,304 children enrolled in these schools; (iii) Anganwadi Centres set up in each major camp; (iv) Skill development programmes initiated and training provided to willing persons in handicrafts and cottage industries; (v) Health sub-centres set up in each camp with doctors on duty round the clock with provision for free medicines and camps were also covered by a mobile team. A total of 91 doctors and 1578 paramedical staff deployed on a daily basis; and (vi) Maternity huts set up in relief camps and 183 deliveries reported in these maternity centres. A total of 108 ambulances were deployed. 3.3.4 An amount of R 497.35 crore, subject to adjustment of 75 % of balance SDRF funds, was sanctioned from NDRF, apart from the reimbursement of expenditure incurred by Indian Air Force 30 for air rescue and relief efforts. In addition, R 117.21 crore was released as an additionality over and above the norms for the operation of relief camps. In addition, the Ministries of Rural Development, Drinking water Supply, Water Resources, Agriculture and Department of Food and Public Distribution provided an additional assistance of a total of R 2273.15 crore.

3.4 Leh Cloud Burst Of 2010 (J&K) 3.4.1 A heavy rainfall of 12.8mm during the intervening night of 5/6th August, 2010 coupled with cloud burst resulted in flash floods and mud slides causing havoc and large scale loss of life and public infrastructure/private property particularly in Leh region. Besides 138 local population, large numbers of tourists both Indian and foreign nationals, as well as labourers from outside the region who had gone there for earning a livelihood got trapped to face the trying circumstances. 3.4.2 The Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Committee that more than 6000 personnel of Army, Air Force, Border Roads Organization, National Disaster Response Force and Indo Tibetan Border Police were deployed along with rescue equipment to assist the civil administration in relief operations. Large quantities of relief material such as tents, blankets, tarpaulins, mattresses, food packets and bottled water were provided. Contributions from the charitable organisations and other sources were also sent. Apart from the medical teams available with army, CPMFs, state, etc. one medical team consisting of 08 Doctors and 04 Nurses along with 10 quintals of emergent surgical/ medical consumables were deployed in the affected area from Delhi. Additional medical supplies and medical equipment were sent to the affected areas. A total of 55 civil aircrafts were operated and more than 8000 people were evacuated. The Air Force also carried out 226 sorties and airlifted 302 tonnes of relief material and equipment and 818 persons. Funds to the tune of R 429.24 crore were available with the state government in their State Disaster Response Fund for undertaking immediate relief activities. The Prime Minister announced a rehabilitation package of R 125 crore from Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to support rebuilding of houses, hospitals, water supply and power supply in the affected areas in Leh and Kargil.

3.53.3.5Sikkim Earthquake Of 2011 3.5.1 The Committee recalled that an earthquake of the magnitude of 6.9 in the Richter scale took place on 18th September, 2011. Subsequently two more aftershocks of 6.1 and 5.3 were felt. The epicentre of this earthquake was near Indo-Nepal border in Sikkim. The States of Bihar, West Bengal and Assam were also affected. 3.5.2 The Union Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Committee that overall 366 Gram Panchayats in 04 districts of Sikkim were affected to varying degrees. The districts most affected were North District and West District. Almost 60 human lives were lost, about 710 persons were injured and over 34159 houses were damaged and destroyed. About thousand small and medium village industrial units went out of production, affecting income and employment. Inspite of the immediate sense of shock, confusion, helplessness and grief, the government and the community rose to the occasion and quickly responded to the disaster. Soon after, a holistic and comprehensive reconstruction and rehabilitation programme was put in place. 3.5.3 The Ministry of Home Affairs informed that more than 5500 personnel of Army, Air Force along with 15 helicopters, Border Roads Organization, 10 Teams (403 personnel) of National Disaster Response Force and 700 personnel from Indo Tibetan Border Police were deployed along with rescue equipment to assist the civil administration in relief operations. Large quantities of relief material such as tents, blankets, tarpaulins, mattresses, food packets and bottled water were provided. Contributions from the charitable organisations and other sources were also sent. Apart from the medical teams available with army, CPMFs, State, etc. one medical team consisting of 31

19 Doctors along with emergent surgical/ medical consumables were deployed in the affected area by the Government of India. Additional medical supplies and medical equipment were sent to the affected areas. On the advice of Government of India, Steel Authority of India Ltd. had provided about 350 tons (approx 21000 sheets) of Corrugated Galvanized Iron (CGI) sheets from Bokaro Steel Plant for helping the earthquake affected families of Sikkim in reconstruction of their houses under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Indian Army and Air Force deployed 15 helicopters for airlifting and dropping relief material to the remote areas in Northern Sikkim. The Prime Minister announced a rehabilitation package of R 1000 crore. 3.5.4 After the completion of rescue and relief phase, in pursuance of the announcement of the Prime Minister, Government of India had approved a rehabilitation package of R 1000 crore for the post-earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation activities. The Sikkim Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Programme was designed to address the needs of the affected people comprehensively. It adopted a building back better approach, involved the community and encompassed a number of sectors such as housing physical infrastructure, social infrastructure (education, ICDS and health), livelihood restoration, social rehabilitation and reconstruction of Secretariat. 3.5.5 The Government of India had approved an assistance of R 1000 crore from Special Plan Assistance (SPA) under Prime Minister’s Package for post-earthquake reconstruction/ rehabilitation works in Sikkim, which is to be implemented during 2011-12 to 2014-15. 3.5.6 In addition, Planning Commission has approved an amount of R 300.00 crore for the financial year 2013-14 towards post-earthquake reconstruction/ rehabilitation works in Sikkim. The physical works were likely to be completed by the end of financial year 2013-14, except Reconstruction of State Civil Secretariat work, which is slated to be completed by the year 2014-15.

3.6 Jammu And Kashmir Earthquake 2013 3.6.1 The Committee was informed that three districts of Jammu and Kashmir were affected in varying degrees by an earthquake of the magnitude 5.8 on the Richter Scale on 1.5.2013. The State Government reported extreme damage to houses and public property. An assistance of R 42.74 crore, subject to adjustment of 75% of balance available in SDRF was sanctioned from the National Disaster Response Fund. 3.6.2 The Committee understands that disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness are the most important aspects that are to be given attention in achieving the goals and objectives of vulnerability reduction. The Committee strongly believes that mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction in the Development Strategy would go a long way in disaster management in the country and overall economic growth. 3.6.3 The Committee takes into account the fact that in the incidents of the disasters of similar magnitude in USA and Japan, the loss of lives is much less as compared to that in India. The Committee, therefore, observes that prevention and mitigation should contribute to the lasting improvement in evolving safety and the same should be integrated in the disaster management. 3.6.4 From the disasters, the Committee noticed that the loss of life and property due to disasters is mainly due to poor quality of construction of houses and buildings and lack of knowledge and training about managing disasters. The Committee strongly feels that these aspects need to be kept in mind. 3.6.5 The Committee notes that Government has adopted mitigation and prevention as essential components of their development strategy. The Committee is of the strong view 32 that National Response Plan will pave the way for institutionalizing the response plan at three tiers as envisaged in the Disaster Management Act. Similarly, the Capacity Development Plan will provide a roadmap for undertaking the capacity building for people engaged in different facets of disaster management and enhance the capacity at the individual, organizational as well as at the environmental levels. The Committee is, therefore, of the view that the National Response Plan, National Human Resource and Capacity Development Plan and Mitigation Plans may be finalized at the earliest and adopted by respective nodal Ministries. 3.6.6 The Committee believes that once the mitigation plans are approved, concerned Ministries will undertake activities for taking the prevention and mitigation measures to address the hazard and risk involved in the activities of their sector. The Committee hopes that with all measures undertaken, Government will ensure that hazards do not turn into disasters. 33

CHAPTER-IV

SUGGESTIONS OF STATE/UT GOVERNMENTS ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT SETUP AND COMMENTS OF MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS THEREON

4.1 The Committee invited the views of all the States/UTs Governments on the status of Disaster Management set up in the respective States/UTs. In response to that, sixteen States and five Union Territories furnished their comments/suggestions. The suggestions of the States/UTs were forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs which in turn furnished its comments.

4.2 Government Of Andhra Pradesh 4.2.1 The existing Legal Framework in the State is as per Disaster Management Act, 2005 and Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Rules, 2007. According to the State Government, incidents of Flood/heavy Rains/Cyclone are frequent every year. 4.2.2 The Committee was informed that following steps are further required to strengthen Disaster Management mechanism in the State: (i) Actual implementation of the recommendation of the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission by the State, District, Local Self Government. (ii) Industrial Disaster Management Plans is to be put in place for all industries sectors. (iii) Strengthen State Disaster Management set up to Gram Panchayat Level DM authorities. (iv) Strengthen Human Resource to address the all Hazards in the State i.e. NDRF and SDRF staff and District level (two more NDRF stations at Hyderabad and Kurnool are required. (v) Specially CBRN related disasters are also expected in this State, therefore, interim concentration on this aspect is required. (vi) Disaster Management and Relief should be separated and each one can be a separate full pledged department. (vii) Regular staff can be created at District level/Mandal level for effective implementation of Disaster Management.

Comments of MHA 4.2.3 State has faced floods, heavy rain, cyclone drought etc. National Highways need upgradation. Drinking water supply and power utilities to be improved. Identification of safer places in advance for evacuation needed. Industrial DM Plans are to be put up. Gram Panchayat Level DM officials need to be strengthened. NDRF, SDRF staff need to be provided further training. Maintenance of cyclone shelter, early warning systems, opertionlisation of EOCs, up-gradation of drainage system, curbing encroachment and making building by-laws are required. State has desired DM and Relief to be separated and special training for CBRN disasters are required. State have provided detailed note on National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project. The State requires capacity

33 34 building and awareness generation campaigns as well as additional funding and technical manpower to assist in their DM activities. 4.2.4 The Committee takes notes of the following shortcomings in Disaster Management set-up in the State and recommends that suitable course of action may be undertaken to overcome the following issues/shortcomings:- (i) Non maintenance of the Cyclone Shelters and poor maintenance of early Warning systems in vulnerable area in the state; (ii) No proper establishment and maintenance of EOCs at district level; (iii) Lack of coordination between departments and non government organizations; (iv) Low level of awareness among the community and the departments; (v) Poor Drainage maintenance at urban level; (vi) Encroachments all along the drainages are the main reason for disasters; and (vii) Absence of building bylaws to construct Earthquake resistance structures. 4.2.5 The Committee observes that community based Disaster Management is the need of the hour.

4.3 Government Of Chhattisgarh 4.3.1 The State Government informed that being a State with 44% area under forest and lack of other revenue generating resources like other States, the State deserves to be looked upon differently from other States. It needs huge funds for other immediately indispensable infrastructure to put the state on track. Most of the Central Government organizations do not give due attention to their establishments in small State like Chhattisgarh. The quality of infrastructure and human resource in Central Water Commission, Indian meteorological Department, B.S.N.L is poor in remote areas. Specially during flash floods the BSNL telephone stations become functionless at the time of need due to poor infrastructure and related facilities. 4.3.2 Though there is a provision in the guideline for States Government to draw an action plan and operation manual for the regulation of dams and reservoir in the State, but the guideline should also make a provision for regulating the dam and reservoirs which have been a cause of flood in the neighboring States and therefore become an interstate subject requiring intervention from central Government. 4.3.3 The State has faced drought in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2009 due to short-rain fall. In this situation works like employment to affected people, fodder for cattle and distribution of life saving drugs are to be implemented. Due to insufficient irrigation facility during rainy season, rain water is not stored in sufficient dams and therefore farmers are not provided with sufficient water for Kharif and Rabi crops due to which farmer should be given agriculture subsidy for expected loss due to bad weather. 4.3.4 The State Government suggested that following steps were required to be taken to strengthen Disaster Management mechanism in the State to meet contingent situation:– (i) Establishment of a new Department Director of fire services under the Home Guard and Purchase of fire fighting equipments. (ii) Flood Equipments as Motar Boats, Life jackets, Life Boy, protect Googles etc. 35

(iii) Capacity Building Training Programme of Disaster Management is to be organized in the State by Chhattisgarh Administration Academy where a Disaster Management cell is established. (iv) Establishment of State Disaster Response Force. (v) Mock drill programme and publicity through posters and Add films. (vi) Emergency Communication Centre, (ECC) is under Process (vii) Emergency Operation Centre, (EOC) Establishment in 18 districts.

Comments of MHA 4.3.5 State is affected by flood, naxalite movement, drought, migration of labor, etc. State Government is enhancing the capacity development for air transportation, strategic deployment of paramilitary forces in naxalite affected areas and providing new employment avenues to curb labour migration. The State needs to constitute State Disaster Response Force and sufficient number of emergency response centers. New Department Director of Fire Service, procurement of fire/flood fighting equipments, capacity building training programmes and establishment of State Disaster Response Force as well as Emergency Operation Centres for 18 districts are also required. The State is in the process of strengthening and reorienting existing organizational and administrative structure. It is following a multi hazard approach to bring out all the disaster on a single platform and incorporate the culture of quick response. They are working on a framework to the primary and secondary agencies which can outline their own activities for Disaster Response. It also includes a specific disaster action plan with model scenarios. 4.3.6 The Committee observes that 44% geographical area of Chhattisgarh is forest due to which, in addition to natural calamity, loss of human life, live stock and crop take place due to attacks of wild animal, snake bite, Scorpion bite, etc. The State Government suggested that it should be included as a natural calamity. The Committee recommends that the Government may consider the request of State Government for inclusion of ‘loss of life and property due to wild animal attacks and sun stroke’, under natural calamity. The Committee also observes that the State needs funds to meet its non plan infrastructural requirement, agricultural subsidy for drought cases, enhancement in quality of infrastructure/human resource requirement and preparation of guidelines for dams/reservoir which affect inter-state boundaries. In the flood affected districts of Chhattisgarh, fund is required for establishment of optical/microwave remote sensing data, flood control work on rivers, engineering data on flood control, investigation on GPS, development etc. All these issues need to be looked into. The Committee believes that an effective Disaster Management strategy lessens the impact of any disaster, which can be achieved through strengthening and reorienting existing organizational and administrative structure from District, State and up to National level. The emergency response plan must first attempt to follow a multi-hazard approach, to bring out all the Disasters on a single platform and incorporate the culture of quick response. It must provide a framework to the primary and secondary agencies and departments, which can outline their own activities for Disaster response. The plan must include specific Disaster action plans along with model scenarios in detail to conduct practice drills at district level. The Committee hopes that the Government of Chhattisgarh would undertake these measures for strengthening Disaster Management set up in the State and the Ministry of Home Affairs should provide due guidance to the State Government. 36

4.4 Government of Gujarat 4.4.1 The Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) was established on 8th February, 2001 and in the year 2002, GSDMA formulated the Gujarat State Disaster Management Policy (GSDMP) to establish necessary systems, structures, programmes, resources, capabilities and guiding principles for reducing disaster risks and preparing for and responding to disasters and threats of disasters in the State. Gujarat State Disaster Management Act, 2003 was enacted and GSDMA reconstituted as a Statutory Body with the Chief Minister as its Ex-Officio Chairman. The Crisis Management Group under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary oversees the immediate response to disasters as and when required. As per the provisions of the GSDM Act – 2003, the district collectors have been empowered with specific authority for the Disaster Management planning, coordination and implementation of the disaster management related activities at district level. The Committee was informed that Gujarat faced major flooding event in the city of Surat and South Gujarat in the years 2006 and 2007. Earthquake in Junagadh in 2011 was another major event in Gujarat, however no casualties or damage were reported. Gujarat is prone to multiple hazards such as floods, cyclones, earthquakes, chemical hazards etc. Gujarat is the economic engine of the country with several mega projects and huge investments. Rapidly developing physical infrastructure in the State is at risk due to natural and man-made disasters.

Comments of MHA 4.4.2 Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into development planning should be considered as a matter of course in the design of all development projects and programs in hazard-prone areas. DRM program at urban level and mitigation activities needs to be worked upon. 4.4.3 The Committee observes that mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development planning must be a priority concern for the State Government. The ultimate objective of mainstreaming disaster risk reduction should be to ensure that risks emanating from natural hazards are factored into development policy and planning and considered as a matter of course in the design of all development projects and programs in hazard-prone areas. The Committee, therefore, recommends that suitable course of Action should be chalked out for the purpose. 4.4.4 The Committee, however, notes that DRM program has been very successful in rural areas, but it has not achieved the success as a grassroots program in urban areas. The Committee therefore, desires that mitigation aspect in urban areas needs to be addressed in letter and spirit while projects are conceived and implemented. 4.4.5 The Committee observes that there is need for effective implementation of techno- legal regime and redirecting the development towards creation of less vulnerable infrastructure and improvement of response mechanism in emergency situation. The Committee feels that Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) must be recognized as a Knowledge hub for training and research in the field of Disaster Management.

4.5 Government of Haryana 4.5.1 Besides SDMA, SEC and DDMA, a Hazard Safety Cell has been set up in the office of Engineer-in-Chief, Public Works (B&R) Department Haryana. Besides this, BIS code is being adopted in the construction works for earthquake safety. Presently for the management of floods, the Haryana Flood Manual issued by the Government of India is followed. State Disaster Response Force (one company) has been constituted. The State Disaster Management Plan is being prepared. Multi Hazard District Disaster Management Plan has been prepared for Gurgaon district while other district plans are being drafted by the districts. Model Plans for Faridabad, Rohtak and Panipat are 37 in progress. Preparation of State Disaster Resource Inventory is in progress. Education Department has included Disaster Management in Social Studies syllabus in class V and VII. Regular skill development training on DM for doctors, engineers, schools teachers and other administrative officers have been organized through Haryana Institute of Public Administration since 1994. Schools have been identified from selected districts viz., Gurgaon and Faridabad for National School Safety Project (NSSP). Government of India-UNDP supported Disaster Risk Reduction Programme has been implemented in the three districts of the State viz., Faridabad, Rohtak and Panipat. The detailed work plan and perspective plan (2011-2015) for DM capacity building in the State under Thirteenth Finance Commission has been submitted to Ministry of Home Affairs. Education Department, Haryana has notified the State Policy on Safety Measures in government and private aided and un-aided schools. 4.5.2 During the last five years Haryana has experienced one major flood in 2010. Heavy rainfall in Siwalik foothills, Ambala, Kurukshetra, adjoining areas of Punjab and Chandigarh resulted heavy flow in the rivers and nallahs and subsequent breaches in Satluj-Yamuna Link canal resulted the severe flood situation in the State. The irrigation department has taken significant steps to address the flood risks such as repair/strengthening of bunds following the flood. The Department of Revenue and Disaster Management has organized 3 flood relief training camps at Kurukshetra/ Yamunanagar and Rohtak to impart training in rowing of boats, handling of OBMs, preparation of improvised swimming aids and first-aid to the officials of different departments. Awareness, advocacy and training programmes have been launched at different levels on DM Planning, response capacity building and DRR mainstreaming into development plan in the State. 4.5.3 The Committee was informed that under the Thirteenth Finance Commission, Urban Local bodies have been given an amount of R 384.25 lacs for strengthening of fire and emergency services in the State. Agriculture Department has been conducting a series of training programmes for farmers on disaster risk reduction and adaptation in agriculture.

Comments of MHA 4.5.4 The Ministry of Home Affairs commented that State Disaster Management Plan and State Disaster Resource Inventory work to be speedily done. Like Gurgaon, multi hazard District Disaster Management Plan for all cities should be prepared. 4.5.5 The Committee take into account the suggestions of MHA and agrees that the work on State Disaster Management Plan and State Disaster Resource Inventory work needs to be expedited for strengthening of disaster management setup in the state and therefore, recommends that appropriate action may be taken in that direction. The Committee notes that multi-hazard District Disaster Management Plan is available only for Gurgaon but for others, it is under preparation. The Committee recommends that the model plans for remaining districts may be prepared on priority basis. 4.5.6 The Committee also recommends that State Disaster Management Policy must be formulated at the earliest. The Committee also feels that human resource support for SDMA and DDMA is required. The Committee, therefore, feels that Government must develop a Human Resource Development Plan for the State and build partnerships with various local level resource institutions for capacity building, training and knowledge management. The State Government must focus on building capacity of Panchayats and other local bodies on disaster management. 4.5.7 The Committee observes that concrete steps are required to strengthen Disaster Management Mechanism in the State which inter-alia includes preparation of Disaster Resource Inventory, Regular updation of DM plans of the district and mock drills; 38 strengthening of the Emergency Operation Centres both at the State and district level; Strengthening of early warning and dissemination systems in the state; strengthening and skill upgradation of rescue personnel; conducting Hazard Risk and Vulnerability Analysis (HRVA); and Capacity Building/strengthening of training institutes for imparting training on DM.

4.6 Government of Jharkhand 4.6.1 The Committee has been apprised that initiative has been taken to develop State Disaster Management Policy and later on the State would have its own State Disaster Management Act. The State Government pointed out that NDM Act, 2005 does not provide any power to the Disaster Management Department to take necessary action on the non-compliance of the provision of DM Act by various stakeholders such as Line Departments, District Authorities, Companies, Corporates and others. The Act needs amendment to address the issue of proactive disaster management at various levels. There is a need to restructure State Disaster Management Authority as the present structure of SDMA duplicates the Cabinet of Ministers. The Act should regulate the constitution of Incidence Response System at State and Districts. Regulation for corporates and PSUs is required to establish Disaster Management Department within their administrative structure and provision of optimum financial support. 4.6.2 The Committee has been informed that Jharkhand State has faced major disaster of drought during last five years along with floods and flash flood in some of its pockets. The major cause of drought in the State is failure of while the flood is caused by the river Ganga in surrounding district of Sahebganj, Pakur and Godda. The flash flood is caused by the siltation in natural drainage system and release of water from the big dams of neighbouring States. All the Disasters in the State are natural disasters and there are no ways to control the same. It was also stated that although the occurrences of flash flood can be controlled from better coordination from neighboring districts and States and planned urban development, but however the impact of draught can be mitigated through better preparatory effort for alternative cropping and perennial irrigation system.

Comments of MHA 4.6.3 The State Disaster Management set-up needs strengthening Disaster Management Department, IRS, EOC, SDRF, constitution of State Disaster Mitigation fund, development of skilled human resources, proactive disaster management, mainstreaming disaster management in to developmental plans of the departments, development of community based alternative technology for specific disasters. The State requires Central assistance to strengthen DM Department, Emergency operation system, State Disaster Response Force and Incidence Response System. 4.6.4 The Committee is in agreement with the comments of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the suggestions of the State and desires that suitable action should be taken to complete all the tasks. 4.6.5 The Committee also takes note of the following suggestions of the State Government for strengthening Disaster Management set up:– (i) Inclusion of Climate Change in to the Disaster Management Department portfolio Convergence of Civil Defence with in Disaster Management Department and Convergence of NCC, NSS, NYK with in Disaster Management department to create cadre of Volunteers. (ii) Mainstreaming of Disaster Management in to the departmental plan of line departments and advocacy with international donors/NGOs/civil societies to 39

come up with State specific Disaster Management Policies followed by recognition to the State Inter Agency Group for collective Disaster Management at State. 4.6.6 The Committee recommends that suitable strategy may be chalked out to achieve the above objectives.

4.7 Government of Karnataka 4.7.1 The State has constituted KSDMA, DDMA, SEC and State Crisis Management Committee as per the provision of the DM Act. The State faced the nature’s fury in the form of floods and droughts every year simultaneously during the last five years affecting several districts and taluks of loss of agricultural and horticultural crop in vast areas. The State has Developed Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC) into State of Art Technology Center for Early Warning System, Tracking weather data, Analysis and for dissemination. Mitigation plan is affront to reduce the negative impacts of drought. SDRF is being raised and about 600 police personnel have been trained. 4.7.2 According to the State Government there is further need to improve documentation of the process and best practices evolved during the Disaster Management and the Research and Documentation in the field of DM and DRR in the State. Search and Rescue equipments at District level has been made available. Funds were released to District Administrations for the purchase of Search and Rescue equipments. Committed, qualified technical personnel are to be made available, who could work on mission mode. Secretariat Administration Staff needs to be trained on DM issues. The State Government also felt that series of droughts calls for long term measures (Strategy) in the departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Minor Irrigation and RD&PR. 4.7.3 The State Government made suggestions to strengthen the Disaster Management set-up in the State: (i) KSDMA to be made as separate entity and, KSNDMC and DMC of ATI to be brought under the umbrella of KSDMA. This will give impetus to address policies, programs, mitigation and relief and rehabilitation issues. At present the works are divided to various departments and co-ordinations hinders the pace the work. (ii) Set up Disaster Mitigation Fund and allocate grants in the State Financial Budget for DM and DRR issues. 4.7.4 The State Government has suggested that the DM Act 2005 has to specify minimum percentage of funds for the purpose. For example about 10% of GDP at National level, 8% at state level and 5% at district level will help the Government authorities to take up any emergency work without delay and at the same time work towards prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

Comments of MHA 4.7.5 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) need to be established. State has experienced heavy rains, floods, drought, fire disaster, airline disaster, building collapse and road accidents etc. Techno Centre for early warning system, tracking weather data and its analysis/dissemination, has been established. Documentation of process is must. 4.7.6 The Committee feels that the suggestion of the State Government to make KSDMA a separate entity with KSNDMC and DMC of ATI under its jurisdiction may be examined. The Committee extends whole heartily supports for R&D in the field of DM and DRR for 40 further improvement and desires that concerted efforts should be made in this regard. The Committee also feels that there is urgent need for technical and skilled manpower support for enhancing capacity building as the State in multi-disaster prone zone and frequently faces occurrence of two or more disasters simultaneously.

4.8 Government of Maharashtra 4.8.1 The Existing legal framework in Maharashtra is as per the provision of Disaster Management Act, 2005. The State Government has constituted SDMA, SEC and DDMA. Regional Disaster Management Centres under the chairmanship of Municipal Commissioner in 10 cities have also been constituted. A special Disaster Authority for the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has been set up under the chairmanship of the Municipal Commissioner. At the sub- district level, concerned Tehsildar is responsible for Disaster Management in the Tehsil. As per the Crisis Management Plan, 2009 of the Ministry of Home Affairs, a State Level Crisis Management Group has been constituted under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary and at the District Level under chairmanship of concerned District Collector. 4.8.2 According to the State Government, Maharashtra is prone to natural disasters due to its geographical and geo-climatic conditions. Being progressive and fast growing, Maharashtra and especially Mumbai has emerged as a hub of economic activities which further adds to its vulnerability to threats. The Major disasters that have occurred during the last 5 years in Maharashtra are Malegaon Bomb Blast, 2007, Mumbai Terrorist Attack on 26th November, 2008; Oil Spill in Mumbai in August, 2010 and bomb-blast in Mumbai on 13th July, 2011. 4.8.3 The State Government has identified need to further amend Disaster Management Act, 2005 to incorporate the following provisions in the Act: (i) For manning Emergency Operation Centre, definite staffing pattern may be prescribed. (ii) Secretary in charge of the Disaster Management needs to be a Member of State Disaster Management Authority. (iii) Number of Members in the State Authorities needs to be increased from existing 9 to 14. 4.8.4 The Committee was apprised that further steps are required to be taken to strengthen Disaster Management mechanism in the State to meet contingent situation. In order to make the State Disaster Resilient, MDRM project has been taken up which is in fact a follow up to the UNDP sponsored DRM project implemented in only 14 districts and 7 cities. Maharashtra DRM project was started in 2009 to institutionalize concept of Disaster Management at all levels. Under this project, at the district level, appointment of District Disaster Management Officer was made in all the districts and Divisional Disaster Management Co-ordinator were appointed at Division level. The important objective of this project is planning, capacity building and awareness generation. Disaster Risk Reduction Program was also initiated after taking into consideration a need for strengthening institution for Disaster Risk Reduction and vulnerability assessment, build capacities of stakeholders for recovery and risk reduction in urban areas. Maharashtra also took up communication network VHF as main mode of disaster communication between districts and State headquarter. The network is updated from analogue mode to digital mode. SMS and Data transfer will be the part of revamped system. State Disaster Response Force has also been created with eleven coys. The first coy has been imparted training by NDRF in Pune. Every district also prepared Standard Operating Procedure to prepare for any kind of disaster. 4.8.5 The Committee was further informed that disasters happen in the State on continuous basis; State is incurring high expenditure in responding to disasters which could have otherwise been utilized for developmental purpose. Haphazard planning and unmonitored/illegal construction 41 adding to vulnerability as implementation of rules and regulations have remained challenges. Moreover, vagaries of climate change making administration difficult to predict impact and therefore adherence definite adaptation and mitigation. One part of the State reels under continuous drought whereas the other part is inundated.

Comments of MHA 4.8.6 The Committee did not receive any specific comments except repeat of submissions of the State Government. 4.8.7 The Committee nonetheless takes note of the following suggestions given by the State Government to strengthen the Disaster Management Set-up in the State: (i) Role of Relief Commissioner should be mentioned in the Act. (ii) If all Secretaries of line departments are made part of the State Executive Committee, it will lead to more involvement of concern departments. At present only four Secretaries are part of the State Executive Committee. (iii) State Disaster Management Authority’s functions need to be formalized. (iv) A district level, elected representatives and other district level officials need to be encouraged to participate. 4.8.8 The Committee is in agreement of the suggestion of State Government that Role of Relief Commissioner may be defined in the Act; Involvement of Secretaries of line Departments in State Executive Committee; Formalization of functions of SDMA and encouraging participation of elected representative at District level and other District level officers to participate in DM activities. The State has also indicated several other inadequacies and made other suggestions. The Ministry of Home Affairs may look into all the suggestions and take appropriate action. 4.8.9 The Committee feels that the State should prepare its DM Act, Disaster Management Policy and DM By-Laws, fire service for rural areas, Earthquake Risk Mitigation Bill, updation of planned SOPs. 4.8.10 A good communication network is required for dissemination of early warning right upto the village level. Awareness Generation Program should be done on continual basis. Massive training of architects, engineers and massons in earth quake resistant design and constructions would be vital. There is need to integrate mainstreaming development plan into planning process and continuous updation of planned SOPs and manuals. The Committee also stresses for introduction of earthquake resistant techniques into academic curriculum at the engineering colleges and Architect Colleges, ITIs, Poly-techniques.

4.9 Government of Odisha 4.9.1 The State Government has established the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) for all the 30 Districts in the State. The State has also framed the State Disaster Management Rules and constituted the State Executive Committee (SEC) to assist the SDMA. The State Government has constituted the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). 4.9.2 The Committee was further informed that the State Government have framed the State Disaster Management Policy and besides the provisions of the DM Act and Rules made thereunder and State Disaster Management Policy, the Orissa Relief Code (ORC) is applicable for 42 administration of relief measures in the entire State in respect of Natural Calamities enumerated therein. The present ORC is being modified in accordance with the changed orientation to Disaster Management Code by incorporating institutional arrangements/procedures for prevention, mitigation and preparedness and keeping in mind the provisions of DM Act 2005, SDRF/NDRF guidelines and recommendation of 13th Finance Commission. The major disasters in the State are rains, floods, cyclones, drought. 4.9.3 The Committee was informed that advance planning, preparedness and timely intervention taken by State Government during and aftermath of floods were the prime factors for their effective management. Emergency Response Activities included coordination with line Departments; rapid damage assessment by Districts and Departments; maintenance of Essential Services like uninterrupted telecommunication and power supply and arrangements for clearance of relief line within shortest possible time; stocking of essential commodities in inaccessible villages of flood prone districts; advance planning for adequate health measures; arrangement of Drinking Water; advance arrangement and pre-positioning of temporary shelter materials and selection of flood shelters; advance arrangement for procurement of relief materials; preparation of evacuation plan; functioning of the control rooms; closure of past breaches in river and canal embankments and guarding of weak points; deployment of boats at strategic point and arrangements for keeping drainage clear.

Management of Drought 4.9.4 The Committee was informed that the following steps are undertaken as a part of the management of drought in the State:– (i) Monitoring the behaviour of South West Monsoon; (ii) Close monitoring of the possible drought scenario so as to develop an advance warning system; (iii) Monitoring the progress of Kharif crops on weekly basis by a State Level Committee of Crop Weather Watch Group under the Chairmanship of Agriculture Production Commissioner; (iv) Regular monitoring to take stock of the progress of various short term and long term measures to deal with the situation arising out of deficient and erratic rainfall by Drought Monitoring Committee under the Chairmanship of Agriculture Production Commissioner; (v) Preparing alternative crop strategy for maximum possible retrieval of the Kharif crop and alternative crop including Rabi crop; and (vi) Regular monitoring of malnutrition and hunger at ground level through a mechanism “Management Information System (MIS), for ensuring Food security to prevent death due to starvation or malnutrition etc. and making necessary interventions on the feedbacks from the field. 4.9.5 The State Government opined that structural and non-structural measures for flood risk reduction should be integral part of both the overall development process and relief and recovery activities in response to floods or other disaster events. City development plans should take into account urban drainage in floodplain areas, including control of water sources and non-structural measures from the planning stage. The State Government further opined that in a flood response situation, it is often difficult to ensure that vulnerable people can access assistance and take part in the decision-making process, because communications infrastructure and road networks are 43 inundated and other effective means of transport are lacking. Agencies also face logistical problems in reaching affected people. Often, real misery starts when floodwaters recede and displaced people start going home, which is unfortunately when many agencies declare an end to assistance.

Comments of MHA 4.9.6 The State has to prepare DM Plans for the State and Districts. Necessary assistance is being provided as per items and norms laid down under SDRF/NDRF. State has used advanced planning, preparedness and timely interventions during and aftermath of floods for their effective management. Early warning and dissemination system has been established in coordination with IMD and CWC. 4.9.7 The Committee agrees that structural and non-structural measures should be integral part of both the overall development process and relief and recovery activities and steps should be taken in this direction. The Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that the state has to prepare State and District DM plans. If so, the Committee recommends that the plans may be prepared at the earliest.

4.10 Government of Rajasthan 4.10.1 The State Government informed that constitution of SDMA, SEC and DDMAs, formulation of disaster management policy and plan and DDMPs have been done. Online financial transaction system, conduct of capacity building programme has been arranged. Conduct of various mock drills by NDMA and DDMA as per on-site and off-site plan and establishment of EOC at State and District level has been done. Distribution of IEC material for DM awareness upto Panchayats level and establishment of retrofitting clinic at MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur was arranged. Training of Civil Defence, Home Guard and NCC for search and rescue and capacity building are imparted. Preparation of State Manuals on drought, flood, earthquake etc. and conduct of DRR Programmes are being done. 4.10.2 The Committee was apprised of major disasters in the State which inter-alia include bomb blasts in Jaipur, Fire at Ammunition Depot, Bharatpur and fire at IOCI Depot, Sitapura, Jaipur, Stampede at Meharangarh, Jodhpur, collapse of Chambal overbridge at Kota, earthquake at Jaisalmer in 2009 and flood in Kawas, Barmer. All the incidents were handled successfully in all respects by the State and district authorities. 4.10.3 State Disaster Response Force has been established and efforts for strengthening the same are on. Various departments have been equipped with search and rescue equipments and the efforts are on for further augmentation of the departments. Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis is being planned for selected districts in the State. Disaster Risk Reduction Programme for selected districts is being organized by UNDP in the State.

Comments of MHA 4.10.4 The State has constituted SDMA, SEC and DDMAs which needs augmentation The State has extreme weather conditions and needs concrete early warning system. State has doppler radar facility and South Western Army Command is in the State for emergency assistance. Appointment of District Disaster Management Officer and staff, setting up Disaster Mitigation Fund, Preparation of DM Plans at sub-divisional and village level, participation need attention. The State also has suggested inclusion of cold wave and Heat wave in natural calamity. 4.10.5 The Committee took note of weaknesses of disaster management set up in the State which inter-alia includes sharing of international border of 1040 km. with Pakistan, scarcity 44 of water (197 blocks are in dark zone), extreme weather conditions, non-availability of mitigation funds, need to update IDRN Web Portal, and absence of concrete early warning system. The Committee, therefore, feels that there is need to strengthen the Disaster Management Set-up in the State by appointment of requisite staff and officers in SDMA, SEC and DDMAs and setting up of National, State and District Disaster Mitigation Fund, Preparation of Disaster Management Plans at sub-division and village level to be accompanied by participation and training of CBOs and continuation of DRR and URR projects. The Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis for select district which is at planning stage, should be completed at the earliest and as suggested by the State Government cold wave and heat wave may be categorized as natural calamity.

4.11 Government of West Bengal 4.11.1 The State Government apprised the Committee that Disaster Management was introduced in the State in 2001 when National Centre for Disaster Management conducted one – day orientation of key officials dealing with crisis management. The then Department of Relief prepared the first ever State Disaster Management Plans in 2002, which was nationally acclaimed. The change in attitude from Crisis Management to Disaster Management was expedited with the starting of Disaster Risk Management Programme, which was a noble programme of United Nations Development Programme and Ministry of Home Affairs. As part of preparedness, awareness campaign on calamities, orientation of elected members of three – tier Panchayat Raj Institution, State Government Officials, members of community, NGOs and CBOs, capacity building of the members of the community on Search and Rescue and First aid, Preparation of Disaster Management Plans at villages, Gram Panchayats, Blocks and Districts, etc. were undertaken and completed during 2004 -09. All these massive programmes helped significantly to raise the capacity of the stakeholders on implementation of Disaster Management in the State. The Committee was informed by the State Government that Disaster Management Act 2005 was enforced in West Bengal on 1st August, 2007 without any amendment. WBSDMA, SEC, DDMA and State Disaster Management policy are in place. The State Government has formed an Advisory Committee comprising of experts. 4.11.2 The State suffered major incidents of major disasters during the last five years: (i) About 303987 people of 2196 villages were affected, 44032 houses were damaged and 260 deaths occurred due to four successive flood in the year 2007. (ii) 197 deaths, 7 million population of 5 districts were affected due to in coastal districts and landslide in Darjeeling in the year 2009. (iii) 5,55,00,000 population, 15,76,000 ha crooped area of 27,398 villages in 11 districts were affected due to drought in 2010. 43 deaths occurred in fire accidents at Stephen Court, in 2010. 92 deaths occurred in fire accidents in private hospital AMRI in 2011. 172 deaths due to consumption of poisonous liquor at South 24 Parganas District in 2011. 4.11.3 The State Government apprised the Committee that training and capacity building programme has been undertaken for all line Departments. Fire Services Department and Civil Defence Department regularly conducts capacity building programmes for own staff/volunteers at their training institute. Fire services department has purchased many modern equipments, including a sky lift which was useful in the Stephen fire accident. 4.11.4 The State Government initiated the following programmes to avoid recurrence: (i) Three Platoons from three West Bengal Armed Battalion and three in Kolkata Police have been identified to act as State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). 45

(ii) The Department of Municipal Affairs has amended the Municipal Act incorporating the latest version of Bureau of Indian Standard Codes for construction of earthquake- resistant buildings and houses in the Municipalities. The Department of Urban Development has also made necessary amendment to the West Bengal (Town and Country Planning) Act for the same purpose. Kolkata Municipal Corporation Building Rule 2009 has been amended and published in view of the earthquake vulnerability of Kolkata. State Disaster Management Plan prepared and approved by State Government and all district DM plans are in place and updated regularly. (iii) Dedicated budget created by State Government for awareness generation and capacity building programmes. Government of West Bengal is implementing a Disaster Risk Management Programme in 6 districts across the State from its own funds. Inter Agency Group with support from Department of Disaster Management established at State level for effective coordination, preparedness and response. (iv) Functional State Level Emergency Operation Centre exists with an emergency toll free number of 1070. Operational District Control Rooms with an emergency toll free number of 1077. 4.11.5 The Committee was, however, informed that there is lack of interest to mainstream disaster reduction in State Government Department. Trained forces are insignificant in SDRF and number of trained volunteers is less at the community level as well. Funding is another constraint for establishment of state of the art technology and procurement of equipments. 4.11.6 The State Government suggested that a Disaster Management Training Institute under the Department of Disaster Management for continuous capacity building of Disaster Management officers at all levels may be established and there is necessity to raise one full – fledged battalion of State Search and Rescue Force. The office of West Bengal State Disaster Management Authority (WBSDMA) should be under the auspices of Department of Disaster Management and its meetings should be conducted regularly.

Comments of MHA 4.11.7 Recent disasters like cyclone Laila, fire accidents at AMRI Hospital, etc. are eye opener to rethink of risk management rather than thinking of only crisis management. WBSDMA is to be made functional. DM is to be mainstreamed into fire and emergency and civil defence activities and rural and urban development plan and programs. 4.11.8 The Committee was apprised of the steps required to be taken to strengthen disaster management mechanism in the State to meet contingent situation which inter alia included following points: (i) Disaster Management Plan for concerned line Departments to be prepared. (ii) Training and Capacity building of Government functionaries at all level and Panchayats other elected representatives at local level on disaster risk reduction. (iii) Generating large pool of community volunteers on search and rescue and fire fighting under of Civil Defence and Fire and Emergency Department. (iv) Identify atleast 3-4 departments at the State level and develop joint action plans for mainstreaming DRR into the ongoing development programmes and plans. (v) Strengthen last mile connectivity for Early Warning System for Floods and Cyclone. 46

4.11.9 The Committee feels that concerted efforts should be made for training and capacity building on Disaster Risk reduction, creation of pool of community volunteers on search and rescue, identifying 3-4 departments at the State level and develop joint action plan for mainstreaming DRR into the ongoing development programs and plans to strengthen last mile connectivity for early warning system for floods and cyclone. There is further need to establish DM Training Institute under Department of Disaster Management for continuous capacity building of DM officers at all level and to raise one full-fledged battalion of State Search and Rescue Force. The Committee also suggests that WBSDMA may be made functional if not made so far. Disaster Management may be mainstreamed into fire and emergency and civil defence activities.

NORTH EASTERN STATES

4.12 Government of Arunachal Pradesh 4.12.1 The State of Arunachal Pradesh is a multi hazard prone State largely due to hydro- meteorological, geomorphologic and topographic feature. Before the onset of monsoon, district administration conducts series of coordination meetings and set up control room to monitor and tackle the situation. The State suffered from flash flood, landslides, flood, fire accident and massive soil erosion. Advance warning mechanism needs to be adopted before the onset of monsoon. Therefore, the State/district remain prepared for or take preventive steps to tackle any kind of disasters and the offshoot of the like flood/flash flood/landslides/epidemics etc. Before approaching of monsoon actions are taken for stocking of essentials commodities/medicines/ machines (heavy) for clearance of blockage.

Comments of MHA 4.12.2 The State suffers from flash flood, landslides, flood, fire accident and massive soil erosion. Advance warning system needs to be set up before the onset of monsoon. Capacity building and awareness generation is needed. Stocking of essential commodities, medicines and equipments in time is essential. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) need to be established. State needs to include disaster management components in all existing/ ongoing/upcoming scheme/developmental plan/programme etc. 4.12.3 The Committee observes that there is urgent need for strengthening and streamlining institutions of disaster management set up in the State of Arunachal Pradesh in view of its terrain and topography. The Committee observes that there is lack of proper awareness/knowledge on disaster among the stakeholders. The Committee, therefore, recommends for suitable action in that direction. The Committee also desires that Disaster Management components need to be incorporated in the day to day activities as well as workplace and proper coordination and cooperation of various government departments, Administration and the community is also required.

4.13 Government of Assam 4.13.1 The Committee was informed that the Disaster Management Policy and Disaster Management Rule for Assam have been approved and widely circulated amongst the stakeholders. Assam is one of the few States where the Secretariat of the SDMA is functional with its own set of officers and experts. Guwahati building Bye laws have already been revised. However, there is further scope for inclusion of various aspects of Urban Planning into the Guwahati building Bye- laws. The Committee was apprised that legal frameworks that require amendments inter alia include the following:– 47

(i) Assam Fire Services Act needs to be amended for giving required powers to the departments for risk reduction in the State. (ii) Assam Municipal Act 1956 needs to be amended for vesting rule making power with the Urban Development Department so that Uniform Building Bye-laws can be formulated for the entire State. (iii) A uniform building byelaws need to be framed and adapted by the Urban Development Department for addressing Disaster Management concerns in development projects and construction activities in the entire State. (iv) PWD Department (Roads) needs to enact required bye-laws for fixation of Road Mean Level.

Major incidents 4.13.2 The State has witnessed incidents of major Disasters which inter alia includes 2007 – Floods; 2008 — Floods, Serial Bomb blast; 2009-Floods, 2010, 2011. Floods in the last five years have been managed by the State Administration by way of flood contingency planning at State, District, Sub-Divisional and Revenue Circle Level. From the year 2010 onwards, flood situation has been reviewed at the highest level on weekly basis that has helped in effective management of floods in the State. Assam had pioneered the Flood Early Warning System (FLEWS) in 5 districts of Assam in the year 2010 with the success rate of 60% accuracy in prediction. The FLEWS project has been extended to 3 more districts during the years 2011. On the serial bomb blast in Assam on 30th October 2008, the incidents were managed by the Home Department with the help of Police, Paramilitary, Fire services and Health Department. Preparedness for such incidents have to be scaled up by way of specific planning for response, prevention and mitigation. Emergency service of Police, Health and Fire services have to be integrated with proper SOP. 4.13.3 The State Government informed the Committee that the Disaster Risk Management Programme, a joint initiative of the Government of India-UNDP, was implemented in 12 most multi- hazard prone districts in Assam with emphasis on sustainable disaster risk reduction to build capacities at all levels to institutionalize the disaster risk management system in the State.

SWOT analysis of Disaster Management in Assam

Strength Weakness 1 2 1. Fully functional SDMA with its own 1. Less priority accorded by stakeholders to DM secretariat. concerns 2. DDMAs in all the 27 districts of Assam 2. Resource constraint 3. One District Project Officer in each DDMA 3. Lack of specialized equipments for failsafe appointed by Assam State Disaster communication, response activities etc. Management Authority exclusively for Disaster Management 4. Regular meeting and review of DM 4. Lack of proactive, comprehensive and activities and related issues by SDMA chaired sustained efforts by departments to address DM by the Hon’ble Chief Minister concerns within the sphere of their activities. 48

1 2 5. Regular meeting and review of DM activities and related issues by SEC chaired by the Chief Secretary 6. DM Rules and Policy in place 7. Guwahati Building bye-laws amended to include earthquake safety. 8. Dedicated State Disaster Response Force created (two battalions raised as of now) 9. Empanelled training Institutes (TISS and AIDMi) for undertaking capacity building activities. 10. Flood Early Warning System has been piloted in eight districts of Assam. 11. Networking with knowledge institutes/ organizations.

Opportunity Threat 1. Regular and Constant support from the 1. State geomorphology is highly susceptible to Highest authority in the State. severe earthquake, floods and landslides. 2. Presence of large number of Knowledge 2. Trans border issues related to floods/flash institutes in the State. floods. 3. Unsafe built environment

Comments of MHA 4.13.4 The Ministry of Home Affairs has commented that amendment is required in the Assam Fire Services Act, Assam Municipal Act, 1956 and Uniform Building by-laws and Road by- laws need to be framed and adopted. Since the State is affected by floods, serial bomb blast, etc. the State is integrating emergency services of police, health and fire services with standard of procedures (SOPs) and preparing specific planning for response, prevention and mitigation. Resilient mitigation measures, retrofitting, hazard specific planning, resource mobilization, capacity development, knowledge management and integrated response mechanism are required to be put into place. The State requires to work on resource mobilization, capacity development, procure equipments of communication, sort out trans-border issues. State faces resource constraint, lack of pro-active, comprehensive and sustained efforts by stakeholder departments. Institutionalization of disaster management at local level, strengthening of emergency operation centres, improvement in communication system, creation of sufficient SDFF Bn. The State desires for setting up of an institute of DM in the State. 4.13.5 The Committee is in agreement with the observations of the Ministry of Home Affairs and recommends that Central Government as well as the State Government should chalk out specific strategy with the objective to make the Disaster Management set-up more resilient and effective. 49

4.13.6 The Committee observes that SDMA and DDMAs have been set up in the State. However, Disaster Management set up in the State needs further strengthening through various measures like institutionalization of DM at PRIs/ULB level, strengthening of EOCs at State, District, Sub-Division and Revenue Circle Level. A State wise smooth communication system is also required to be put in place. Sufficient SDRF battalions need to be created to reach the affected corners of the State quickly. 4.13.7 The State Government suggested that concrete steps were required to be taken for further strengthening of DM mechanism in the State which inter-alia includes mainstreaming Disaster Management with Development plans and programmes, strengthening techno legal regime in the State, retrofitting measures for lifeline buildings, schools and health facilities, strengthening and equipping OCs at State, District, Sub- Divisional levels, hazard specific strategic planning by all concerned departments, resource mobilization and mass awareness drive, continuity in training and capacity building activities for the stakeholders and volunteers etc. and greater involvement of the PRIs, knowledge networking with expert institutions/organizations in the areas of disaster risk reduction and better monitoring and evaluation of development/infrastructure projects and putting in place an integrated response mechanism. The Committee desires that the State Government must take necessary steps to complete all the above tasks. Union Ministry of Home Affairs may also render necessary assistance to the State in this regard. 4.13.8 The Committee also feels that setting up of a State of the Art Institute of Disaster Management would facilitate in carrying out need based training and capacity building activities in the State.

4.14 Government of 4.14.1 The State Government has constituted SDMA, SEC and DDMAs. The Relief and Disaster Management Department is responsible for actual implementation of the Disaster Management Activities in the State. Manipur is the first State in the North East which set up the Disaster Management Institute (DMI) in 2007 under the Relief and DM Department to impart Disaster Management Training to various Stakeholders. The State Government suggested the following amendments in the existing legal framework:– (i) The institution of Relief Commissioner is quite well established in the State Administration and plays a pivotal role in Disaster Response. It shall, therefore, be appropriate to specifically define its role in the DM act 2005. He may also be mandated to perform the duties mentioned in Section 38 of the DM act 2005. (ii) As per the provisions of the Act, the Chief Secretary is the Chief Executive Officer of the SDMA. In view of the extremely busy schedule of the Chief Secretary, it would be more appropriate, if the Relief Commissioner/Secretary i/c of Disaster Management is declared CEO of the SDMA, ex-officio.

INCIDENTS OF MAJOR DISASTERS

4.15 Pest Attack (Rodent Menace) Subsequent To Bamboo Flowering 4.15.1 Crops were destroyed by rodents in an area of 32350 hectare in 1330 villages of three districts of Churachandpur, Tamenglong and Chandel, affecting a population of 2.39 Lakh. Agricultural Input Subsidy of R 647.00 Lakh to 32350 families, Gratuitous Relief of R 1107.43 Lakh to 33248 families, and Supplementary Nutrition of R 4.16 Lakh to 2310 families was provided in 2008-09. 50

4.16 Drought 2009 4.16.1 After the declaration of drought in the State on 25th June, 2009, all Deputy Commissioners were instructed to keep a watch on the field conditions and initiate relief measures as and when necessary under Calamity Relief Fund guidelines. Steps for assessment of the number of livestock and poultry affected by the drought situation in the State were taken up. As a measure to control likely occurrence of livestock disease particularly in cattle, a mass vaccination programme was taken up during June and July 2009.

4.17 Fire At Winobazar, Ukhrul Town, Manipur 4.17.1 A fire broke out in Momo Hotel, a small restaurant here at 12.30 PM on 9th March, 2009. Soon the fire spread to the other shops not only on both sides of this restaurant but also on the opposite side of the road, due to strong winds. 50 houses and shops were gutted affecting 70 families and resulting in a loss of movable property worth R 76.40 Lakh and immovable property worth R 1383.15 Lakh.

4.18 Flood At City 4.18.1 A flood situation occurred in the Imphal due to incessant rains for four days from 8th to 11th June, 2010. The Relief and Disaster Management Department coordinated the relief work. 4.18.2 The State Government suggested that the major structural mitigation measure required is putting a robust drainage as well as an underground sewerage system in place. At Government level, the Imphal Municipality Disaster Management Plan needs to be finalized quickly. Construction of river bunds in the town area to avoid floods due to overflowing of rivers, and their cleaning to remove silt are also essential steps to be initiated by Irrigation and Flood Control Department. 4.18.3 According to the State Government, the biggest hurdle is scarcity of financial resources with the State Government. As there are no industries and low agricultural productivity due to hilly terrain, the Government totally depends on the aid from the Central Government. The State Government further apprised that following steps are required to be taken to strengthen Disaster Management Mechanism in the State: (i) Constitution of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF): Due to law and order problems, the State Government is not in a position to spare any man-power from its police force for this purpose. Due to lack of financial resources, the State Government is not in a position to recruit personnel for SDRF. If 100% financial assistance is provided, the State Government would be in a position to raise its own State Disaster Response Force. (ii) Strengthening of Relief and Disaster Management Directorate and Disaster Management Institute (DMI): At present, there are only two non-gazetted officials manning the Directorate and DMI. With increasing importance of Disaster Management, the demand for undertaking more capacity building activities has also grown. The Directorate therefore, needs to be suitably strengthened. Disaster Management Institute needs more financial resources to carry out its mandate. (iii) Integration of Disaster Response System: It is felt that various agencies involved in disaster response, especially for natural disasters are integrated under a unified chain of command which includes agencies like civil Defence and Fire and Emergency Services and SDRF existence. 51

Comments of MHA 4.18.4 The Committee did not receive any specific comments except repeat of submissions of the State Government. 4.18.5 The Committee recommends for constitution of State Disaster Response Force, strengthening of Relief and Disaster Management Directorate and DMI and Integration of Disaster Response System. The Committee desired that financial constraints of the NE States, including Manipur in the instant case, should be appreciated and they should be properly be supported to strengthen their disaster management system.

4.19 Government of Meghalaya 4.19.1 The State is vulnerable to natural disasters such as hailstorm, floods, landslides, fires and it is located in the high risk seismic zone V. The terrain and topography make communication difficult and the State is highly dependent upon road transport. There are no airports and helipads in the State and there is no railway connection in the State, which hamper the easy accessibility to the State. As the State is mainly dependent on road transport, poor conditions of roads create difficulties in the transport system. Any disruption in the road communication will seriously affect the transport system in the State especially in times of disasters. Moreover, the uncontrolled and unscientific mining of coal and limestone in some parts of the State is a big threat to environment and would be highly vulnerable at the time of disasters. 4.19.2 The State Disaster Management Policy and the State Disaster Management Plan have been formulated, which are being revised from time to time. Besides, the Disaster Management Rules have been framed and notified. The SDMA with separate Secretariat, SEC and DDMAs have been established. The Building Bye Laws, 2011 have been framed and notified as per the recommendations of the Expert Committee. The old State Relief Manual may need further amendments in the light of Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Incidents of Major Disaster 4.19.3 Although, there were no incidents of major disasters in the State during the last five years, but there were incidents of cyclonic storms, flash floods and landslides in the State which caused considerable damage to properties. Suitable measures were taken to cope with these calamities. The concerned District Administrations took prompt action as per the District Disaster Management Plans to reduce the impact of such incidents. 4.19.4 The Committee has also been apprised that the State does not have the SDRF at present. Therefore, the NDRF should detail a contingent in the State to tackle emergencies. The construction of the Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) has been completed and steps are being taken to make them operational. There is a need to enhance the capacity building and awareness generation on disaster management at all levels, which is a prerequisite to deal with any disaster situation. There is also a need to enhance awareness on the provisions of Disaster Management Act for effective implementation of disaster management programmes and projects. 4.19.5 The State Government informed the Committee that although the Building Bye-Laws 2011 have been notified in the State, there are problems in the enforcement of the Building Bye-Laws due to various local conditions. The prevailing land tenure system in the State bestows ownership of land in private hands. Besides the Building Bye-Laws can only be enforced in the municipal areas. And there is no proper control over the use of land and extraction of resources from the land which cause hazard and risk to human life. 52

4.19.6 However, the State Government observed that with the Disaster Management Act in force, there is a great opportunity for mainstreaming of disaster management in various developmental works and projects. The services of various important central institutions such as the North Eastern Space Application Centre, Geological Survey of India, Indian Meteorological Department, Central Water Commission, North Eastern Council, the North East Indira Gandhi Regional institute of Medical Sciences and the Defence Headquarters could be made use of in the better management of disasters in the State.

Comments of MHA 4.19.7 There are no Panchayati Raj Institutions in the State. There is need to establish State Disaster Response Force also the old state relief manual may need further amendment in the light of DM Act, 2005. State does follow the local disaster management plans, regular mock drills and other measures in the event of any disaster. There is need to establish SDRF and make the emergency operation centers operationalised. Steps are required to enhance the capacity building and awareness generation. Implementation of Building bye-Laws 2011 is to be done. The State requires air force helipads and railway services. Road infrastructure and communication network requires upliftment. Various important central institutions can be made use of for better management of disasters. 4.19.8 The Committee observes that the Disaster Management set up in the State can be strengthened by enhancement of capacity building of all stakeholders and community, better and effective functioning of all the Emergency Operation Centre by improving the functioning of the disaster management institutional frame works such as SDMA, DDMAs and Disaster Management Training Institutes. The functioning of the SDMA can be made more effective by providing experts and professionals in disaster management, well equipped libraries, exposure visits of the stakeholders to other States where disaster management institutions are functioning effectively. Awareness generation must be made up to the grass root level and providing vertical and horizontal linkages in disaster management planning.

4.20 Government of Mizoram 4.20.1 The State Government of Mizoram informed that besides SDMA and SEC, District Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in all the eight districts have been notified. District, Block and Village Level Disaster Management Committees have also been set up. SDRF has been established from the Armed Battalions. Training has been imparted to two batches by trainers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Guwahati. 4.20.2 The Committee notes that during the past five years the State experienced three major calamities. Hence, three memorandum were submitted to the Central Government in connection with landslide/flood in 2007, pest attack due to bamboo flowering (Mautam) in 2007 and for damage caused by hailstorm and cyclonic storm in 2010. The State Government stated that not much could be done in terms of prevention, therefore post-disaster management needs to be strengthened. The Department, due to paucity of fund, cannot procure the desired number of equipments for search and rescue work and also for relief of the victims. The creation of two posts only viz. one field officer and one peon each by the Government in the emergency operation centres is highly inadequate for field work in times of major or minor calamity. The Committee was also informed that two posts of engineer are yet to be filled up. Apart from that, more technical personnel may be brought in to give advice on pre-disaster construction.The Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department is handicapped with regard to procurement of equipments. 10% of SDRF is allowed for the equipments, however, the list of approved equipments issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs is extremely inadequate. 53

Comments of MHA 4.20.3 The Post Disaster Management in the cases of landslides/floods/pest attack/hailstorm and cyclonic storms needs to be strengthened. SDMA in its first meeting had approved that all departments would set aside 1% of their divisible Plan fund for natural calamities. Steps have been taken for creation of appropriate plan head of account for transfer of this fund. Emergency Operation Centers and State Disaster Response Force need to be strengthened. 4.20.4 The Committee observes that the Disaster Management Act, 2005 has been adopted by Mizoram; however, the Disaster Management Rules is still pending approval. The Committee therefore, recommends that Disaster Management Rules needs to be approved as soon as possible in order to enable the Department to function smoothly. 4.20.5 The Committee feels that recruitment of adequate staff to man the Emergency Operation Centers is necessary. The Committee also feels that in order to further strengthen Disaster Management mechanism, technical personnel are crucial to be posted in the Department. The Committee therefore strongly recommends that the State Government should appoint additional technical manpower support at the earliest. Further, Union Government in tandem with the State Government must arrive at a decision with regard to providing more funds in SDRF for procurement of equipments for search and rescue work and also for relief of the victims.

4.21 Government of Tripura 4.21.1 The State Government informed that appropriate sections of Disaster Management Act, 2005 have been adhered in the State and statutory authorities like state Disaster Management Authority, State Executive Committee and District Disaster Management Authorities have been constituted. State Disaster Management Policy has been drafted. However, for suitable operationalisation of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 in Tripura State, the State Government suggested amendment of a few sections of the Act during the Regional Workshop held at Shillong. 4.21.2 The State Government has pointed out that as per the SDRF guidelines, only 5% is applicable for procurement of critical equipments for disaster response and Rs. 1.00 crore per year has been allocated under 13 Finance Commission for Capacity Building to the State which is meager for taking up various disaster management activities. Considering the vulnerability to various hazards, special provision may be considered for the State by enhancing allocation of SDRF for procurement of critical equipment from 5% to 10% and special grant for Capacity Building purposes. 4.21.3 The State Government also felt that SDRF guidelines are not clear about payment of ex- gratia to the families of deceased due to landslide, fire and road accidents which are very frequent in the State and the concerned authorities cannot extend necessary compensation to the affected victims.

Major disasters in the State 4.21.4 The State Government stated that no big disaster occurred during last five years in the State except small few incidents. Since the State has not experienced big disaster in recent past, motivation and awareness level is low. However, there is high risk of damage in case of war or other related human induced disaster as 80% of State boundary is with Bangladesh. Due to high building material and wage cost, the construction practice in the State is not disaster resilient. 4.21.5 The State Government suggested following steps to strengthen Disaster Management mechanism in the State: 54

(i) Dedicated funds for functioning of SDMA and DDMA for HR Supports, disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness projects and programmes, vulnerability assessment of lifeline buildings, support to local authorities for implementation of disaster management activities. (ii) Development of pool of Master Trainers in the State for imparting specialized training to the Disaster Management Teams at State, District and sub-districts, Doctors and Paramedics, Teachers etc. (iii) Support to CTI-Gokulnagar as state of art training Centre on disaster management by providing advanced training to the faculty members and availing specialized training equipments and study materials. (iv) Specialized training and exposure visits of few selected Doctors and Engineers as Master Trainer of the State in reputed institutions outside of the State. (v) Further strengthening of nodal training institutions for Disaster Management (i.e. CTI-Gokulnagar for conducting Search and Rescue and First Aid trainings; SIPARD for conducting general and specialized disaster management training to the officials and PRIs and NIT-Agartala for Engineers and Architects). (vi) Acquiring of alternate communication system i.e. Satellite phones for State, District and sub-division level key officials. (vii) Procurement of adequate critical rescue, medical and communication equipments for all District, sub-division, TSRBns and Training Institutes. (viii) Considering Tripura being a multi hazard prone State, Government of India may extend the Civil Defence setup to other seven districts so that the disaster response structure could be strengthened and at the normal time, training to the volunteers, conducting mock drills at different level and disaster management related activities could be streamlined. (ix) Taking up vulnerability study of the State for identifying vulnerable areas and sector for taking up appropriate mitigation, prevention and preparedness activities through proper disaster management planning. (x) Availing dedicated funds for manning of State and District EOCs (Control Rooms) (through Civil Defence Volunteers) for ensuring 24x7 function. (xi) Taking up Volunteers and Students training at Community levels and Schools. (xii) Considering the multi hazard prone State, provision for allocating additional funds by concerned ministries for construction of disaster resistant public building and buildings/houses under different scheme (IAY, SSA etc.) and for other development activities.

Comments of MHA 4.21.6 The State has provided suggestions for possible amendments to the DM Act vide Replies to the questionnaire circulated to them. The Task Force took note of that. The State has faced disaster like serial bomb blast, fire, LPG leakage, bus accidents, etc. After accidents miscreants rob the dead, local transport charge more cost of transportation of dead bodies. Mobilization of helicopter during fire disaster found difficulties. Communication network failure during bomb blast was experienced. 55

4.21.7 State has vibrant PRIs, 24x7 functional EOCs, 42 helipads, etc. Institutions like TASC, TIT, Tripura University, NIT, SCERT can contribute their specialized efforts on DM to the State. The State requires guidelines for incorporating specific disaster management components into specific planning processes. 4.21.8 The Committee observes that the State is striving to integrate disaster management components into development planning and processes but it would be effective and result oriented only if suitable guidelines are prepared for State Government/Ministries, etc. for incorporating specific disaster management components into specific planning and develop process. The Committee in this background recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs may consider and examine the suggestions of State Government of Tripura. 4.21.9 The Committee would also like to suggest for developing interstate and international cooperation for extending support on cross border disasters as 80% boundary of the State is with Bangladesh. The Committee also recommends for development of early warning mechanism within the State resources and linking up with national and international early warning agencies.

UNION TERRITORIES

4.22 Government of Andaman AND Nicobar Islands 4.22.1 The A&N Islands are classified under seismic zone V. A large number of earthquakes of 5.00 magnitude are known to have occurred in and around the Islands. Keeping the infrastructure ready and well oiled to face any eventuality can reduce the loss of lives and damages to the properties and rescue of the lives to the great extent. All the resources and skills of all the line departments have been pooled together at the time of emergencies but there is lack of coordination and full preparedness to face disasters. Hence, the Administration established Directorate of Disaster Management to cop up the emergency crises. 4.22.2 The Committee was informed that A&N Islands Union Territory Disaster Management Authority, A&N Union Territory Disaster Management Executive Committee and District Disaster Management Authorities have been constituted. Directorate of Disaster Management has also been established and Disaster Management Plan-2011 has been prepared in consultation with the NIDM, Delhi. Trigger points have been identified and mechanism is in place for activating/triggering the CMP on receipt of warning from IMD/Police Department/Fire Services/other sources/occurrence of disaster. 4.22.3 The Committee was informed that the A&N Administration has operationalised six Emergency Operation Centres and a State Control Room alongwith other control rooms of the other line departments in the Islands for monitoring hazards/emergencies on 24x7x 365 basis. State Control Room is equipped with Tsunami Siren to be blown during tsunami alert received from the INCOIS after confirmation from the MHA. 4.22.4 The UT Administration apprised the following constrains in the working of Disaster Management set-up and provided suggestions for improvement: (i) Insufficient Staff Strength – Creation of 36 posts for full fledged establishment of the Directorate of Disaster Management has been send to MHA for consideration. (ii) Inadequate communication support – Administration constituted Committee for Emergency Communication Setting up in these Islands. (iii) Non-availability of transport vehicles – Matter is under process with MHA. 56

(iv) Improving the Hardware and Software equipments. (v) Insufficient manpower for handling State Control Room and 6 Emergency Operation Centres-Creation of additional 140 posts for the SCR and EOC are under process with the Administration.

Comments of MHA 4.22.5 The Committee did not receive any specific comments except repeat of submissions of the State Government. 4.22.6 The Committee recommends that sanction of 36 posts for making the establishment of Directorate of Disaster Management fully functional should be accorded at the earliest. Demand of better communication support between islands in view of their topography as well as transport vehicles is justified and should be looked into on priority basis. The Committee took into account the observation of the MHA that on the basis of the formula worked out on pro rata basis by the DM division, a proposal has been sent by the UT Division of MHA to Ministry of Finance for establishing the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the UTs which is under active consideration in that Ministry. If the approval of the Ministry of Finance has been received, a separate SDRF for each UT may be created. The Committee desires that MHA should undertake requisite follow up action if the approval has not yet been received from Ministry of Finance.

4.23 Government of Chandigarh 4.23.1 The existing legal framework in UT Administration consists of SDMA under the Chairmanship of Advisor to Administrator and DDMA under the Chairmanship of DC-cum-District Relief Commissioner. The UT of Chandigarh is a compact area limited to 114 sq. km. and the present legal frame work is sufficient to tackle any Disaster in future. No major disaster has taken place in the UT during the last five years. The present infrastructure available in UT, Administration to strengthen Disaster Management Mechanism is adequate and satisfactory to meet any type of contingent situation. The Assessment of functioning of Disaster Management Network Setup in UT has been made from time to time.

Comments of MHA 4.23.2 UT Government has not provided SWOT analysis, however, the UT has informed that these can be controlled with the existing mechanism. 4.23.3 The Committee recommends that UT Government of Chandigarh should undertake SWOT analysis of Disaster Management set up in UT and review it from time to time.

4.24 Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli 4.24.1 The UT Government of Dadra and Nagar Haveli has constituted the State Level Disaster Management Authority and also constituted the District Level Disaster Management Committee for UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. No incident of major disaster has occurred in the U.T. of Dadra and Nagar Haveli during last five years. The resource survey is to be carried out mainly relating to the categories like water and climate related disaster, geologically related disasters, chemical, Industrial and Nuclear related disaster and Accidents related disasters. These category-wise plans will be consolidated by District Level Committees which shall also update them as and when required. The District Level Committee will also examine Model Disaster Management Act and give its recommendations whether it should be adopted by the U.T. 57

Comments of MHA 4.24.2 The State Executive Committee (SEC) needs to be set up by the UT. They also need to constitute Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). For the purpose Additional funds are required to set up Disaster Management Cells. On the basis of the formula worked out on pro rata basis by the DM Division, a proposal has been sent by the UT Division of MHA to Ministry of Finance for establishing the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the UTs which is under active consideration in that Ministry. As soon as the approval of the Ministry of Finance is received, a separate SDRF for each UT would be created. 4.24.3 The Committee is of the view that UT needs capacity building and awareness generation programmes. UT also requires effective mitigation measures to be built in its developmental process and be vigilant to safeguard its territorial/geographical interests. Besides, the UT requires technical guidance and funds for setting up of the Disaster Management Cell and to prepare their Disaster Management Plan. The Committee recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs should take up the issues with the Ministry of Finance for setting up Disaster Management Cell and for establishing SDRF.

4.25 Administration of Daman and Diu 4.25.1 The UT Administration of Daman and Diu has constituted the State Level Disaster Management Authority and the District Level Disaster Management Committee in 2005. No incident of major disaster has occurred in the UT during the last five years. UT requires funds for setting up of the Disaster Cell and also requires technical guidance to prepare disaster plan. UT does not have enough manpower as well as other facilities. Therefore, UT requires proper guidance and timely releasing of funds to tackle any disaster.

Comments of MHA 4.25.2 On the basis of the formula worked out on pro rata basis by the DM Division, a proposal has been sent by the UT Division of MHA to Ministry of Finance for establishing the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the UTs which is under active consideration in that Ministry. As soon as the approval of the Ministry of Finance is received, a separate SDRF for each UT would be created. 4.25.3 The Committee feels that the UT’s request for funds for setting up of the Disaster Cell as well as technical guidance to prepare disaster plan need to be addressed. For strengthening of disaster management set up, UT needs capacity building of DM among the public, public awareness, improved use of technology and social/family activities. An early action may be taken in this regard.

4.26 Administration of Lakshadweep 4.26.1 The U.T. Government of Lakshadweep intimated that District Disaster Management Authority and the Lakshadweep Disaster Management Authority have been constituted as per Disaster Management Act, 2005. Hazard Safety Cell and Central Cyclone Committee and Island Level Cyclone Committee were also constituted. A separate Directorate has been created by the Administration exclusively to handle the relief and Disaster Management. No Major Disaster causing human causality has been recorded during the last 5 years. However, a cyclone hit was experienced on 26.11.2011 and badly affected Kalpeni. Capacity building workshop and community awareness/ preparedness programmes have been organized in all islands to create awareness among the public regarding the Cyclone and related Management. 24 hour Control rooms have been activated in all the islands from May to December every year in order to disseminate the early warning received 58 from Meteorological office of Chennai and Trivandrum. 200 Disaster Relief Volunteers has been engaged and deployed in all islands. Sensitization trainings on formation of IRT are conducted in islands in association with NDMA.

Comments of MHA 4.26.2 The Ministry of Home Affairs has suggested that the UT needs to create Emergency Operation Centre, State Executive Committee and State Disaster Response Force. On the basis of the formula worked out on pro rata basis by the DM Division, a proposal has been sent by the UT Division of MHA to Ministry of Finance for establishing the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the UTs which is under active consideration in that Ministry. As soon as the approval of the Ministry of Finance is received, a separate SDRF for each UT would be created. The UT requires financial support for strengthening of DM, recruitment of project coordinator and also staff for the newly created directorate. 4.26.2 The Committee observes that proposals for the formation of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in UTs are pending in the Ministry of Finance. The Committee desires that MHA should actively take up the follow up action with that Ministry for considering the proposals, if not cleared as yet. The Committee further notes that at present there is no staff provided for the Disaster Management Directorate and the same is managed with the staff of Revenue Department. There is also further need to strengthen the existing control room with adequate staff and with most modern equipments. The Committee recommends that Ministry of Home Affairs should examine all these issues. 59

CHAPTER-V

PREPARADENESS AND RESPONSE WORK (Study Visits to Select Places)

5.1 The Committee in order to get first hand information at the ground level visited some organisations pertaining to different sectors in the country. The impression obtained by the Committee is summarized in the succeeding paragraphs below:

5.2 Indra Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), Delhi 5.2.1 Under the Aircraft Rule 1937, Part XI, Rule 81 and Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), Section 4, Series ‘B’, Part-I, an aerodrome operator is required to establish an Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) commensurate with the aircraft operations and other activities conducted at the aerodrome. To meet the requirement and other necessary obligations stipulated by DGCA, Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd. (DIAL), which operates Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), has established and promulgated Delhi Airport Emergency Plan (DAEP) based on the standards set by DGCA. 5.2.2 The Airport Authority apprised the Committee about the following possible disasters/ emergencies at IGI Airport: (i) Natural disasters like Earthquake, Floods, Storm and tempest, etc.; (ii) Aircraft Crash On/Off the Airport; (iii) Full Emergency; (iv) Local Standby; (v) In-flight Mass Casualties; (vi) Fires on Ground (Aircraft Relates Fires in Aircraft Movement Areas and Non Aircraft Related areas including Airport Buildings and Installations); (vii) Dangerous Goods Accidents/Incidents; (viii) Removal/Recovery of Disabled Aircraft on the Aerodrome. 5.2.3 The Committee was given to understand that Delhi region falls under Seismic Zone-IV. However, Seismic Zone V has been factored in Major Development Plan (MDP) and in case of earthquake of 9 on Richter scale, T-3 passenger Terminal building is ductile enough to withstand earthquake of higher magnitude. In this seismic effect, structure as well as false ceiling, glass façade, roof structures, will be safe to evacuate passengers. 5.2.4 The Authority apprised the Committee of its comprehensive emergency plan. The Delhi Airport Emergency Plan (DAEP) which is a comprehensive, functional and periodically tested plan and duly approved by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), defines the actions of the Airport Operator, Airlines, Medical and related Government agencies to effectively respond to aerodrome emergency situations in a coordinating manner. The Authority also apprised the Committee about the modern equipment and trained/experienced manpower of DGCA to be used at the time of emergency:

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1. Reosenbauer Panther Crash Fire Tenders imported from Austria equipped with most modern fire fighting and rescue equipment specially designed for aircraft operations. 2. Turn Table step ladder for fighting high rise building fires and evacuation. 3. State-of-the-art ‘Command Post’ vehicle for onsite command and control function. 4. Modern Breathing Apparatus, Training gallery for stimulated exercise. 5. Professionally trained and experienced personnel. 6. Continuous training and assessments to upgrade professional competency. 5.2.5 The Committee was further apprised that co-ordinated efforts with the help of other stakeholders like CISF, Delhi Police, Delhi Traffic Police, Delhi Fire Service, Hospital, Ambulances have been made to handle the emergencies. Periodical mock drills on handling emergencies including the evacuation exercise are also being done. 5.2.6 The Authority apprised the Committee regarding emergency preparedness of the airport. The three terminals of the Airport have four fire stations at strategically located positions. The terminal 2 which is not being used for regular traffic is also kept in permanent state of readiness so that in case there is a crash, survivors will be taken to terminal 2 where medical supplies and equipment with medical staff, air-conditioned rooms are available as per ICAO guidelines. It was further informed that if terminal 2 is bogged down due to some reasons, terminal 1A can be used which is also in the same state of readiness. 5.2.7 Regarding mock drills, the Authority apprised that under statutory guidelines, two drills every year and one full scale emergency drill using an aircraft once a year are conducted. In the near future, there will be bomb contingency and anti hijack mock drill every calendar year. The Authority has 244 personnel including officers and cadets. 5.2.8 The Committee notes the disaster management arrangements as well as preparedness at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad. The Committee is of the view that both the airports have the most modern system in place. The Committee desires that other airports in the country should also have similar and modern disaster management arrangements. In all the airports, there should be regular Disaster Management rehearsal and the arrangements should be reviewed from time to time.

5.3 Disasters And Their Management In Tamil Nadu 5.3.1 Tamil Nadu is frequently subjected to overwhelming devastation by natural calamities of cyclonic storms and flooding due to its location in a highly vulnerable part of Peninsular India. In the recent past, the State has faced disasters of one kind or the other every year. There was severe drought in 2002-03 and in 2003-04. The State faced floods in the Cauvery delta area in October-November, 2004. Tsunami devastated the entire coastal areas on 26th December, 2004 and killed nearly 8000 persons. Again in the year 2005, during the Northeast monsoon, the State experienced unprecedented heavy rainfall in four spells, affecting 22 districts of the State. During Northeast Monsoon 2007, the State received heavy rains affecting all the districts. The unexpected and unprecedented heavy rains during second and third week of March 2008, again lashed the State causing heavy damage to life, crops and properties. During Northeast Monsoon 2008, Cyclone “NISHA” caused heavy rains and extensive damages. During the Northeast Monsoon 2009 period, the State received heavy rainfall in the Nilgiris and coastal districts. During 2010, heavy rains and the Cyclone ‘Jal’ played havoc as out of 32 districts, 27 districts received excessive rainfall. 61

5.3.2 State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), State Executive Committee and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) have been constituted. Revenue Administration, Disaster Management and Mitigation Department play a pivotal role in disaster management and is responsible for precautionary, relief and rehabilitation measures in the State. A Pre-monsoon preparedness review meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary is held before the onset of Northeast Monsoon. Similarly in the districts, a District Coordination Committee Meeting is held under the chairmanship of Collector with the line departments. Based on the suggestions and feedback received during the meeting necessary preventive measures are taken. Mock drills are also conducted. An Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) functions throughout the year. Advance information on disasters is received and disseminated to the concerned authorities for taking immediate follow up action. Besides, telephone, computers and fax facilities, a toll free public utility services telephone number 1070 has been installed in the centre. 5.3.3 There are 395 rain gauge stations in the State which are well distributed throughout the State. The rainfalls recorded in these stations are sent to the office of the State Relief Commissioner. These rain gauge stations are periodically inspected by the staff of India Meteorological Department and Revenue Department.

Cyclone Shelters 5.3.4 There are 124 cyclone shelters in the State. In addition, 121 multipurpose evacuation shelters are proposed to be constructed under Vulnerability Reduction of Coastal Communities Project at a cost of about R 262.86 crore.

Cyclone “Thane” 5.3.5 The Committee was informed that during the Northeast monsoon period, on 30.12.2011, cyclone ‘Thane’ struck Tamil Nadu coast near due to which thousands of trees were uprooted, entire electricity infrastructure was severely damaged and lakhs of huts and tiled houses damaged. Agricultural and horticultural crops especially cashew in particular were affected. While wind fallen trees and other blocks were removed within 24 hours restoring the road traffic, action was taken to ensure water and power supply in affected areas in Cuddalore and Viluppuram districts by engaging water tankers and generators from other districts. Due to , 27 HT towers, 45640 electric poles and 4700 transformers were completely uprooted. To ensure prompt resumption of power supply in the affected areas, action was taken to deploy about 10,000 employees of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board from other districts to reconstruct the electrical infrastructure that was totally devastated due to ‘Thane’ cyclone. 5.3.6 A Central Team visited the cyclone affected areas and assessed the damages. A memorandum seeking financial assistance of R 5248.80 crore from Government of India for relief and restoration of damages was presented to the Central Team. A sum of R 523.977 crore was released by Central Government from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) towards ‘Thane’ relief. A Special Relief Package Programme at a cost of R 790.18 crore (R 65.22 crore for Agricultural crops and R. 724.96 crore for Horticultural crops) was implemented in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts for the farmers who lost Agricultural and Horticultural crops in general and cashew in particular. In addition, the districts of Cuddalore and Villupuram were declared as ‘Cyclone affected Districts’. By this announcement, the short term and medium term loans had been rescheduled besides enabling farmers to get fresh crop loans.

Tsunami in 2004 5.3.7 A powerful tsunami struck the Tamil Nadu coast on 26.12.2004. Relief and rehabilitation works were carried out in the tsunami affected places with the help of funds received from the 62

Government of India, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, National and International NGOs and the State Government. A sum of R 3865.21 crore had been spent and works for R 786.92 crore under World Bank aided Emergency Tsunami reconstruction Project and R 355.08 crore under Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme totaling to R 1142.00 crore were under progress.

World Bank aided Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project (ETRP) 5.3.8 An agreement for the above project was signed in May 2005 in order to revise livelihoods and to promote recovery of people who were affected by the Tsunami. The original outlay of the Project was US $ 423 million corresponding to R 1852.74 crore. The 5 components devised under this Project were 1.Housing reconstruction 2.Restoration of livelihood, 3.Repair and re- construction, 4.Technical assistance and training and 5.Implementation support. 5.3.9 Among these 5 components, the Housing reconstruction component was allotted the major share with 84% (US $ 354.20 Million-R 1445.40 crore) since it was then envisaged that this sector was most severely damaged. However, due to overwhelming response of a large number of NGOs for housing reconstruction and utilization of Government of India grants for the reconstruction of damaged rural infrastructure, only construction of Houses in urban areas had been taken up under ETRP. Hence significant savings were available under ETRP in Housing Re-construction component. In order to utilize the funds effectively, it was decided to restructure the World Bank aided Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project by revising the Project Development Objective to revive livelihoods and promote recovery in the Tsunami affected areas in the short-term and to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities to a range to natural hazards such as cyclone, storm surge, flood and tsunami over the longer term. 5.3.10 The revised Project agreement is called “Restructured ETRP-VRCC Agreement”. The revised allocation under this agreement was R 1959.10 crore (US $ 415 million). Under the revised agreement the Project Period was also extended upto 31.12.2011. The components under the Restructured ETRP-VRCC Programme included construction of 14369 natural disaster resistant houses in rural areas, laying of 46.01 kms. of evacuation routes, installation of 439 early warning systems, construction of 121 multipurpose evacuation shelters along the coastal areas in addition to infrastructure works like construction of fishing harbours, fish landing centres, providing coastal stability to river bar mouths, establishment of tube ice plant, construction of tenements at Okkiyam-Thoraipakkam, All India Radio site, Tiruvottriyur and at Marina, construction of stone pillars at High Tide Line reference points, preparation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan and sanitation works in tsunami affected Town Panchayats and municipal areas. 5.3.11 As the project period ended on 31.12.2011 a project on Disaster Risk Reduction which covers the ongoing works of the erstwhile Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project and the newly proposed capacity building initiatives in risk reduction/mitigation at a cost of R 1142.00 crore has been prepared and sent to the Government of India for obtaining financial assistance of the World Bank.

5.4 Disaster Management Preparedness For Chennai City 5.4.1 Major Disasters that Chennai city may face are cyclones and flooding, fire accidents, mild tremors and tsunami threats. Chennai city is usually affected by floods during the monsoon period between October and December every year. During that period, cyclone threat also looms large over the city. A total of 36 areas were identified as vulnerable areas in the city by Anna University. 5.4.2 The Committee was informed that Corporation of Chennai maintains an extensive network of storm water drains to a length of 1753.60 km. and 28.64 km. of canals in the city to discharge 63 the flood water into the sea. As part of its flood preparedness measures, storm water drains and canals are desilted from the month of April till monsoon. In 12 subways, 60 pump sets with total capacity of 785 HP are being used. In addition Corporation of Chennai keeps 88 portable pumps ready for pumping out flood water. Depending upon necessity, pump sets from Agriculture Engineering Department, Fire Service Department and private sources are deployed in all zones. Corporation keeps two vehicle mounted saws and 10 portable power saws for cutting and removing fallen trees. The Committee was further informed that the Corporation keeps relief centers for preparing food for distributing to flood victims at Basin Bridge Road, Perambur Barracks Road, Chinthadripet and Copalapuram. Each of the relief center has the capacity to prepare 2000 food packets per hour. In addition to the above relief centers, temporary kitchens are also opened in all zones according to the need. 5.4.3 The Committee was also apprised that fire accidents happen in the city mainly in the slum areas. Therefore, fire tenders are arranged immediately to extinguish the fire and the victims are moved to safer places immediately. Food packets and water are arranged through relief centers or from nearby hotels for three days and portable high mast lighting is arranged to illuminate the area. Ex-gratia amount of R 2000-5000 is disbursed per family, depending on the damages including 10 kg. of Rice, 2 liters of Kerosene and a set of dress.

5.5 Disaster Management System At Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) 5.5.1 The Committee was informed that for prevention from fire on account of large inventory of flammable hydrocarbon materials and the high operating pressures in a Petroleum Refinery, CPCL has laid down rules and regulations for mandatory compliance by all employees and outsiders entering the Refinery premises. Inherently Safe Design aspects are given utmost importance in the design stage itself by CPCL in existing facilities by carrying out necessary process modification on a continual basis. The Committee was informed that CPCL periodically carries out comprehensive Risk Assessment Study and HAZOP study through external expert agencies and their recommendations are taken up for implementation. The Oil Industry Safety Directorate carries out Surprise Safety Checks once in two years and External Safety Audits once in four years and their recommendations are taken up for implementation and reviewed periodically. For Identification of smoke/fire and leakage of hydrocarbon, CPCL has installed Smoke/Heat detectors and Hydrocarbon (LEL) Detectors and Toxic Gas Detectors for detecting H2S, CO, NH3 and Chlorine at critical areas, supported by CCTV coverage and linked to the Control Rooms for continuous monitoring. For Communication of emergency, CPCL has Fire Call telephone lines, Manual Call Points (MCP), Plant Communication System, UHF handsets and emergency sirens. For Protection from Fire, CPCL has installed automatic water spray systems and foam pourer systems for storage tanks/ spheres, hot pumps and transformers, CO2/flooding systems for Gas Turbines. For fighting fire, CPCL has adequate water storage and firefighting chemicals as per specified norms and is equipped with various firefighting systems as per OISD norms namely Fire Water Network system, Fire Fighting Vehicles and Emergency Rescue Vehicle equipped with rescue apparatus/gadgets. CPCL has also entered into Mutual Aid Agreement with two of the neighboring industries namely Madras Fertilisers Limited (MFL) and Tamil Nadu Petro-products Limited (TPL) for assistance through Hot Lines. In addition to emergency plans with respect to fire or leakage of hydrocarbon/toxic gases, CPCL has contingency plans for handling emergencies during cyclone, earthquake and Tsunami. For providing immediate medical treatment during emergencies, CPCL has an Occupational Health Services (OHS) Centre, which was the first amongst Oil Industries to be set up and which is a Resource Centre providing professional and technical assistance to other industries. The OHS Centre is manned round the clock and is equipped with 3 ambulances and 40 beds. All the employees are trained on firefighting and providing first aid, as part of a mandatory programme. 64

In addition to the fire crew of CPCL, some of the employees are also trained on handling rescue apparatus. The CISF personnel are also trained on firefighting and providing first aid periodically. 5.5.2 In the event of a localized fire spreading to nearby areas, Onsite Emergency is declared by the Incident Controller and the Onsite Coordinators of CPCL assemble in the On-site Emergency Control Room of CPCL to take control of the situation. Director (Operations) and in his absence Director (Technical) is the Chief Coordinator and he is supported by 10 coordinators, including the Head of CISF Unit at CPCL as security Coordinator, who have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. In the event the situation cannot be controlled and is expected to spread to Offsite, the Chief Coordinator alerts the District Collector, who is the Offsite Incident Coordinator. The Local and District Crisis Groups are activated by the District Collector for handling the emergency. In order to be prepared for handling fire emergencies, monthly internal mock drills are conducted by CPCL, wherein employees, CISF personnel and also contract workers participate at the scene of fire. CPCL conducts Onsite mock drills once in six months in the presence of officials from the Inspectorate of Factories, Tamil Nadu. The safety aspects are reviewed by the Central Safety Committee of CPCL headed by Director (Operations) during beginning of every month. 5.5.3 For the benefit of all employees of CPCL as well as other industries in the area, the CPCL periodically conducts seminar on Emergency Management wherein experts in the field from Regional Labour Institute, CLRI, etc. are invited. CPCL continuously creates awareness amongst the public on the possible hazards associated with a Petroleum Refinery and the Dos and Don’ts in the event of an emergency. CPCL conducts training sessions including live exercises to operate firefighting equipment in nearby schools. CPCL has also produced awareness educative films detailing the roles of the public during Off-site Emergency by involving popular artists from Cine field, which are screened to the public and also shown in local TV channels. The security threat and safety of the Refinery is perceived as risk and reviewed by the Board of Directors of CPCL as part of the Risk Assessment and Minimization Procedures. 5.5.4 The Committee was informed that Disaster Management Plans are also in place to handle natural calamities like flood, earthquake, cyclone, tsunami as well as man–made disasters such as riots, terrorism, sabotage, etc. It has well laid Crisis Management to combat such incidents. 5.5.5 The Committee notes the disaster management arrangements as well as preparedness at Chennai Petro Chemicals Ltd. (CPCL) to meet any eventuality. The Committee is of the view that CPCL as well as other such plants should strive to upgrade disaster management arrangements by conducting evaluations at regular intervals. The Committee also desires that Government should also take steps to ensure that effective disaster management system is put in place at such plants in private sector also in the country. The Committee desires to be apprised of the steps taken in this regard.

5.6 Crisis Management And Disaster Preparedness At Chennai Port Trust 5.6.1 During the course of interaction with the port management, the Committee was apprised that the Chennai Port facility is prone to natural disasters like earthquake, tsunami, cyclone, etc. and manmade crises like fires/explosions, oil spills and pollution, collusion and drowning of ships, radiation leaks, terrorism etc. According to the Port authorities Crisis Management is basically concerned with compliance, preparedness, training and retraining and information management. Similarly, Disaster Management consists of five phases-anticipatory, warning, strike impact, rescue, relief and rehabilitation. Chennai Port has a Crisis Management and Disaster Preparedness Plan for early detection of emergencies and take emergency response action with adequate equipment and co-ordination with all concerned departments with an aim to minimize adverse effects on local population, environment and property, localize/control emergencies, ensure effective rescue and 65 treatment of casualties, train employees to deal with such emergencies, create database for management of future crisis and restore normalcy and operations at the earliest. 5.6.2 The Committee was also informed that the Crisis Management Group is headed by the Chairman with Deputy Chairman and all other Heads of Departments are other members. There is also an Action Group headed by the Harbour Master with an alternative to Action Group headed by the Dock Master. A clear Onsite Emergency Management Organization has been established with a corresponding Offsite Organizational Chart. The Crisis Management Group generally informs the State Authorities, activates the offsite plan, liaises with the Central Government, release necessary funds to meet out the crisis and authorize press releases. On behalf of the Crisis Management Group, the Chief Incident Controller is the Deputy Conservator (or the Harbour master in his absence) and he is responsible for the above functions. 5.6.3 The Deputy Conservator controls movements of ships in any emergency, while the CPRO is in-charge of the information centre for disseminating information to the concerned State and Central Authorities. Emergency Control Rooms are set up at key locations, including Tugs, which provide offshore control. Standard procedures are listed for dealing with fire/explosions, marine oil spills, other emergencies and the required Fire Fighting Equipments are placed at the disposal of the Deputy conservator. If required, the assistance of the Armed Forces and Civil Defence and Home Guards is also sought. Standard procedures are also available in the Port’s Manual for dealing with terrorism, bomb threats and also emergency such as complete power failure. 5.6.4 The Committee was further informed that facilities and equipments also include oil spill response equipments, comprising oil recovery vessel ‘ANNAM’, multipurpose harbor vessel ‘PRESTIGE’, permanent Pneumatic Booms, Skimmers, Oil Spill Dispersant, etc. Medical and First Aid Relief Centres are also set up with adequate number of doctors and health care professionals. First Aid posts are clearly designated at clear locations and the CISF co-ordinates with the operations. If required, procedures are also available for evacuation in an emergency to identified areas within the Port or to the areas outside the Port. Such rehabilitation centres are located at 10 points distributed across the length of the port. Rehabilitation centres outside the Port are also equipped with first aid equipment, oxygen cylinders, telephone lines, etc. A system of disaster warning alarms and evacuation signals with sirens is also in place. Modern Port Surveillance and Management System located at the Centenary Building is manned round-the-clock with Cordless PA System and cableless system of CCTVs covering the entire Port for monitoring of different parts of the Port. 5.6.5 The Port authorities informed that the Crisis Management Plan is regularly validated through Mock Drills for inculcating preparedness among the port personnel, examining the plans and SOPs of stakeholders, evaluating rescue status of various departments, coordinating the activities of all the concerned agencies and utilizing the feedback received to further improve the Crisis Management Plan. The Marine Department, which controls the Port Fire Service and Marine Pollution Control Cell of the Port, coordinates with all other Departments to ensure that the Port is able to effectively implement the Crisis Management and Disaster Preparedness Plan. The effectiveness of the plan was demonstrated well during the recent tsunami warning. During the cyclone “Thane”, the Chennai Port handled the situation without any untoward incident by taking precautionary measures. The timely action with professional acumen prevented any damage to the ships and port property. 5.6.6 The Committee notes the disaster management arrangements as well as preparedness at Chennai Port Trust to meet any eventuality. The Committee is of the view that Chennai Port Trust as well as other major Port Trusts should strive to upgrade the disaster management arrangements by conducting evaluations at regular intervals. The Committee also desires that Government should also ensure that minor Ports spread across 66 the coastline of the country also take up steps to have effective disaster management system. The Committee desires to be apprised of the steps taken in this regard.

5.7 Madras Atomic Power Station, Kalpakkam 5.7.1 Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) a twin unit station (2 X 220 Mwe) is located at kalpakkam, about 70 km. south of Chennai on the East Coast. The power produced from Madras Automic Power Station is distributed to the Southern States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Puduchery, which constitute the Southern Regional Grid. 5.7.2 The Committee was informed that the Nuclear power Plants (NPPs) in India are designed, constructed, commissioned and operated in conformity with relevant nuclear safety requirements and Madras Atomic Power Station is certified for IS:ISO-14001 for its environmental friendly policies and IS:ISO-18001 for the Occupational Health and Safety measures. Periodic Safety Review of the Units is carried outby AERB. Apart from it, an in-house review by NPCIL Corporate review team and review by international team of nuclear experts from WANO is also done. 5.7.3 In NPPs, concept of defense in depth is applied to all safety activities, whether organizational, behavioral or design related, to ensure that they are subject to overlapping provisions, should failure occur, it woud be detected and then compensated for or corrected by appropriate measuers. The defence in depth is structured at five levels with aims specified for each level. (i) The aim of the first level of defence is to prevent deviation from normal operation and prevent system failures. (ii) The aim of the second level of defence is to detect and intercept deviations from normal operating conditions in order to prevent anticipated operational occurrences from escalating to accident conditions. (iii) The third level of defence is provided to control the consequences of design basis accident shoud they occur. (iv) The aim of the fourth level of defence is to address consequences of beyond design basis accidents including severe accidents, should they occur, in which the design basis event may have been exceeded and to ensure that radioactive releases are kept as low as practicable. The most important objective of this level is the protection of the confinement function. (v) The fifth level of defence is aimed at mitigation of the radiological consequences of potential releases of radioactive materials to the environment that may result from accident conditions and severe accidents. 5.7.4 The Committee was also informed that there are several zones around a nuclear power plant, the first is the exclusion zone (1.6 km.) around NPPs, where no public habitation is permitted and the second is the sterlized zone (5 km.) around NPPs where only natural growth of population is permitted and developmental activities which lead to growth of population are restricted by administrative control. The 16 km. radius zone around the plant is defined as the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). The information on population distribution, knowledge of land and water use, dietary habits, critical exposure pathways and appropriate radiological model are maintained to assess the dose commitment to the members of the public in EPZ. The Emergency Planning Zone has been divided into nine sectors, around the Kalpakkam Centre. NPCIL operates plants with motto ‘Safety first and Production next’. The Environmental Management System (EMS) and Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) are maintained at all the 67 stations. The environmental releases of radioactive effluents from NPP are maintained significantly low (average less than 1% of the limits specified by AERB). 5.7.5 The Committee was informed that the emergency response plans have been developed as a measure of abundant caution and specific requirements with respect to emergency preparedness in NPPs have been formulated by AERB in various safety Codes and Guides. The Disaster Management Act, 2005 also provides for the effective management of disasters including accidents involving Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). The National Disaster Management Authority has also issued detailed guidelines for management of nuclear and radiological emergencies in February, 2009 after a detailed interactive process. These plants/guidelines include measures to be taken by the concerned agencies for prevention of disasters and for the mitigation of their effects. The Committee was apprised of the following classification of emergencies and related organizations:

I. Plant Emergency: When the radiological consequences of an abnormal situation are expected to remain confined to the plant, it is termed as a Plant Emergency. A well defined approved procedure for plant emergency is available with role of individuals. A plant emergency drill is conducted once in three months in order to verify and ensure the preparedness.

II. Site Emergency: An accidental release of radioactivity confined to the exclusion zone is site emergency. Declaration in this regard is made by Site Emergency Director (SED). The protective measures include evacuation of personnel from the affected parts of the site and radiological monitoring of the environment in the emergency planning zone. The site emergency exercise is conducted once in a year to ensure preparedness.

III. Off-site Emergency: An off-site emergency occurs when the radiological consequences of an emergency situation are likely to extend beyond the site boundary (exclusion zone) and into the public domain. For the purpose of planning off-site emergency, an emergency planning zone up to 16 km. radius is specified and the measurs are implemented by Offsite Emergency Director (OED) (District Collector). The OED is the chairman of the Off- Site Emergency Committee (OEC) and is responsible for convening the OEC which includes the district level chiefs of all public services relevant to management of any emergency in the public domain. The Off Site emergency exercise is conducted once in two years. 5.7.6 It was submitted that the Off-Site Emergency Director (District Collector) in turn will activate the Command Centre for Off Site Emergency actions and direct the following emergency protective measures instages.

● Regulating public access to contaminated areas

● Issuing instructions to the general public to stay in doors

● Distribution of Potassium lodate tablets

● Evacuation of people to Rallying Posts outside EPZ

● Collection of samples of food stuffs, drinking water, milk, meat etc., for analysis, as required by SED

● Taking over contaminated stocks of vegetation, milk supply and fish, as advised by SED. 68

5.8 Maps Preparedness To Handle Tsunami 5.8.1 The Committee was informed that the submarine faults capable of generating tsunamis are located at very large distance of more than 800 km. from the Indian coast. Thus, unlike in the case of Fukushima, the possibility of simultaneous occurrence of an earthquake and a tsunami at our NPPs is almost non-existent. The tsunami incident in 2004 at Kalpakkam did not result in any damage to the plant, release of radioactivity, or any radiological impact whatsoever. The units were restarted within about two weeks after regulatory inspection. However, following tsunami in 2004, additional measures in the form of tsunami bunds have been constructed along the shore to reduce the intensity of Tsunami. 5.8.2 An Earthquake Notification System (ENS) is installed in control room of MAPS. If earthquake of magnitude 6.5 in Richter scale and above occurs in Asia-Pacific region, ENS system initiates alarm in the main control room. The information about the magnitude and location (latitude and longitude) will be displayed. If an earth quake occurs in the Asia-pacific Region of magnitude more than 7.0 in Richter scale and with the epicentre in the sea at the depth of less than 15 km., then station management will be informed in order to review the situation and to activate the Tsunami warning System at the township. In case of the alarm, the Shift Charge Engineer (SCE) will contact Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) Hyderabad (Tsunami Warning Centre), Andaman Police Post-cam Bell Bay, Meteorological Centres at Chennai and New Delhi, Seismic Array Station, Gauribidanur, Kolar DT and thereby confirm the origination and propagation of Tsunami. Sufficient time is available for the SCE to trip and cool down the reactor. 5.8.3 The Committee was further informed that the original design basis flood level of MAPS was 10.45 m and the revised design basis flood level as notified by AERB is 12.896 m. The safety features of the plant for handling flooding conditions include one of the diesel generators, two diesel driven fire fighting pumps located above the revised design basis flood level and are capable of ensuring safe plant conditions. Following the Fukushima event, a 200 KVA DG set in each unit has been installed at a higher elevation to ensure supply of water to boilers and reactor systems. Following Fukushima event, various committees have reviewed the existing design and revisited the safety features of the plants. The implementation of some of the recommendations have been completed and the remaining have been taken up with AERB for review. 5.8.4 In addition to the above arrangements, state of art communication systems at MAPS to communicate with township has been established. Wireless communication has also been established between MAPS and Kalpakkam Township and between MAPS and IGCAR exchanges. Since the existing exchange is at a lower elevation of around 11.5 metres, one more exchange at 25 metre elevation is being provided. Communication within Kalpakkam and outside can also be made through BSNL exchange. Hotlines have been provided for communication from MAPS to Vikhram Sarabhai Bhavan, Mumbai, Kancheepuram Collectorate Office for emergency purposes and Southern Regional Power Committee (SRPC) Bangalore for operational purpose.

5.9 Andhra Pradesh 5.9.1 During visit of the Committee, the State Government of Andhra Pradesh informed that it is one of the most vulnerable States in India to natural disasters like cyclones, heavy rains and floods including drought in view of its widespread and peculiar geographic location. Andhra Pradesh experienced a series of natural disasters during the year 2010 are:– (i) ‘Laila’ Cyclone during 17-22 May, 2010 (estimated damage/loss: R 1603.22 crore) (ii) Heavy rains and floods during SW Monsoon (1-6-2010 to 30-9-2010) - (estimated damage/loss: R 5776.60 crore) 69

(iii) “Jal’ cyclone during NE Monsoon (29-11-2010 to 8-11-2010)- (estimated damage/loss: R 2496.98 crore) (iv) Heavy rains and floods on account of Depression in during 5-12-2010 to 8-12-2-10 (estimated damage/loss: R 2739.33 crore).

Disaster Management Setup in Andhra Pradesh 5.9.2 In the State, SDMA, SEC, DDMAs in all the districts have been constituted. The Revenue (Disaster Management) Department in Government of Andhra Pradesh is headed by the Commissioner for Disaster Management and Ex-Officio Principal Secretary to Government supported by other officers and staff members. A State Control Room with dedicated toll free number, land line and wireless system functions round the clock. The State Disaster Management Plan namely APSDMP, establishes the policies and structure for State Government for management of disasters; Prevention; Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Relief and Recovery. Besides, District Disaster Management Plans (DDMPs) had been formed in all 23 districts. Under GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction Program, District DM Plans were prepared for 3 Districts of Srikakulam, Kurnool and Khammam. DDMP was also in place for Nellore. The model DDMP was forwarded to remaining districts to prepare the Plans accordingly. The Committee was also informed that all the Urban Local Bodies in the State including 15 corporations were requested to prepare the Disaster Management Plan and get it approved by their respective councils. The work was under progress. In respect of 4 Urban Local Bodies (Srikakulam, Krishna, Khamman and Kurnool), 52 wards District Management Plan had already been prepared under Government of India-UNDP URR Project. 32 Mandal Disaster Plans in the above 4 districts were also prepared and sent to GOI-UNDP for approval. Similarly, each of the above districts had prepared 6 model villages Disaster Management Plan and submitted to UNDP for approval. The State had also taken initiatives under GOI-UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Project in Srikakulam, Khammam and Kurnool districts for the training and capacity building activities under Institutional strengthening and Capacity building component of the Project. 5.9.3 A battalion of NDRF has been stationed at Mangalagiri, Guntur district, the Government of Andhra Pradesh was proposing to establish Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Response Force (APSDRF) on the lines of NDRF, to deal effectively with natural calamities and other disasters. 5.9.4 The Committee was also given to understand that the “Disaster Management” has been incorporates in the Social Sciences Curriculum of Classes VIII, IX, X and XI with effect from academic year 2011-12 in all the Schools/Intermediate course. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission has also incorporated the DM syllabus in General Study’s paper of various the competitive examinations. Various mock drills had also been conducted in the State.

National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) 5.9.5 The State Government was implementing NCRMP in order to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities to cyclone and other hydro meteorological hazards. The project consisted of the following components:

Component A. EWDS and Capacity Building for Coastal Communities 1. Improving the warning systems for coastal communities in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa through the installation and operation of an early warning communication and dissemination system, and through strengthening the operational capabilities of the state and district level emergency operation centres. 2. Strengthening the capacity of coastal communities of Andhra Predesh and Orissa to maintain and operate the EWDS, and to carry out emergency mobilization. 70

Component B. Cyclone Risk Mitigation Infrastructure 5.9.6 Construction of and improving access to emergency shelters, evacuation procedures, and protection against cyclone and other hydro meteorological hazards in high risk areas of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

Component C. Technical Assistance for National and State Level Capacity Building and Knowledge Creation 5.9.7 Assisting thirteen vulnerable coastal states and union territories of India to improve their understanding of natural disaster risks and vulnerabilities and strengthen their institutional capacity to address such risks and vulnerabilities.

Component D. Project Management and Implementation Support 5.9.8 The Project for Andhra Pradesh costing R 771.50 crore is to be funded by the World Bank (International Development Association Credit) as an Adaptable Program Loan. The Project is proposed as a Centrally Sponsored Project with 75% contribution (for Component B of the Project) by the Central Government, as grant-in-aid and matching 25% contribution by the State Government. Other components will be funded 100% by the Central Government, as grant-in-aid. The Project Agreement with World Bank was concluded on 14.01.2011.The Project Implementation Unit (PIU) is headed by the Project Director under Revenue (DM) Department. 5.9.9 The Government of India through NDMA had released R 115.543 crore for the AP State. The details of expenditure incurred are as below.

Release by GoI Expenditure (26.10.2012) % of Expenditure Balance 115.54 58.81 51 56.73

5.9.10 A Third Party Quality Auditor (TPQA) consultant has been appointed on 30.05.2011 to conduct technical audit of the works executed under the project. Project Management Consultant (PMC) has been appointed on 20.08.2011 to assist the State Project Implementing Unit (SPIU) in implementation of the project.

District Disaster Management Plans (Chitttoor and Nellore Districts) 5.9.11 The Committee was given a brief on the DDMPs of Chittoor and Nellore Districts. The DDMPs were in operation module to respond to different types of disasters effectively with locally available resources and personnel and to provide distressed people with immediate relief. With regard to assessment of materials/equipments/resources required by various departments for responding to disasters in rapid and effective manner, the Committee was informed that preparation of various departments before incidence of disasters was very essential and had been taken care of. It was also stated that Community based Disaster Management (CBDM) had been put in place as it eschews the top down approach where committees are reduced to passive recipients of government benefits with no say in decision making, implementation and monitoring. CBDM strategy envisages setting up of committees from village level to district level comprising local elected representatives, respective Government, functionaries, NGO’s CBO’s etc. Institutions/ Committees created at various levels are responsible for preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of plans. District Disaster Management Plan is disseminated to the district level functionaries, special officers, general public through mass media and NGOs. The NGOs play an important role in disaster management and provide valuable resources and expert manpower. The specific areas where the NGO are involved were emergency first aid, management of relief camps, 71 trauma care, services to vulnerable groups and rehabilitation etc. The materials for awareness programs at community level is prepared in the local language to ensure widespread dissemination. Media is also extensively used for public awareness programmes. In addition to dissemination of literature related to the DDMP, disaster drills are also conducted on a regular basis especially in the vulnerable area to maintain readiness of communities and departments. The DDMP is updated basing on shortcomings observed during evaluation is to be done by both the district authority and State authority. District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) is updated every year by district authority. When an amendment is made to a plan, all plan holders are notified of changes as soon as possible. 5.10 Disaster Management At Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams 5.10.1 During the visit to Chittor Disrtict, the Committee also took the opportunity to examine the disaster management set-up in Tirupati (Tirumalai) being a place where large number of people throng every day. Tirumala is an important Hindu pilgrim centre, situated in the midst of hills at an elevation of 3,800 Feet and 20 km. from Tirupati town connected by two roads. The population of Tirumala hills is 18014 as per 2001 census with about 5000 unauthorized people residing there. With ever increasing pilgrim flow from all parts of the country, the temple has become a hot target for the terrorist attack besides other various disasters/chaos such as stampede, fire breakout. In addition to the temple, there are other places in close proximity to the temple in terms of mass congregation which are potentially crowded such as Vaikuntam Queue Complexes, Kalyanakatta (Tonsuring Centre), Annaprasadam Complex and Central Reservation Office (CRO) Complex. The Committee was informed that on an average per day about 70,000 pilgrims visit Tirumala on lean days and more than a lakh during peak rush days. About 12000 (Lean day) to 20000 (Peak Day) pilgrims visit Main Kalyanakatta and another 20,000 pilgrims in pilgrim Amenities Complex’s every day to undergo tonsuring. Around 50,000 to 60,000 pilgrims visit newly built Annaprasadam complex to have food both times during the day. Any attempt by terrorist organizations or disaster at the places mentioned above would be very serious. This calls for eternal vigilance on the part of not only the District Law and Order machinery, but also on the part of the Temple Administration. Systematic collection of Intelligence and a round the clock preparedness to face any eventuality are the need of the hour. Dealing with an emergency situation from the point of security is the prime task of the Security Forces. However the Queue management and crowd control in and around the temple is handled by Temple Administration. In case of a fire breakout, the following plan of action will be followed:– (i) Workers in kitchens inside the premises to move out of the sensitive places and get access to the fire extinguishers available in the proximity and use them to put down the flames. (ii) The fire services personnel including the home guards immediately to swing into action and put down the flames with the help of the workers and security staff available inside the temple. (iii) Fire tenders to be positioned close to Mahadwaram to meet further requirement; if any. (iv) Power supply to be stopped forthwith. (v) All the queue lines to be stopped by giving an alert call by VHF set. (vi) Intake of the pilgrims into the queue lines to be stopped forthwith. (vii) The leader of the Temple Committee incharge of the situation to report by telephone or by VHF to the Command Centre to facilitate early shifting of the injured/dead to the hospital. 72

(viii) The in-charge of the team (Temple Committee) along with police/temple security guards/SPF/fire services personnel/scouts/employees must provide the necessary First Aid and support. (ix) Ambulances to be positioned close to the Biometric point. (x) Command Centre to immediately inform the Hospital and call the Ambulance to the Mahadwaram at the earliest.

5.11 Satish Dhawan Space Centre Shar, Sriharikota 5.11.1 Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, is located at Sriharikota, which is situated on the East Coast in , Andhra Pradesh. To support the total cycle of disaster/ emergency management for the country, in near real time, the Committee was briefed that the database creation is addressed through National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM), a GIS based repository of data. NDEM is envisaged to have core data, hazard-specific data, and dynamic data in spatial as well as aspatial form. Airborne ALTM-DC data acquisition is being carried out for the flood prone basins in the country. The development of flight model of C band DMSAR is nearing completion. SAR data is acquired over selected basins using Development model of DMSAR. Towards providing emergency communication for disaster management activities, and at the behest of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), ISRO has set up a satellite based Virtual Private Network (VPN) linking the National Control Room at MHA with DMS-DSC at NRSC, important national agencies, key Government Offices in Delhi and the Control Rooms of 22 multi-hazard- prone States. Further ISRO has developed and deployed INSAT Type-D terminals (portable satellite phones), INSAT based Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT) for fishermen, Cyclone Warning Dissemination System (CWCS) and DTH based Digital Disaster Warning System (DDWS) in disaster prone areas. As part of R&D support to Disaster Management Support (DMS) for remote sensing applications, work on Track intensity and landfall prediction, Earthquake Precursor studies, Coastal Vulnerability mapping and Early Warning of Landslides are being carried out. 5.11.2 It was also informed that the programme is also supporting the many international initiatives by sharing data and information. Through International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” and Sentinel Asia (SA) initiative for supporting disaster management activities in the Asia- Pacific region, ISRO is providing IRS datasets and other information for use during major calamities. The DMS Programme of ISRO, provides timely support and services from aero-space systems, both imaging and communications, towards efficient management of disasters in the country. The DMS programme addresses disasters such as flood, cyclone, drought, forest fire, landslide and earthquake. These include creation of digital data base for facilitating hazard zonation, damage assessment, etc., monitoring of major natural disasters using satellite and aerial data; development of appropriate techniques and tools for decision support, establishing satellite based reliable communication network, deployment of emergency communication equipments and R&D towards early warning of disasters. 5.11.3 The Committee was informed that due to the activities being carried out at the centre, there are following possible disasters:– (i) Storage and use of solid, liquid and cryogenic matter (ii) Test of rocket motors (iii) Launching related disaster like failure of rocket (iv) Fire (v) Pollution 73

5.11.4 In this regard, the Centre adheres to multi-dimensional policy pertaining to awareness, planning, communication and technology training. Guidelines pertaining to all above disasters are available and strictly followed at the time of vehicle launch. On the day of the launching, the place surrounding the launching pad is evacuated within a radius of 5 km. Risk prone activities are being carried from a distance. During this phase, additional fire brigade team and emergency rescue team are deputed for handling any situation. Safety Officer is responsible for all safety during the launching time. All possible disasters are prevented during the launch phase by controlling sea activities, air traffic in the flying zone and maintaining law and order by coordinating with the local administration. 5.11.5 The Committee was further informed that all basic facilities including roads and construction of high-rise buildings have been designed to bear 230 kms. per/hour cyclonic winds and pollution level in ground water is verified from time to time. 5.11.6 It was further informed that the Centre has a Disaster Management Plan and all the facilities of the Centre are used to prevent the possible damage. All activities relating to early warning and regular monitoring viz. warning to the people, collection of supplies, communication to remove the uprooted trees, evacuation process, forest fire, removal of debris and garbage, medical helps are followed in case of any disaster. All these activities are monitored on 24 hour basis from the control room. Emergency Team carries workers and laborers to the secured region. 5.11.7 The Committee notes the Disaster Management arrangements as well as preparedness at SHAR, Sriharikota. The Committee desires that all other establishments of ISRO should also have well laid disaster management system comparable to world class disaster management arrangements to meet any eventuality in case of any disaster. 5.11.8 The Committee hopes that the development of flight model of C band Disaster Management Synthetic Aperture Radar (DMSAR) must have been completed. There should be an effective communication system to receive data from ISRO and disseminate it without any loss of time. There should be regular coordination between Ministry of Home Affairs and ISRO. Disaster Management support program should be widened and strengthened so that even small mishaps that may have taken place predicted or unpredicted, may be communicated for effective and quick relief. R&D may be strengthened for improving early warning of disasters.

5.12 Rajiv Gandhi International Airport , Shamshabad (Hyderabad) 5.12.1 During its visit, the Committee was informed that the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad (Hyderabad) is India’s first Greenfield airport developed through the PPP model by a joint venture promoted by the GMR Group (63% share), Airports Holding Berhad (11%), Government of Andhra Pradesh (13%) and the Airports Authority of India (13%). The airport commenced operations on March 23, 2008. The futuristic airport is strategically located making it ideal for it to be developed as a hub for domestic and International passenger and cargo traffic. 5.12.2 The Committee was informed that RGIA was always prepared for all the types of events and evolved the way to respond to the event with a view to come back to “normal” aerodrome operations at the earliest. The emergency and crisis management plan of the airport was approved by DGCA. The various types of emergencies covered under AEP are Aircraft incidents and Accidents (On and Off the Airport), Natural Disaster, hazardous materials incidents, structural fires, in-flight mass casualties, salvage of desirable aircraft from the airport. 5.12.3 The Committee was also informed that Airport Rescue and Firefighting services is of category nine level of protection which is upgradable to 10. Sophisticated machines and equipments 74 includes Rosenbauer Panther Crash Fire Tenders imported from Austria, State of Art Command Control Vehicle for onsite command and control function, Modern Breathing Apparatus Training Gallery for simulated exercises. Professionally trained and experienced personnel remain at work. Training is imparted in Malaysian aviation training centre and fire training centre at Delhi. There is continuous training to upgrade professional competency. Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) and Incident Management Centre (IMC) coordinate with all external and internal agencies during emergency/crisis. The Airport Medical Centre (AMC) has 17 Bed facilities operated by Apollo Hospital which provides all medical assistance and treatment during any emergency. 5.12.4 The Committee was further apprised that full scale aircraft emergency exercise are conducted once in two years as per Civil Aviation Requirements. Various agencies including DGCA officials participate in the emergency exercises. The main aim of the full scale aircraft emergency exercise is to evaluate the preparedness of RGIA and its supporting agencies in handling and emergency situation and to add a sense of reality to the drill. The drill encompasses all aspects of emergency response, including evacuation and rescue, fire fighting, security, medical services and communications. 75

CHAPTER-VI

RESPONSE, REHABILITATION AND RESTORATION WORKS IN THE AFTERMATH OF UTTARAKHAND DISASTER

6.1 The country has witnessed an unprecedented disaster in Uttarakhand on 16th June, 2013 due to very heavy rains, cloudbursts, floods and landslides. The whole nation was shocked by the havoc and devastation caused on account of the severe ferociousness of the nature. The Committee heard the presentation of Union Home Secretary along with the representatives of the State Government on 4th July, 2013, on the relief and rehabilitation and rescue measures undertaken in Uttarakhand. As a follow up, the Committee, in its meeting held on 21st October, 2013, again heard Union Home Secretary and representatives of State Government of Uttarakhand to take stock of the ground realities of rehabilitation and reconstruction activities going on in Uttarakhand in the aftermath of colossal disaster. The Committee received detailed background note on pre-disaster preparedness of the State Government and response of the State Government in the aftermath of cloudburst and flash floods and the need for comprehensive reconstruction, restoration and rehabilitation.

6.2 Disaster Preparedness 6.2.1 The Committee was apprised that disaster preparedness is the key to prompt and effective disaster management and all the departments of the State Government undertake preparedness exercise, particularly before the onset of the monsoon season during which the State is routinely devastated by landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts. A meeting under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister was held on 18th February, 2013 to review the Yatra preparations. Following this, meetings were also held on 4th March, 2013 under the Chairmanship of District Megistrate, Rudraprayag and on 11th April, 2013 under the Chairmanship of Tourism Minister and on 2nd May, 2013 under the Chairmanship of Transport Minister to review the Yatra preparations and interrelated DM issues. It was also stated that Inter-departmental coordination meetings were organized by the Department of Disaster Management in the month of May, 2013 and necessary instructions to undertake disaster preparedness related exercise were issued to all the District Magistrates who in turn convened meetings of the DDMA, reviewed their state of preparedness and issued necessary instructions to all concerned. 6.2.2 The background note spells out that as the monsoon season coincided with the Char Dham Yatra season, the DM Department, Health, PWD, Food and Civil Supplies, Transport, Tourism and other concerned Departments of the State Government carried out various preparedness related activities. Provisions were made in all Tourist Rest Houses on the Yatra Routes to cater to boarding and lodging requirements for tourists. Provisions for adequate wireless sets, police personnel, hygiene and sanitation and solid waste management were made. Arrangements were also made to regulate the traffic on Yatra routes. Provisions were made with the help of District Administration for emergency medical relief and rescue in case of accidents. 6.2.3 The Committee was informed that State Health Department convened a meeting under the chairmanship of Health Minister of the State for ensuring adequate preparations for the forthcoming pilgrimage and monsoon season. Other meetings were held with all the CMOs and representatives of private medical institutions along with IMA representatives. One Senior Officer (Addl. Director-

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Health) was appointed as Nodal Officer to oversee these arrangements. The concerned Chief Medical Officers were provided additional manpower along with additional drugs and equipments including portable oxygen cylinders. The health as well as other department staff as well as 142 police personnel were trained in basic life support and cardiac care trainings by 4 Medical Officers. 6.2.4 As a part of the departmental preparedness, it was stated that Transport Department nominated one RTO as the departmental Nodal Officer for ensuring necessary coordination. Temporary check posts were established at foothills (Bhadrakali, Tapovan, Kuthalgate, Behadpur and Lakhnota) and additional enforcement squads were deployed on Yatra routes. The Department at the same time reviewed and updated the departmental SOP. Blockade of roads was frequent in the State during the monsoon season and therefore the Public Works Department prepositioned 89 dozers/excavator/loaders/robot JCBs at strategic points. For catering to additional requirement of JCBs, tenders were floated for acquisitioning the same on rent. So sufficient number of personnel and machinery were deployed at all sensitive locations across the State. 6.2.5 The Committee was further informed that Energy Department diverted/bypassed water to river and draft tube gates were lowered to safeguard the project from flooding. Officers and staff were put on alert to monitor the circumstances and react in time. For ensuring maintenance of the transmission lines, effective and intensive patrolling was carried out and all vulnerable locations were identified. Necessary maintenance works were carried out well in advance and these included lopping and chopping of tree branches. Thermo vision scanning of hot-spots of important transmission lines and substation equipments was carried out and developing faults were quickly attended. Special attention was given to the safety of the transmission towers located near rivers and their foundations were repaired in advance. Alternative arrangements for strengthening of transmission network were made to meet the contingencies. Flood protection arrangements were made at vulnerable substations. To manage the possible consequences of the apprehended disaster, an action plan was already functional in UPCL, the electricity distribution organization in the State. Nodal officers at State level and officers incharge at district levels were nominated for carrying out restoration works at war footing in case of disaster. Arrangements were made to restore power supply of affected area through existing arrangement or alternate arrangement on top priority. Nodal officers were delegated financial and administrative powers so that restoration of the supply in the affected area is done at the earliest. Officers incharge and Executive Engineers of all districts were directed to ensure availability of all the materials, like poles, conductors, insulators, transformers etc. in the nearby stores for restoration works. 6.2.6 So far as drinking water is concerned, it was stated before the Committee that the concerned State Department had ensured arrangements of materials, and deployed field and technical staff and established a control room in Head Office. Alternative drinking water sources were mapped and all arrangements were made to ensure prompt temporary water supply. 6.2.7 The Committee was apprised that even before the onset of South West Monsoon, the State of Uttarakhand experienced abnormally high rainfall between 15th and 17th June, 2013 that resulted in a number of landslides, cloudbursts and floods in all districts of the State. As per information provided by Indian Meteorological Department, rainfall in Uttarakhand during the period 1st June -18th June 2013 was 385.1 mm against normal rainfall of 71.3 mm, which was in excess by 440%. Heavy precipitation augmented the river discharge and almost all the major rivers crossed the danger level. This caused severe damage to life and property in different parts of the State.

6.3 The Disaster 6.3.1 Briefing about the unfortunate and unprecedented disaster that occurred in Uttarakhand on 16th June, 2013, the Secretary, Disaster Management, Government of Uttarakhand apprised the Committee that the colossal floods/inundation first struck Rambara which is located seven km. up 77 from Gauri Kund with 70 degree inclination and having 5 to 10 feet wide pedestrian passage. At about 8 PM, a message was received from there that massive floods struck Rambara. Thereafter, the communication got off. The message was passed on to the Chief Secretary Uttarakhand, who immediately got in touch with the Home Secretary, Government of India and all arrangements were made on the night of 16th itself. On 17th morning, an SoS at around 7.00 a.m. was received that a fresh flood was received from Vasukital in Kedarnath and everything seems to have been washed away. Thereafter, no more wireless communication was made with the State Government. All other communication facilities were severed off. Police network went out of order because as it appeared to have been washed out. On 16th night itself, the Indian Army and the ITBP personnel were there and on 17th, the NDRF reached. The Indian Air Force also positioned itself at Dehradun Airport on the 17th itself and a very substantial effort was made to enter into the valley.

6.4 Response To Disaster 6.4.1 With regard to the response of the State Government to the disaster, the Committee was apprised that in the aftermath of the disaster, all departments of the State Government reacted according to the emerging needs and pooled their resources so as to manage the situation in the best possible manner and it was the coordination and prompt response which brought the situation under control in time. 6.4.2 Department of Disaster Management that operates the SEOC on 24x7 basis was quick to assess the situation and requisitioned assistance of Army, IAF, SSB, ITBP and NDRF. It was because of the proactive action by the State Government that air evacuation could start in the morning hours of 18th June, 2013. Warning regarding heavy rainfall and landslides at places was circulated by DIG Intelligence to the DMs/SSPs/SPs of all the 13 districts of the State. On the 16th June, 2013, SP Rudraprayag communicated to all the district officials falling on the Yatra route to halt the movement of the pilgrims and make arrangements for them in their respective districts. Thus proper warning was flashed by the district Police regarding heavy rains and attempt was made to refrain people from going to Kedarnath. On the evening of 16th June, 2013, the police personnel stationed at Kedarnath and Rambara made the announcements to the pilgrims to vacate the area and move to safer places. Thus many pilgrims who were stationed at these locations could move to safer places. In the morning of 17th June, 2013, the force at Kedarnath tried to rescue maximum number of people. Chowki in-charge, Gaurikund, had issued warning in the morning of 16th June, 2013 to all the pilgrims who were staying in different Dharamshalas and Ashrams around Gaurikund to vacate the place as early as possible. He also forcibly stopped many pilgrims from going towards Kedarnath. 6.4.3 It was further stated that at the Police Head Quarter level, additional force was immediately sent to Uttarkashi, Tehri, Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts. A disaster management control room was established on 17th June, 2013 at the Police Head Quarters headed by a senior Police Officer with 2 ASPs and other staff. Two platoons of Flood Relief Company of PAC along with two Deputy Commandants were dispatched for relief and rescue work in Kedar Valley on 16-17th June, 2013. Apart from this, one ASP and two DSPs with adequate force were sent to the camp to undertake the rescue and relief work at Gangotri, Yamnotri and Harshil areas of Uttarkashi district. Two ASPs were also sent to Badrinath and Govindghat areas of Chamoli. 6.4.4 For the supervision of relief and rescue work in Kedarnath valley, two DIGs and two SPs were immediately sent to camp at Guptkashi. The civil administration and PWD ensured the opening of Ghansali-Mayali-Guptkashi road. This helped in the evacuation of more than 30,000 people and ensured relief operations. It helped the police to maintain law and order in Guptkashi where people had become extremely restive and had started agitating. For relief and rescue work in the districts of Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Rudraprayag, temporary outposts were established and 78 wireless based communication systems were put in place even in the cut off areas like Kedarnath, Gaurikund, Guptkashi, Phata, Badrinath, Harshil and Jankichatti. 6.4.5 The Committee was further informed that the Police Force also maintained law and order in these districts as many pilgrims had collected there. The district police played a key role in traffic regulation as well as in opening up of many roads which got closed due to heavy landslides. The police escorted pilgrims who were sent in convoys from these disaster struck areas. Various langars and medical camps were also opened up with the help of local people by the district police in these areas. Apart from this, free STD PCOs, use of satellite phones and SIM cards were also made available to the victims of disaster so that they could get in touch with their relatives and kin. 6.4.6 Information centres were opened at different places in Tehri, Rishikesh, Dehradun with the aim of helping relatives of rescued people. The list of rescued people was also up loaded on the Uttrakhand Police website from time to time. IGP L/O was stationed at Guptkashi for the supervision of disposal of dead bodies and other important matters. DNA samples, photographs etc. were being taken by a team of specialists. 6.4.7 Transport Department took care of surface evacuation of the stranded pilgrims, tourists and others as also arranged transport of relief material to the affected areas. A number of vehicles were requisitioned and deployed for the affected districts (Chamoli, Uttarkasi, Karanprayag, Guptkashi, Rudraprayag, Barkot) from Dehradun, Haldwani, Haridwar, Kotdwar, Rishikesh. 592 buses, 1,494 taxies/jeeps and 2,808 goods carriers were thus acquisitioned. Besides this, 100 buses of Uttarakhand Transport Corporation had also been deployed for victims. 85,719 pilgrims, tourists and others were evacuated from different areas and shifted to safe places. 150 buses, 1700 small vehicles, which had been interrupted due to landslide, were evacuated and about 15,000 pilgrims were sent to Rishikesh. About 200 Mini buses and buses/maxi cabs were evacuated from Guptkashi and about 5,250 passengers were sent to safe places. 6.4.8 To provide medical relief, a total of 43 medical teams comprising 313 doctors and 4,977 paramedical staff were deployed in the affected districts. The relief works were supervised by senior officers posted in disaster affected areas. Medical teams headed by AYUSH doctors along with paramedical staff (Pharmacist, ASHA) were formed for village level relief works which included tracking and transportation of pregnant women, chlorination of water source and epidemic prevention. All the pregnant women were tracked and instructions were issued for transportation of those women to safe places for delivery prior to the expected date of delivery. This included airlifting of 17 pregnant women for institutional delivery. 6.4.9 The Committee was informed that the entire road connectivity was totally severed off at different places and first of all, the emphasis was on restoration of road connectivity. Mule tracks and kutcha roads were made to evacuate as many people as possible from Harsil, Gangotri and other places. Public Works Department deployed 385 dozers /JCBs and 5,800 temporary labours for opening of closed road and bridges. 20 trolleys were quickly installed in lieu of washed away suspension bridges at strategic points. 6.4.10 Drinking Water Department quickly undertook temporary restoration works of immediate nature of the damaged rural/urban water supply with the limited available sources. In this regard either damaged pipelines were temporarily restored or temporary pipelines were laid from nearest local safe sources. Proper chlorination of the water, before being supplied, was done and was still being done to rule out possibility of water borne diseases or epidemics. 6.4.11 It was further stated that energy Department carried out temporary protection works for various hydro power projects for restoration of generation and protection to properties. All important, effective and possible steps were taken on war footing to restore the power supply to 79 all affected areas as quickly as possible. Teams of senior level officers were deputed to the affected areas to monitor the restoration works and render help to the local officials in restoring the power supply. Keeping in view the major disaster, an additional team consisting of 1 Superintending Engineer, 4 Assistant Engineers and 4 Junior Engineers was posted at Guptkashi in Rudraprayag district and another team consisting of 2 Assistant Engineers and 2 Junior Engineers was posted at Uttarkashi for expediting the re-construction and restoration works. 24x7 hours working Control Room was established at corporation headquarter at Dehradun to collect information regarding disruption and restoration of power supply of affected villages and monitored restoration works. Teams of contractors were arranged from different places of Uttarakhand e.g. Srinagar, Dehradun and U.S. Nagar etc. A team of 28 persons was also arranged from TATA Power, Delhi for helping the local officials in expediting the re-construction work of 33 KW and 11 KW lines in Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag district. Power supply restoration work was carried out on war footing inspite of the fact that most of the approach roads to the sites were damaged. Sites were visited by Director, Chief Engineeer, Superintending Engineer level officers, and instructions were issued to contractors on the spot. Electric supply to Shree Kedarnath Temple was restored on 13th August, 2013 through reconstruction/restoration of 100 KW stand alone SHP. Total 24900 Solar Lanterns have been distributed to disaster affected families in the districts namely Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bangeshwar for providing immediate relief. UREDA, the nodal agency for renewable energy sector, has submitted proposal for providing 3000 dish type Solar Cookers to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for the disaster affected families. 6.4.12 Apprising about the constraints in the rescue operations, the Committee was apprised as under:– “The valley is very narrow; it is 50 meters. Somewhere, it is even less than 50 metres. So, many choppers cannot fly at a time. The weather condition was very bad. Under that very, very adverse geographical terrain, it was not possible for the helicopters to venture in. We had already 15 helicopters in service even on 16th and 17th. All efforts were made, but it was impossible for them to go. The Mandakini River had caved in at various places. From Kedarnathji down to Gaurikund, there is a 14 kilometre stretch. Despite all their— the NDRF, the Indian Army and the ITBP— best efforts, it was not possible to go. Such was the magnitude and dimension of the calamity, unheard and unprecedented. The rainfall was 440 per cent more. So, all efforts were made by all on 17th. On 18th morning, at is. 8.40 a.m., somehow, the Indian Air Force ventured into the valley. The DIG, Gharwal Range, Kumaon Commissioner, DIG, NDRF alongwith senior Indian Air Force officers and one Under Secretary from the Government somehow managed to land in Kedarnathji and they made a temporary helipad there. On way back, they rescued seven living persons from there. Thereafter, the sorties of the Indian Air Force and private helicopters started on 18th itself and that ran unabatedly. The focus was on Kedar Valley. We had information from other valleys also like from Badrinathji, from Ghangaria, from Hemkund Sahib, from Gangotri and Yamunotri that, at least, people there are safe; that they are under shelter.... So, the Government of Uttarakhand immediately concentrated itself on the Kedarnath Valley, though they were also not left over. From 18th and 19th, substantial rescues were made from Kedarnath Valley. Almost 2,000 people were rescued per day from Kedarnath Valley on 18th. On 20th, one of our DIGs, alongwith the Indian Army, the ITBP personnel and some people from the NDRF ventured into Rambara. Rambara was almost non- existent. That was the most unfortunate tragedy.” 6.4.13 The Committee was further informed that on 20th June, more than 300 persons were evacuated from Rambara, which was totally inaccessible from the rest of the world. The operation continued in Rambara as well as in Kedarnath. On 22nd June, a temporary helipad was constructed 80 at Garud Chatti. However, after an unfortunate accident of a private chopper on 23rd of June, the helipad was slightly widened and the rescue operations were resumed same day. On 23rd and 24th, a substantial air evacuation took place from Garud Chatti, Kedarnathji and Rambara. At Rambara and Garud Chatti, rescue operation was completed with the help of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, the ITBP and the NDRF people. Massive air evacuation was also carried out from Gaurigaon, where 3,000 persons were stranded. That was given the last priority in the Valley itself, because they were comparatively in a safer position. The rescue operations suffered a setback on 25th June, when unfortunately about 20 personnel of ITBP, NDRF and the Indian Air Force killed. However, the State Government was able to complete rescue operations in the Kedarnath Valley with no pilgrim stranded in Kedarnath Valley, Rambara, Garud Chatti, Gaurikund and Gaurigaon. Thereafter, operation was continuously focussed on Gangotri, Yamunotri, Ghangaria and Badrinath. On 2nd July, air evacuation at Badrinathji was completed for the pilgrims. The representatives of the State Government further informed that the Union Government has ensured to provide them all kinds of relief materials and as such, there was no problem with regard to rescue. 6.4.14 The Chairman of the Committee desired to know the reasons for delay to reach Garud Chatti for rescue. The Secretary, Disaster Management, Government of Uttarakhand replied as under:– “we reached in Kedarnathji on 18th itself. As I submitted very humbly, on 17th, at 8.40 in the morning, our Divisional Commissioner, our DIG and DIG, NDRF, landed at Kedarnathji. ....Garud Chatti was totally isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. There was no helipad at all. It was amidst the jungle. Nobody could move into the valley on foot. So, ultimately, two NDRF, ITBP and Indian Army groups were formed — one was to come down from Kedarnathji towards Ram Bada and the other was to move in from Gaurikund to Jungle Chatti. Since it was absolutely impossible even for our great Indian Army and great Indian Air Force to venture in there, there was delay in reaching Garud Chatti. But, the operation in Garud Chatti was also completed immediately and some three hundred and odd persons were evacuated within 48 hours.” 6.4.15 The Committee desired to know the exact position regarding casualties and number of persons missing in the backdrop of conflicting voices as according to the Ministry only 580 persons lost their lives and 3000 were missing whereas according to some media reports more than 10,000 had died in the calamity. In response to that, the Secretary, DM stated that there was no such mechanism at place to find out the exact number of missing persons and about the death toll. As per the information collected from Indian Army, ITBP, NDRF, Indian Air Force it was 560 in the beginning and thereafter 20 additional death toll of martyrs was added. He further added as under:– “with regard to missing persons, we have requested the Chief Secretaries of all the State Governments and Union Territories to identify people from their States who had been there in the chardham yatra, particularly in the Kedar Hills, during this particular period of disaster, and then revert back to us along with their detailed list. We would then consider them as missing. This authentic statement has to come from the State Governments. That is the first point. Secondly, we have been taking regular help from all service providers to locate the position of different people in the Kedar Hills during this period of time. That kind of feedback has come to us. We have also issued request letters to all concerned authorities to suggest people to lodge FIRs. On the basis of that and on cross-examination of all this information, we would be moving ahead. Of course, there is no problem with regard to the data on the number of local people missing. The number has now been estimated at 3,078. All care and caution has been taken to reach at this figure.” 81

6.4.16 The Committee further desired to know about the ground realities regarding conflicting voices about the forewarning given by the Meteorological Department and by the ISRO to the Uttrakhand Government, in the backdrop of the fact that Vice-Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority had repeatedly been saying in the TV channels that they did not get any forewarning. The Committee was informed:- “whatever satellites we are launching are for the use of IMD for warning purposes, whereas, the ISRO collects the information on what is happening on the ground and helps, based on the satellite images, during the relief and rescue operations. So, the IMD will do the warning. We only help during the rescue time.” 6.4.17 The Chairman of the Committee wanted to know the status of prevention of disease and epidemic in the affected area and the steps taken in the matter. The Principal Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand replied as under:– “in every district, we have an Integrated Disease Surveillance Project. So, 13 teams were there. They are constantly reporting to us. These reports are passed on to the Government of India. Other than that, we have called the Director, NCDC, and Director, Emergency Medical Response. They are stationed in Dehradun. We have also called independent eight teams to cross-check what we are doing.” 6.4.18 Regarding medical assistance from outside, the Committee was informed that the medical assistance from volunteers as well as from Central Government has reached. About 36 central teams had arrived besides epidemic experts and doctors from NIMHANS to deal with the psycho- social trauma. 6.4.19 Regarding the position of drinking water in view of contagious diseases spreading all around, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India informed the Committee as under:– “We are doing daily monitoring along with the Uttarakhand Government. Till yesterday, reports received in the Ministry suggest that 1,350 rural water supply schemes have been damaged. Out of those, 956 schemes have been restored temporarily. At some places pipes have been damaged while the distribution system has been damaged at others. As for the remaining 394 schemes, the officials are unable to reach them. So, gradually we are improving it. We have released around R 68.71 crores from the National Rural Drinking Water Programme. They had an available balance of around R60 crores. So, around R130 crores is available with the State Government.... anticipating such a situation, during this period of crisis, in the medical department we have mobilized 70 tonnes of bleaching powder. We have mobilized about five lakh chlorine tablets, each with a capacity to purify about 20 litres of water and we have, through the supply chain, about two crore tablets more coming in, which we are sending by whatever means possible. We are not relying on air. We are even doing trans-shipment across broken roads by taking to the trek-paths, etc..” 6.4.20 The Committee was also informed that in the areas where it was impossible to reach by any means viz. areas between Gourikund and Rudraprayag, packaged water alongwith chlorine tablets was air-dropped. 6.4.21 Terming it as National Disaster, the Chairman of the Committee apprised the Members that as per the decision of Committee, he had written a letter to the Home Minister requesting to declare the Uttarakhand disaster as a National calamity of the rerest of the rare severity and the Government of India should step in and take steps to rescue and to provide relief and also rehabilitation. In response to that the Home Minister had written a letter dated 3rd July communicating as under:– 82

“there is no provision laid down in the Disaster Manager Act or the guidelines issued thereunder for declaring a disaster as a National Calamity. However, the Government of India adjudges a calamity of severe nature on a case to case basis taking into account inter alia the intensity and magnitude of the capacity of the State Government to tackle the problem, the alternatives and flexibility available within the plan to provide succour and relief, etc. It is further mentioned that as per the information received from the State Government of Uttarakhand, 580 human lives lost, 4,200 villages have been affected, and over 2,300 houses have been reported damaged. About 3,100 persons have been injured due to recent flash floods, landslide and cloudburst caused as a result of heavy rains in Uttarakhand, besides damage to public and private properties. The State Government is in the process of making damage assessment. It has also been ascertained that the number of lives lost may go up after debris is cleared.’ So, he has outlined what are the steps taken. He said, “Essential commodities including food packets are being air dropped. Food packets, water and medicines are being sent to all the affected areas. Relief camps are being organised in different parts of the State. Medical teams with sufficient medicines and equipments are being sent. Free transport is being arranged for the people for all people till their respective destinations. Special counters have been established in Dehradun, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Haldwani and Kathgodam.” 6.4.22 The communication of Home Minister also contained the following information and assurance given to the Chairman of the Committee:– “Special train bogies are being arranged in different trains to help the pilgrims to reach their destination. Four thousand vehicles have been deployed to bring stranded people to Haridwar and Dehradun and to other locations from the affected areas. Stranded tourists have been allowed free access to all State guest houses as well as tourist guest houses of the State Government. As on 1st July, 2013, over one lakh people have been evacuated by all agencies to safer places. Eight thousand eight hundred and fifteen persons were rescued by the NDRF teams; 32,000 people were rescued by the ITBP; 20,000 people were rescued by the Armed forces. The evacuation was done through different means, partly by land route, partly by special assistance of the Army, NDRF, ITBP to cross rivers at places where the bridges have been washed away, partly by use of temporary bridges, etc., etc. All necessary support from the Government of India is already being provided to the Uttarakhand Government. Therefore, it appears that no material benefit would accrue in terming this as a ‘National Disaster’. I would like to assure you that the Government of India would continue to extend all support to the State Government in the disaster management efforts of Uttarakhand.”

6.5 Further Evidence 6.5.1 Since the meeting of the Committee held on 4th July, 2013 was of preliminary in nature as according to the State Government, only rescue operations were over by then and other relief actions were underway besides precise extent of damage was not clear, the Committee decided to hold another meeting for detailed discussion in this regard. The Committee in its sitting held on 21st October, 2013 took stock of the extent of damage as reported by the State Government as on 15th October, 2013, which was as follows:

Sl. No. Item Details 12 3

1. Number of affected districts 13 83

12 3 2. Number of villages affected (habitations) 1603 3. Population affected (in lakh) More than 5 lakh 4. Permanent loss of land (in ha.) 20400.00 ha. 5 No. of houses damaged :-– (i) Fully damaged pucca houses 1572 (ii) Fully damaged kutcha houses 359 (iii) Severely damaged Pucca houses 1712 (iv) Severely damaged Kutcha houses 327 6. Number of human bodies recovered/cremated 680 7. Number of persons missing 4116* 8. No. of persons with grievous injuries 120 9. Animals lost :– (a) Big Animals 1604 (b) Small Animals 6982 (e) Poultry (birds) 6133

* tentative figures

6.5.2 The representative of the Government of Uttarakhand gave the following details of severely affected areas and the evacuation, relief and supply and other measures:–

Severely Affected Places Rudraprayag : Kedarnath, Ramabara, Gaurikund and Sonprayag towns and other villages. Chamoli : Govindghat, Pandukeshwar, Tharali, Ghat, Narayanbagad towns and other villages. Uttarkashi : Uttarkashi town, Gangori, Bhatwari, Harsil towns and other villages Pithoragarh : Dharchula, Jauljibi, Madkot, Baluwakot, Tawaghat towns and other villages. Bageshwar : Kapkot town and other villages.

Evacuation

● NDRF deployed 14 teams for the operation and rescued more than 9,500 persons.

● ITBP has deployed about 1,200 personnel for the operation and rescued more than 33,000 persons.

● IAF has deployed about 45 helicopters for the operation and rescued more than 23,500 persons.

● Indian Army has deployed 8,000 personnel including 150 Special Forces and rescued more than 38,500 persons. 12 army helicopters were deployed. 84

● 20 civil aircrafts were utilized by the State Government in the operations and evacuated approximately 12,000 persons.

● Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi formed 5 rescue teams of 20 instructors and local youth evacuated more than 6500 stranded persons.

● More than 1,35,000 persons were evacuated from affected area in the shortest possible time, notwithstanding widespread destruction of roads, difficult terrain and extremely hostile weather.

● There may be overlapping in number of persons rescued by agencies mentioned above, as the same person could have been rescued by different agencies through road, bridge and air before reaching final destination.

● As on 3rd September 2013, 397 dead bodies were cremated, 65 dead bodies were identified. DNA samples of 319 dead bodies and 11 of relatives had been sent to Laboratory.

Relief and supplies

● All the essential supplies like food, drinking water, medicines, kerosene oil, blankets etc. were continuously provided by airdropping as well as through roads (transport/ mules etc.) wherever connectivity was restored.

● 69 relief camps were run where 1,51,629 pilgrims/local residents were looked after. Some camps are still continuing for local residents.

● Around 500 tons of relief material (51 items) was air dropped by Helicopters. Additional 21,522 quintal of food grains and 28 kilo litre kerosene oil was also supplied through PDS.

● 2000 tons of wheat and 2000 tonnes of rice at economic cost have been allocated by Union of India to the Uttarakhand State on 21.06.13.

● Ministry of Petroleum is ensuring that adequate fuel stock (ATF)/MS/HSD/SKO are available in the State for carrying out sorties for disaster management duties.

● Approximately 900 trucks of relief material were received from the other States and dispatched to the affected districts from a major relief centre which was set up at Dehradun.

● As on 03.09.13, 288 families were staying tents, while 397 families were staying in government buildings, 374 families were staying in Dharmasalas and 866 families were staying in rented accommodation. The families staying in rented accommodation are receiving R 3000 per month for house rent.

● The State Government has taken policy decision to provide free ration to families located at places, where connectivity is disrupted.

● The State Government is planning to build 2400 houses for homeless people and make 1000 of them available by 15th October, 2013 and the remaining by 31st October, 2013.

Restoration of infrastructure (i) Roads : Of the 1956 roads disrupted due to disaster, 1727 have been temporarily opened for vehicular traffic and normal vehicular traffic is disrupted on 229 remaining roads. Road connectivity to Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri has been restored for 85

light vehicles. Road connectivity to Kedarnath has also been restored till Sonprayag. Pedestrian routes to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib have been restored. (ii) Power: Of the 3758 helmets, where electricity supply was disrupted due to disaster, normal supply has been restored in 3743 helmets and only 15 habitations were without normal electricity supply. (iii) Drinking water: Of the 3097 damaged drinking water schemes 2457 have been temporarily restored.

Communications

● Point to point communication by telephone was established at Kedarnath, Badarinath, Barkot and Harshil.

● 103 satellite phones have been distributed by Government of India to various Central and State agencies for the purpose of urgent disaster management duties in Uttarakhand in order to facilitate communication across the State.

Medical assistance (i) 43 medical teams comprising 313 doctors and 4977 para-medical staff were deployed by the State Government. (ii) Essential Medicines, Bleaching Powder and Chlorine were regularly supplied. (iii) Government of India deputed a high level team to visit the state and review/advise the State Government on all preventive measures to be taken. (iv) Government of India also supplemented State Government’s efforts with 80 doctors, 11 psychiatrists and 5 public heath teams besides certain equipment such as water purifiers. (v) On account of the preventive measures taken, no outbreak of epidemic or infectious diseases has occurred in the State.

Financial assistance to the State (i) In pursuance of announcement of the Prime Minister, GOI has released an amount of R 145 crore from State Disaster Response Fund on 20th June 2013. In addition, GOI has released an amount of R 250 crore on an ‘on account’ basis from the National Disaster Response Fund on 19th July 2013. (ii) R 1187.87 crore of assistance from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) has been approved, subject to adjustment of 90% of balance available in State Disaster Response Fund. (iii) An amount of R 20 crore was approved for release to the Uttarakhand Government from special component of National Rural Drinking Water Programme. (iv) Assistance from Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) – R 2165.16 crore. (v) Financing approved by screening committee of Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) based on needs assessment by WE-ADB – R 3731.94 crore. (vi) Special Plan Assistance for Uttarakhand – R 1479.20 crore. 86

6.5.3 The Home Secretary informed the Committee in its sitting held on 21st October, 2013 regarding the steps taken by the Government of Uttarakhand as under:– “As per the policy on National Disaster Management, the primary responsibility for disaster management rests with the State Governments. During the response, it says, “The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments by providing logistics and financial support. The logistic support includes deployment of aircraft and boats, specialist teams of Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, National Disaster Response Force and arrangements of relief materials. The financial support is already available with the State Governments through the State Disaster Response Fund which is supplemented through the National Disaster Response Fund in cases of severe disasters followed by due procedure..... As regards preventive and mitigation measures, each Ministry of the Government of India as well as State Governments have their assigned roles to play. In the case of the natural disaster of June, 2013 in Uttarakhand, the State Government took all possible steps immediately on receipt of the warning. All the concerned Ministries of the Government of India were mobilized. The National Crisis Management Committee under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary met regularly to review the situation. Special meetings of the National Executive Committee were held to coordinate all the efforts that were needed to support the State Government... 6.5.4 The Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand informed the Committee that the rescue and relief distribution had been done to the satisfaction of the local people. He stated that R 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of missing had been given but for the other States some formalities as per the direction of the Registrar General of Births and Deaths from the concerned State Government were to be fulfilled. Regarding the missing number the Chief Secretary intimated the Committee as under:– “It is 4094. Initially, it went up to 10,000, but after cross-checking and after doing de- duplication in a prescribed manner, ultimately what resulted was, it came to 4,094 persons as missing. They are presumed to be dead. Out of 22 States, the maximum number of people are missing from Uttar Pradesh, which comes to 1,125. So, what we are doing is, within 15 days, we will give the death certificate. We have only asked the Chief Secretary of the States to furnish the details prescribed by the Registrar General of Births and Deaths.”

6.6 Ex-Gratia Payment To The Victims Of The Disaster 6.6.1 The Union Home Secretary mentioned that R 5 lakh would be given to each missing person presumed dead. State Government has announced ex-gratia assistance of R 5 lakh to the next of kin of each victim in this disaster. This amount includes R 1.5 lakh from NDRF, R 2 lakh from PM National Relief Fund and R 1.5 lakh from State Government. As on 03.09.2013, ex-gratia assistance has been paid to 119 families of dead persons and 828 families of missing persons. The State Government has reached out to each and every disaster affected individual and assistance has been extended to all. The process of issuing death certificates to the next of kin of the missing persons has been put on fast track and very soon next of kin of all those complying with the guidelines issued by the Registrar General of India would be issued the death certificates. To facilitate expeditious settlement of various post-death claims of the relatives of missing persons, a procedure for registration of death of missing persons due to disaster in Uttarakhand has been prepared by Registrar General of India. A copy of the same was circulated to all State Governments including Government of Uttarakhand for compliance. 6.6.2 Responding to the Committee’s query regarding delay in identifying the missing persons presumed dead from various States, the concerned Joint Secretary explained as under:– 87

“under the Indian Evidence Act, normally the provision is, presumption of death happens after seven years. Now in the instant case we are not waiting for a period of seven years. What we have done is, we have taken the precedent of what was done in the case of Tsunami, and we have given a simplified instruction that cut short that period and conduct an inquiry. But, one peculiarity about this particular June Uttarakhand disaster is that 90 per cent of the victims are not ordinary residents of Uttarakhand. They come from other States. Therefore, we had a series of discussions with the Registrar General of India, and a procedure has been worked out which consists of two parts. One part is, an inquiry to be conducted within the originating State. The inquiring officer will say that this person had gone to Uttarakhand and there is no proof that the person has come back. The inquiry officer of other State will certify that much and send the paper to the concerned officer of Uttarakhand, that is, the District Magistrate of Rudraprayag. After that, the authorized officer in Rudraprayag district will give not only the death certificate but also release the ex-gratia. This is the procedure that has been worked out. But notionally, there are two inquiries. One inquiry has to be done in the originating State and another inquiry has to be done in Uttarakhand. We have also been co-ordinating with other States. We hope that within one month this process will be competed.” 6.6.3 The union Home Secretary agreeing to the views of the Committee on the undue delay in giving compensation to the next to the kin of missing persons presumed dead, stated as under:– “you are absolutely right when you say that three months have elapsed and the compensation has not been released to the next of kin. It is not fair. I entirely agree with that. There is only one difficulty. Sir, while we were discussing this and we had said that we will take the short course and whoever is presumed to be missing and presumed to be dead, we should release the compensation. The difficulty that was raised was that the matter regarding the death of a person would go to court because some persons would have left behind some property and that may get involved in litigation. Therefore, unless a formal certificate of death was given which would be able to muster at the level of judicial scrutiny it may not really be a proper solution. That is how this procedure has been evolved. We are trying our level best. We will see that within one month all this is completed. Sir, the certificate that we will give will be a comprehensive type which will pass muster in the court.” 6.6.4 The Committee takes a serious view that after lapse of three months of the tragedy, formalities were still to be completed for giving the relief announced by the concerned authorities. The categorical statement given by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand that all those people, who are missing for one month, will be presumed to be dead, showed the sincere empathy of the State Government for the victims. However this seems to be evaporating when much time is taken for giving compensation. The Committee feels that the Government is not doing justice to the families of those whose members are missing. The Committee views that there must have been some other methods to accomplish the task. The Committee strongly recommends that the assurance given by the Home Secretary as well as the State Government officials for completing formalities for compensation should be met and compensation should be given at the earliest. 6.6.5 The Chairman of the Committee wanted to know whether the Home Ministry and the State Government have taken up the issue with the insurance companies for insurance claims of life and property. He further wanted to know whether any initiative has been taken in this regard because every individual, even if he has not insured his life, is liable to get something. Responding to the queries, the Union Home Secretary Stated that the Department of Financial Services has been requested to respond to such insurance claims on priority basis. 88

6.6.6 The Committee feels that the Ministry of Home Affairs should play a proactive role to ensure that all insurance claims of the victims of Uttrakhand disaster are expedited. For this purpose, a nodal officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs may be appointed to take care of such insurance claims of life and property and also to liaise with Ministry of Finance.

6.7 Long Term Reconstruction 6.7.1 The Committee was informed that the Union Government has constituted a Cabinet Committee under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister, for providing broad guidelines to re- construction and rehabilitation efforts in Uttarakhand and to take all necessary decisions in this respect. An Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) has also been set up under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary for drawing up a time bound Action Plan for supporting rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Uttarakhand through involvement of various agencies of the Central Government in the post-flood situation. Cabinet Committee of Uttarakhand met on 31st July and taken decisions regarding providing appropriate assistance to the State Government for restoring and protecting Kedarnath temple. IMG also met regularly and monitored the progress of actions being taken by the central Ministries/Agencies not only for the immediate relief and restoration, but also for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the State Infrastructure and for preparing an action plan. Part of the financial support for the reconstruction package is being worked out as an externally aided programme, with the involvement of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development.

6.8 Other Measures Taken By The State Government (i) In view of the misery of the disaster affected population, the State Government has enhanced the relief admissible to the disaster victims and has even made relief admissible under heads that were never before covered. (ii) The World Bank and Asian Development Bank are committed to extend grants (90 : 10 related aid) of R 2500 and R 1500 crores respectively besides a Central assistance of R 8000 crores towards redevelopment and reconstruction of the disaster affected areas. (iii) Construction of pre–fabricated huts is on the topmost agenda of the State Government so that every homeless family is provided shelter. Till such a shelter is provided each family would get R 3000 per month as house rent. A policy for that purpose has already been formulated. State Government has already decided to raise State Disaster Response Force and to strengthen the Disaster Management related organizational set up.

6.9 Reconstruction And Restoration 6.9.1 Regarding reconstruction and restoration activities, the Committee was apprised that the Government of India has sanctioned a sum of R 1,187.87 crore (this includes 698 crore for rescue and search ops cost to be paid to IAF/Army) out of the National Disaster Response Fund in addition to the amount available in the State Disaster Response Fund. Negotiations with the World Bank for financial assistance to the tune of US$ 250 million and with the Asian Development Bank for financial assistance to the tune of US$ 200 million are at an advanced stage, with the facilitation of Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. The sectors to be covered under the assistance include highways, village roads, bridle paths, bridges, treck routes, urban infrastructure, housing for the poor, drinking water and shelters. The Planning Commission of India is also finalizing a proposal for grant of Additional Central Assistance (ACA) to the tune of 89

R 1,500 crore. Besides this,R 2,185.49 crore is being sought under CSS for reconstruction, R 3,737.34 crore under EAP and R 1,586.71 crore under SPA. 6.9.2 According to the background note the State Government had initiated a massive exercise to plan reconstruction and rehabilitation. The organization structures for reconstruction and rehabilitation has already been put in place in which the Chief Minister will guide and approve the plans and the Chief Secretary will be head of the Executive Committee for implementing the same. Subject matter specialists and experts of various fields including those of environment science, ecology, geology, geo-technical engineering, hydro-meteorology, construction management and development engineering from various prestigious institutions from across the country are being co- opted for expert advice, on need basis, by the Authority as well as the Executive Committee. 6.9.3 The Authority is taking support of leading NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and corporate functionaries in rebuilding and restoration efforts. In this regard it is pertinent to mention that UNDP/DFID and other International NGOs have already pledged to provide technical support to the State Government on the basis of post-disaster need analysis worked out by a consortium of NGO’s led by UNICEF. 6.9.4 As decided by the State Government in consultation with experts and other stake holders, the broad approach for all reconstruction and rehabilitation programme is to maintain traditional ethos while providing for modern infrastructure. The State Government was making every effort to ensure that these efforts result in model redevelopment and if needed, some relocation can be carried out for the same. Some key modern infrastructure facilities, such as ropeways and others are planned to be developed on BOT basis. The State Government realized that livelihood is a major concern of the disaster affected population and therefore issues related to livelihood, including skill development and employment generation have to be the essential part of rehabilitation efforts. It was stated that since the economy of the State was dependent on tourism sector, particularly pilgrim tourism, special efforts were being planned to develop safer routes and modern road side facilities.

6.10 Shelter And Rehabilitation 6.10.1 The Committee was intimated that about 2400 families in five disaster affected districts (Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh) needed assistance to re-build their homes. Some among them would require allotment of house building sites near their destroyed or unsafe houses. While charitable and corporate assistance was forthcoming for the re-building of homes, the State Government has decided to construct, in the first phase, 700 homes, for which sites had been identified. Site development activities are going on while procurement for pre- fabricated huts were being finalized with the help of the World Bank, which had agreed to provide funding for the construction of these shelters. Each cluster of shelters, wherever required, would be provided with the facility of a school and a health post alongwith a community centre. Meanwhile, shelterless families were being paid R 3000 per month for hiring accommodation for a period of 2 years. All such families were taken care off in the best possible manner. It was decided that if some of the families do not want to have the pre-fab houses, they would be paid R 5.00 lakh for construction of house on the formula of construction linked parameters as per approval/guidelines of the competent authority. 6.10.2 The Committee wanted to know about the relief to the persons who became shelterless. The Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand replied as under:– “We have given to everybody who has lost their house. State Government has gone in a much more liberal manner. We have already given a relief of R 2 lakhs to the person who has lost his house. Then, now we have launched a scheme of providing another R 5 lakhs 90

to him. There are two options given. One is, either it is owner driven construction or it is a State-driven construction. When we announced the scheme, majority of the people were looking at pre-fabricated houses given by the State. But over the last one and a half months, everybody is going for a owner-driven construction. We have now announced another R 5 lakhs which will be given in four installments. rupees. One and a half lakhs will be given when the work is completed up to the plinth level and another R lakh up to the second stage and another lakh up to the third stage and the last one and a half lakh in the fourth stage. This work has already started.” 6.10.3 The Committee desired to know as to whether the government would construct the house itself or get it by the state agencies and whether material that is required for construction of houses, for example, cement, steel, etc., is available in the local area. The Additional Secretary stated as under:- “The owner driven construction is taking place primarily with the local material. That is why the people have opted for it. The State driven construction is with pre-engineered material which we are supplying. Site development work has been given to the Collector. Collectors have already started doing site work like bringing of electricity, bringing of water, etc. We are also providing one school and one small health post in that cluster. That is being developed. As I said, out of the 2,400 families who became homeless, we have given them RRR 3,000 per month rental facility for 24 months which they are already availing and everybody is living in their proper shelters.” 6.10.4 The Committee understands that it is difficult for local people from remote village to procure building materials viz. cement, steel, wood etc. Therefore, the Committee desires that the District authorities should provide cement and other construction material at subsidized rates. The Committee wishes to drive home the need to give proper attention on the construction activities in Uttarakhand at reasonable prices at this critical hour. Since people are opting for owner-driven building of houses, efforts should be made to ensure that the plan of the building and the structure is earthquake-resistant. Therefore, while approving the construction plans, care should be taken to ensure that every building design is earthquake-resistant and every house so constructed is insured for, at least, 15 years through the insurance companies. 6.10.5 Regarding the actual stage of rehabilitation of housing, schools, community halls, places of worship, etc. the Committee was informed as under: “there are a large number of schools which were damaged, especially in the Uttarakashi and Rudraprayag districts. The Rotary International has come forward and adopted all the schools of the Uttarakashi district. They are reconstructing all the schools according to the given standards and designs. The Government of India, under various programmes of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, released the money for each and every school which is not covered by any of the voluntary groups. Since there was money available through the Rotary International also, we have dovetailed the resources. But every care is being taken to see to it that all the shelters which were there in the schools are out now. Nobody is living in any of the temporary shelters. Every school has become functional. There are some school buildings which are fully damaged or partially damaged. We have started their reconstruction as per the norms.” 6.10.6 Regarding the reconstruction of Community Halls and Dharamshalas, the Committee was informed as under: “Some of the community halls have been damaged. Again, sufficient money has been sanctioned by the Rural Development Ministry and we are starting work for those.... the 91

only dharamsalas that were affected were the ones which were in Badrinath, Kedarnathji, Gangotri and Yamnotri areas. We have restored Kedarnathji; the yatra has been restored. But the building work in Kedarnathji would not be possible during this season because the season is coming to an end now. It is very cold there right now. We have to move bigger machines there to demolish majority of the structures and areas. The buildings are in very bad shape. ... There would be total reconstruction. In fact, there are more than 350 buildings in Kedarnathji which are totally going to be razed to the ground. We are going to engage a proper master plan right now. The Archaeological Survey of India and the GSI teams have visited the place four-five times and they are developing a plan” 6.10.7 When the Chairman of the Committee desired to know whether there was constraint of money, the representative of Government of Uttarakhand replied that there was absolutely no constraint of money. He informed that adequate help from the Central Government and the voluntary sector had come in very good numbers and there was, no issue regarding the availability of resources in the State. The State Government has already distributed R319 crores to various beneficiaries under various programmes. 6.10.8 Regarding the schedule by which time the Government of Uttarakhand could assure the nation that Uttarakhand would be brought back to its original form to the extent possible with regard to infrastructure, the additional Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand Government stated as under:– “the total Package of R7,500 crores on the Plan side has been well-discussed. Fourteen rounds of meetings have been taken by the Cabinet Secretary of the country. We have participated in all those meetings, in which all the line Ministries were present. Every matter was discussed threadbare, and now a Package of R7,500 crores has been approved, which finally is going, because there are a few issues left, to the CCU, which should be meeting in a fortnight’s time. The shelter homes, and providing a shelter to one who lost his house, that job should be over by December, this year. We are not going beyond that, then, as regards connectivity, all temporary connectivities have been ensured, but major permanent connectivities will take from 18 months to 24 months. Certain projects will take 18 months, and certain projects will go up to 24 months. Coming to the restoration of Kedarnathji, our guess is that it is going to take three seasons. It is not going to happen before three seasons. The time-frame is only four months that we have available. The terrain is very badly affected. We have already restored the helicopter services to that area. Right now, yatra has commenced. Everyday, about 100-150 people are going. The alternative route has been restored to Kedarnathji. Badrinathji is fully restored, Gangotri is fully restored and Yamunotri is fully restored. But, the connectivity for a proper bus to go is not there. Right now, smaller vehicles are going. The bigger vehicles will take from 18 months to 24 months.” 6.10.9 The Chairman of the Committee wanted to know whether all party Committee had been formed at the district level to oversee the relief and rehabilitation work. The Additional Chief Secretary informed that one State Level Committee was constituted and five Members District Level Grievance Committee consisting of the MP of that area, Members of the Legislature, cutting- across party lines, the Collector and one social worker to be co-opted by the Committee had been constituted. He informed that very few complaints have gone to these committee as the distribution had been more or less foolproof. 6.10.10 With regard to the scientific dredging of River Bed Material (RBM), the Additional Chief Secretary informed the Committee as under: “this is one area where we need the support of every one. I would just explain to the Committee why there was so much damage even though it occurred only at 11,000 feet. The 92

cloud-burst or the so-called Easterly-Westerly disturbances meeting at that point, or whatever the scientific explanation to it may be ——In Uttarakhand, the major reason for the colossal waste and loss which took place along the riverside was the very, very restrictive policy of the MoEF, to treat every river system of Uttarakhand as a reserve forest. —— in Himachal, no river system is in the reserve forest. This is the only State in the country where every river system is under the reserve forests. We are not allowed to pick what we call as the chugan. People call it mining. It is not mining. The river system in Uttarakhand has become such that the centre of the rivers are all filled with RBM and the shores are fully exposed...., we have addressed this at all the forums, even at the Cabinet Secretary’s level and the IMG which has been formed. We have addressed this issue before the MoEF and have requested them to send a separate Task Force to understand and study the system and allow us to pick up this chugan.” 6.10.11 The Committee takes note of the submission of additional Chief Secretary on the issue of scientific dredging of River Bed Material (RBM) and restrictive policy of MoEF to treat river system of Uttarakhand as a reserve forest. Since RBM is cited as the major reason for colossal waste and loss, the Committee feels that picking up chugan is essential to clear the centre of the rivers which are at present filled with RBM. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the MoEF may consider without delay the request of the State Government of Uttarakhand and send a Task Force to understand and study the river system in Uttarakhand and reconsider the restricted policy of MoEF so that colossal damage is prevented in future. 6.10.12 During the deliberation, Chief Secretary, Government of Uttrakhand made following submission on the relief and rehabilitation operations underway in Uttrakhand:– “...now the reconstruction of road connectivity particularly National Highway and Border Roads Organisation has to take place. Now the time line which has been given is anything between 12 months to 36 months but most of the roads have been washed away. One to three kilometers have been washed away. There is nothing left on the ground. Now they have to go for forest land transfer. Now if this permission is not given to us immediately then it will be very difficult to complete within three years. It will take anything between five years to ten years. For one hectare of land we have to do so much of exercise. Like Naxal affected districts in some of our States, five hectares of land transfer case is given to the State Government and it has been already decided in the Cabinet Committee of Uttarakhand that this will be issued but so far we didn’t get that information.” 6.10.13 In this connection, the Chairman of the Committee has desired that the view/comments of the Ministry of Environment and Forest may be sought on the submission made by the Chief Secretary, Government of Uttrakhand. The Ministry in its written reply informed the Committee as under:– “On 24th July, 2013 accorded general approval under section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for a period of one year only for diversion of forest land, of not more than one hectare in each case, for restoration/reconstruction including realignment, by the Government Departments of roads/bridges damaged in the recent floods and for construction of helipads and ropeways in flood affected areas in Uttarakhand. Norms for providing land for creation of compensatory afforestation in respect of proposals seeking diversion of forest land above one hectare and upto five hectares in each case for restoration/reconstruction including realignment, by the Government Departments, of the roads/bridges damaged in the recent floods have been relaxed by providing that in place of normal provisions, compensatory afforestation over degraded forest land equal in 93

extent to the forest land proposed to be diverted, shall only be insisted. This relaxation shall be applicable subject to a maximum of total fifty hectares of forest land for all such cases, during the next one year from 24th July, 2013. Opened a Camp Officer of its Regional Officer (Central Zone), Lucknow, at Dehradun for a period of six months of expedite consideration and disposal of cases of diversion of forest land for non-forest use pertaining to the State of Uttarakhand. The Camp Officer has started functioning with effect from 19th July, 2013. On the request of the State Government of Uttarakhand to grant general approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 up to four hectares in disaster affected areas in Uttarakhand, this Ministry of Environment and Forests vide letter dated 7th October, 2013 requested the State Government of Uttarakhand to provide specific details of road stretches in respect to which forest diversion in excess of one hectare is required. Reply from the State Government is awaited.” 6.10.14 The Committee takes into account the grievances of the State Government of Uttarakhand regarding the restrictive forest land transfer as a constraint for reconstruction of road connectivity and reply of MoEF thereon. The Committee desires that the State Government may provide specific details of road stretches in respect to which forest diversion in excess of permissible limit of one hectare is required. After getting the information, the MoEF may consider the matter and take an early decision. 6.10.15 The Chairman of the Committee desired to know whether the Ministry of Finance has advised the banks to waive the interest on loans or reschedule the loans of the affected people, the Committee was informed as under:– “Chief Minister has met the hon. Finance Minister. On the same day, he had given us three concessions. One concession is that the Service Tax has been exempted up to 31st March, because tourism took a big hit in Uttarakhand due to this calamity. We have already got the orders from the Government of India. Secondly, about loan waiver, the State Government has, through the CM’s Relief Fund, ftrus Hkh gekjs fdlku gS] mu lHkh ds loans dks jh”ksM~;wy dj fn;k gS; now, in the next Cabinet Meeting, we would take a final decision on loan waiver for those who have lost their land altogether, and for those who have not lost their land altogether, muds fy, iwjs baVjLV dks ekWQ dj nsaxs, because after one year again, they may be in trouble. So, the Cabinet is going to take these two decisions within a week.” 6.10.16 The Committee understands that rescheduling by itself is not a solution as it again be putting burden on the people, but, at the same time, the fact that they would not have to pay the loan till the Government takes a final view would be a temporary psychological relief. The Committee therefore recommends that loan of marginal farmers should be fully waived off and certain appropriate percentage of the loan taken by other category of farmers may be waived off. 6.10.17 Regarding psychological trauma which the people could be suffering from, the Committee was informed as under:– “Teams from NIMHANS, Bangalore and NISBIS and other Government of India institutions who went to the affected areas have said that especially the children have faced a lot of trauma after seeing these incidents. —— For that we have drawn up a comprehensive programme through the NRHM. It has been approved by the Ministry of Health. As soon as the money is released, we will put it in place.” 94

6.10.18 As regards counseling, the Committee was informed by the Additional Chief Secretary as under:– “Almost for six weeks all these teams, including voluntary groups from Delhi were there in these villages. They have done first aid treatment on trauma that they suffered. ——— we have laid down a special programme where they will be doing counselling. We will be moving to those areas. There are three villages where only widows are there. They have lost their husbands. That is most difficult site. ———— We have identified them. We have to bring them to the mainstream. It is not going to be an easy task. They lost all their men who were working in Kedarnathji at Behram Pada. In one district 968 deaths took place. ———— We have got a lot of support from voluntary groups also. Many doctors from Mumbai, Kolkata and other areas have offered their services. They have come and already camping in these villages. They are continuously working there.” 6.10.19 The representatives of Air Force brought to the notice of the Committee, the problems being faced during rescue operations which are enumerated below: “I would like to bring to your kind notice that we moved 45 helicopters in quick time but we were impaired in operations because of lack of operating surface. From very few places we could operate the helicopters. We had to move into certain advanced landing ground with no facility whatsoever, including fuel. Also, the number of helicopters operating in the region was very, very large as the Aviation Secretary would agree. We had about 45 helicopters in the Air Force, over a dozen from the Army and almost about 30-40 from the civil. This was a very conducive operating environment. There was no command and control of the kind of helicopters operating there. We have two recommendations. One is, in all States we should identify operating surfaces where helicopters can operate from. To give an example, when we construct a National Highway at a distance of about 100 kms., we could have a 100 meter by 100 meter operating surface which is available for any contingency like this. In the hills we need to have a little closer, maybe at about every 50 kms. It could be part of the project which Government of India manages. Second is, we need an overall control of aviation assets in a place like Uttarakhand. We need to have a rethink about the command and control of so many aircraft operating. This is what I can think of straightaway.” 6.10.20 The Committee would like to put it on record the great work done by the Force personnel in evacuating people there and the Committee pays tribute to those 20 personnel who lost their lives while trying to rescue the general public who were stranded at various places. The Committee believes that the country will never forget the great sacrifice they have made. In regard to the network of airstrips and helipads for the entire country, with particular reference to Uttarakhand, the Committee observes that the space is very limited and the State is not able to provide air ambulance to evacuate people in case of emergency. The Committee desires that the Home Ministry may take note of this aspect and take necessary action in this regard at the earliest. There should be a good network of shelter houses with food security to the stranded population as and when calamity of such nature happens. The Committee would like to cite the example of the coastal area of the country, where community centres have been created near the coast. As and when something happens, people are immediately rushed to that place. Then community kitchens are opened and the affected people are taken care of. The Government should consider such things in Uttarakhand.

6.11 Observations Of C&AG 6.11.1 The Committee took note of the observation of the C&AG about Disaster Management set up in Uttarakhand. According to the observation of C&AG, the State Disaster Management Authority 95 formed in October, 2007 was virtually non-functional as it met only once in January, 2008. The State Government has also failed to ensure incorporation of the disaster prevention into the development process as envisaged in the Act. The C&AG further observed “In the absence of the critical infrastructure such as trauma centre, the affected population could not be given immediate medical attention. Assessment of structural and non-structural safety of school buildings and identification of necessary mitigative action was not included in the school safety programme leaving 39 per cent of school buildings unattended. Reliable communication system was inadequate as the delay in sharing of the disaster information ranged from 1 to more than 24 hours. Despite incurring an expenditure of R 22.55 crore, the construction works were incomplete for want of release of second installment. Restoration works undertaken under the CRF scheme were delayed by 12 to 24 months since the occurrence of disaster. R 41.77 crore was sanctioned from CRF for inadmissible construction works in violation of norms of the scheme. In absence of Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy, 80 identified villages of selected districts could not be rehabilitated.” 6.11.2 The C&AG further observed that although the Disaster Management Act came into existence in 2005, no rules, regulations, policies and guidelines were framed by the State Government. Important aspects of disaster prevention such as mainstreaming of disaster mitigation/ prevention into development process, preparation of plan schemes for vulnerability reduction and preparedness, enforcement of techno legal regime etc. were yet to be put into effect. GIS mapping to identify landslide prone areas, declaration of unsafe areas, shifting of habitations from such areas and prevention of settlement in hazard prone sites had not been carried out in the most vulnerable cities. Life line buildings such as hospitals, schools, offices, community centres etc. had not been identified for retrofitting. There were no training schedules, modules and targets prepared by the department to cater to the needs of the people. In disaster management, the main focus of the State Government had been on post disaster relief activities and very little initiatives were taken on prevention, preparedness and rehabilitation. Even in the execution of post-disaster activities, expenditure was incurred on inadmissible works. Monitoring of disaster management activities by the State and the district level functionaries was virtually non-existent. 6.11.3 The Committee feels that observations of C&AG on the working of Disaster Management set up in Uttarakhand are very serious. The Committee observes that the NDRF and the ITBP, along with other personnel of the Armed Forces, have done a commendable job in rescuing the stranded pilgrims and locals. The Committee takes note of the disaster preparedness of the State from the background note as already stated earlier. However, in the light of C&AG observations, the Committee feels that a strong and robust disaster management system is all the more necessary as Uttarakhand has a sensitive eco-system which is prone to natural calamities. Though the Committee understands that the nature’s fury is beyond human control, disaster preparedness can substantially reduce loss of life as can be seen in the examples of the countries of Japan and the USA which frequently face Tsunamis and Hurricanes etc. Due to complex terrain and ongoing tectonic activities, disaster management should be an integral part of the governance in the State of Uttarakhand. In this direction, the State Government must ensure effective and efficient functioning of the SDMA by convening regular meetings and monitoring follow up action of its recommendations. Immediate steps should be taken to formulate the policy guidelines, plans, rules and norms ensuring that Disaster Management measures are incorporated in the developmental process. The Committee feels that the State Government should codify building bye-laws to ensure safe construction practices in the State and Hazard Safety Cell should be empowered suitably to carry out its functions effectively. Moreover, the State Government should provide critical infrastructure such as trauma centre, so that the affected people could be given immediate medical attention. 96

6.11.4 The Committee is also of the view that Government should take steps to prepare training modules and calendars to upgrade the skills of personnel, NGOs and communities engaged in disaster prevention and mitigation. Government should prioritize assessment of structural and non-structural safety of school buildings and identify necessary mitigative action to be included in the school safety programme. 6.11.5 The State Government should take immediate steps to form Village Disaster Management Committees in all villages of the State. The Government should also take immediate steps to prepare a comprehensive Rehabilitation and Resettlement plan to rehabilitate the disaster affected villages and monitoring and evaluation mechanism as prescribed by GOI and the same should be made functional at the earliest. 6.11.6 The Committee would like to pin-point the case of coastal region of Andhra Pradesh where large number of cyclones has struck for the last few years and if there is a warning, the entire district administration one day before convert itself into disaster management unit. All concerned Departments remain ready with plans, evacuations and relief operations which immediately swing into action. The underline motive of the Committee is to highlight the necessity of keeping disaster preparedness all the time in operational mode to combat any eventualities by gaining the benefits of experience of other States. The Committee hopes that one State should share the information with the other States on all critical issues pertaining to Disaster Management which would go a long way in strengthening the Disaster Management set up in the State. 6.11.7 The Committee understands that the entire western Himalayan region, including Uttarakhand, are prone to disasters and requires better preparedness measures including installation of effective and timely early warning systems for predicting various hydro- meteorological disasters well in advance with high degree of spatial accuracy. Moreover, a robust and fool-proof safe disaster dissemination system is required to be accompanied by a long term full-fledged preparedness and mitigation programme. The Committee understands that financial requirement involving all these projects is beyond the capability and competence of the State Government and Government of India has to take initiative in this regard. 6.11.8 The Committee notes that IMD has prepared a comprehensive proposal for about R 360 crores for Integrated Himalayan Meteorological Programme both for Western and Central Himalayas, including locating adequate number of Doppler radars and Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) for monitoring hydro-meteorology, and submitted the same to the Central Government / Planning Commission for approval. The Committee recommends that the proposal which is under active consideration must get green signal because with the implementation of the proposed Meteorological programme, as much as 48 hours advance alert would be available to the State Governments for cloudbursts and extreme weather events in time. It is also important that the globally practiced mitigation efforts of the identified high hazard slide zones must be fully supported and funded by Union Government. 6.11.9 The Committee was informed that implementation of environment protection laws and all other measures to preserve the eco-system was the responsibility of the State Government. However there was also a need that the situation/conditions on ground are reviewed from time to time by MoEF to effect relaxations, as required and necessary so as to reduce the risk caused by disasters. The Committee also recommends that Disaster Risk Reduction should therefore be incorporated as one of the considerations in the implementation of such laws/regulations. Crucially a large percentage of roads in Uttarakhand are under the charge of BRO. The Committee recommends that it is right time that the alignments of the roads are reviewed in consultation with GSI and full 97 protection provided for the portion which are under constant threat of landslides/or are part of the slide zones. Alternative modes of connectively such as provision of tunnels and others must be considered. The strategic importance of the roads and their all season connectivity in Uttarakhand need not be over-emphasized. The Committee, therefore, recommends that MOD should seriously consider providing funds for this purpose. The Committee wishes to point out that separate and alternative evacuation routes/roads are also planned and developed by BRO particularly from the major pilgrim centres even though for short stretches. 6.11.10 The Committee feels the need for the road map for reconstruction and rehabilitation and future strategy to overcome such natural disasters. In this connection, the following steps may be considered:– (i) need for a multi modal transport system; (ii) network of airstrips and heliports; (iii) adequate number of air ambulances; (iv) network of godowns with built in shelters for providing food security to the stranded population; (v) scientific extraction of RBM from rivers beds to ward off expansion of river channels; (vi) augmentation of Wireless, Satellite and Ham communication systems and installation of high performance computers and Doppler Radars and Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and other systems. 6.11.11 The Committee notes that State Government has constituted an expert group to examine the issue of tourism and carrying capacity of remote pilgrimage/tourist sites with a view to issue some guidelines in the matter. The Committee feels that registration of pilgrims should also be examined as Uttarakhand is a multi-entry State with pilgrims coming by various modes of transport and visiting different religious shrines far flung from one another. The Committee also desires that alternative means of livelihood for State population needs to be worked out. 6.11.12 The following assistance was sought by the representatives of the State Governments:– (i) For the rehabilitation of the damaged villages, requirement of R 8000 crore may be examined and assessed. (ii) Highly sophisticated world class area specific warning system may be provided. (iii) Army, ITBP and NDRF should make recruitment of their personnel to providing employment to the jobless persons of the State who (iv) Waiver of interest and loan component of various dues of the disaster affected persons. (v) While Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned a special package of R 100 crore for development of infrastructure. Special package particularly for transporters, hoteliers and travel agents etc. who have suffered and will further face the hardships because of the disaster and decline in tourism, is required. It will be of great help if Nainital and Dehradun are developed as 98

major Conference Centres (While Dehradun has a modern airport, Pantnagar can service Nainital). Direct flight from Dehradun to Kathmandu and back can be introduced, subject to traffic potential. 6.11.13 The Committee recommends that the above suggestions may considered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. 6.11.14 The Committee also notes that some sections in the media attributed this disaster as a manmade disaster due to extensive human intervention in the fragile Himalayan eco- system. While it is obvious that calamity of this level could not have been averted totally, but environmentalists kept saying that the exploitation has been very large with the neglect of environmental concerns which have been expressed by them over a period of time. The Committee feels that development and environment should go hand in hand. 99

CHAPTER-VII

MECHANISM FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

7.1 Disasters cause human and economic losses with devastating effects on the economy and development efforts of a region or a State. The economic losses, both in immediate as well as long term in nature, caused by disasters, demand additional revenues. As an immediate fall-out, disasters reduce revenues from the affected region due to lower levels of economic activity leading to loss of direct and indirect taxes. In addition, unplanned budgetary allocation to disaster recovery can hamper development interventions and lead to unmet developmental targets. Disasters also reduce availability of new investment, further constricting the growth of the region. Besides, additional pressure is imposed on finances of the Government through expenditure in relief and rehabilitation work. The developing countries are more seriously affected in terms of the loss of lives, hardship borne by population and the percentage of their GNP lost. Since a number of vulnerable regions are in India, disaster management has emerged as a high priority for the country. 7.2 Financing is pivotal for disaster management not only from response point of view but also for prevention, mitigation and preparedness. The Government of India has a long history of using funds from the Plan for mitigating natural disasters. Funds are provided under various Plan schemes of Union Government, such as drinking water, employment generation, inputs for agriculture and flood control measures etc. Short-term agriculture loans are rescheduled and infrastructure repaired/rectified by the Central Government. Besides this, on occurrence of a calamity of great magnitude, funds flow from donors, both local and international, for relief and rehabilitation, and in few cases for long-term preparedness/preventive measures. Funds also become available from multilateral funding agencies such as the World Bank. 7.3 The Committee in its sitting held on 25th November, 2013 discussed the issue of financial mechanism for managing disasters in the country and the related provision under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Disaster management being multi-sectoral, multi-agency activity, the DM Act stipulates the financing mechanism for disaster management and also mandates every Ministry/ Department at the national and State level to make specific financial provisions for undertaking measures related to disaster management. The structure of financing is designed with the objective of addressing disaster risk reduction through effective response and sustained measures for prevention, mitigation and preparedness in a holistic framework. The Act makes demarcation between response and mitigation funding, thereby acknowledging the inherent distinction between expenditure requirements for response during and after a disaster, and for mitigation during normal times. 7.4 The committee was informed that financial assistance in the wake of natural calamities is provided in accordance with the schemes of relief funds. These schemes are based on the recommendations of the successive Finance Commissions. The First Finance Commission did not make any recommendation regarding the financing of relief expenditure of States. The Second Finance Commission introduced the concept of Margin Money scheme and Central Assistance to be allocated to the States as a separate fund for meeting the expenses brought upon by natural calamities. Such system continued upto Eighth Finance Commission with minor modifications. The Ninth Finance Commission made path-breaking recommendations which completely replaced the ‘existing arrangements of financing relief expenditure involving the provision of Margin Money, preparation of States’ memoranda, visits of Central teams etc., by a scheme which is qualitatively

99 100 different in the sense that generous funds were placed at the disposal of States and they are expected to look after themselves in almost all situations’. A Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) was constituted for each State, with the Central Government contributing 75 per cent and the State concerned contributing the rest 25 per cent. The Tenth Finance Commission (1995-2000) recommended the continuation of the CRF with some modifications. As pointed out by the Task Force, the recommendations of the FCs had been based on the principle that financial assistance to the States shall be limited to providing immediate gratuitous relief to the victims of natural calamities and to restore public utilities so that affected persons and communities are able to restart their economic activities. The objective of such assistance is neither to compensate for their loss nor to restore damaged assets to their pre-disaster State; the latter is expected to be met by the State from its own resources or from the funds available under various Plan schemes of the Central Government. This largely relief-centric approach to the financing arrangement did not address issues of prevention, mitigation, and preparedness. 7.5 The Eleventh Finance Commission (2000-05) also recommended the continuation of the CRF scheme for meeting the expenditure of providing immediate relief to the victims of a cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire or hailstorm. Expenditure on the restoration of infrastructure and other capital assets, except those intrinsically connected with relief operations and connectivity with the affected area and population, were to be met from the Plan funds on priority. The Twelfth Finance Commission (2005-10) extended the list of calamities to cover landslides, avalanches, cloud bursts and pest attacks. The Task Force has rightly highlighted that financial arrangements for disaster relief, however, did not include any provision for long-term recovery and mitigation. So, the lack of a fund clearly earmarked for mitigation was considered one of the glaring shortcomings of financial arrangements till Twelfth Finance Commission. 7.6 The Eleventh Five Year Plan document however, made a strategic and pioneering shift towards mainstreaming disaster management in development planning and made several strong suggestions in this direction. The Union Finance Ministry prescribed radical changes in 2009 in the formats for submission of plan proposals from Central Ministries and Departments as well as State Governments incorporating self-certification by the proposing officials to the effect that the proposals have factored in the disaster risk and vulnerability of the concerned geographical area.

7.7 Recommendations Of Thirteenth Finance Commission 7.7.1 The present scheme of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) are based on the recommendations of the Thirteenth Finance Commission, operative from 1st April, 2010 to 31st March, 2015. On the recommendation of the Thirteenth Finance Commission, the Central Government has allocated funds for strengthening disaster management institutions, capacity building and response mechanisms. 7.7.2 The Committee notes that the Act provides for two Funds at the national level, i.e. the NDRF under Section 46 and the NDMF vide Section 47. The NDRF, for ‘meeting any threatening disaster situation or disaster’, comprises of two components: (a) amount deposited by the Central Government and (b) other grants or donations made by any person or institution for the purpose of disaster management. The Act makes provision for the Response Fund to be available to the NEC for meeting the expenses of emergency response, relief and rehabilitation. The Finance Ministry has issued guidelines for operation of NDRF. 7.7.3 According to the guidelines, the NDMF has been provided exclusively for the purpose of mitigation and is to be used only for mitigation projects. The corpus of the Mitigation Fund would be provided by the Central Government after due appropriation made by Parliament by law and it would be available to the NDMA. 101

7.7.4 Likewise, the Act also provides for similar Funds at the State and district levels under Section 48. The SDRF shall be available with the SEC for emergency response, relief and rehabilitation at the state level, while the SDMF shall be made available to the SDMA for undertaking mitigation projects. The Committee further takes note that the DM Act enjoins upon the State Governments to create similar Funds at the district level. The DDRF and the DDMF would be made available to the district authorities respectively for response and mitigation purposes. The Act also mandates every Ministry/Department of Central and State Governments to provide funds from its annual budget for the purpose of carrying out activities and programmes set out in its disaster management plan under Sections 37, 40 and 49 of the Act. At the time of a severe calamity, the Act authorises the Disaster Management Authorities at the national, state and district levels to sanction emergency procurement of materials or immediate application of resources for rescue and relief purposes, waiving standard procedures. 7.7.5 The DM Act, 2005 suggests the source of funding for the NDRF and the NDMF by the Parliament through appropriation. It also includes any grants that may be made by any person or institution for the purpose of disaster management. However, there is no specific mention of the criteria to be adopted in fixing the size of contribution to the Funds. The Act also does not specify the sources of funding for response and mitigation funds at the State and district levels. The implicit assumption is that the State Government would make a provision for these funds. While the budgetary provision of these relief funds is dealt with by Ministry of Finance, the processing of request of the State Governments for these funds is done by the Ministry of Home Affairs (DM Division).

7.8 National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) 7.8.1 The Government of India raises this Fund by levying the “National Calamity Contingency Duty” on imported petrol and products, crude oil, motor cars, imported multi utility vehicles, two wheelers, mobile phones, pan masala and certain specific tobacco products. The collection for year 2009-10 was R 3160.00 crore and was expected to be around R 3900.00 crore in the Financial Year 2010-2011. For the year 2011-12, the estimate is R 4525.00 crores.

7.9 State Disaster Respoonse Fund 7.9.1 Section 48 (1) of Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides for constitution of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) by the State Governments. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the guidelines to the State for operation of SDRF. Allocations to the State Relief Funds have been made based on the recommendations of the successive Finance Commissions. While allocating the funds to various States for a period of five years, the factors considered for allocation include the expenditure incurred by the State Governments on relief operations during the last about 10 years, vulnerability of the State to natural disasters and economic status of the State. Currently, as per the recommendations of the Thirteenth Finance Commission, the Central Government has approved an allocation of R 33580.93 crore in the State Disaster Relief Fund to all the States, comprising of R 25847.93 crore as Central share and R 7733.00 crore as State share. The scheme of SDRF provides for release of the Central share in two equal installments in the months of June and December. 7.9.2 The Committee further desired to know allocation of money and the pattern of CRF and NCRF. The concerned Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs replied as under:– “We had the concept of the Calamity Relief Fund and the National Calamity Contingency Fund. The CRF has now been substituted by State Disaster Response Fund. Similarly, NCCF is now called National Disaster Response Fund. The inter-se annual allocation under SDRF has already been mandated by the 13th Finance Commission, irrespective of whether 102

the State has witnessed a disaster or not. This money is available in two installments to the State Governments to deal with normal disasters. But, when a disaster of severe nature occurs, the State Government is required to submit a memorandum. Based on that, an Inter- Ministerial Central Team is constituted and the Report, based on its field visits, is examined by the Sub-Committee of the National Executive Committee. Then, their recommendations are given to the High-Level Committee headed by the Agriculture Minister at present and this Committee takes a decision on 100 per cent allocation under the NDRF.” 7.9.3 Seeking further clarification on the issue, the Chairman of the Committee desired to know the pattern to allocate SDRF and NDRF. The concerned Joint Secretary explained as under:– “The pattern under the SDRF is like this. For normal States, it is 75:25 and for hilly and special category States, it is 90:10. For NDRF, it is 100 per cent by the Government of India. But, while this is for relief and immediate restoration, ...... medium and long-term reconstruction does not come under the Ministry of Home Affairs. These matters are directly handled by the Planning Commission in consultation with the respective State Government. So, after the cyclone in Tamil Nadu and heavy rains, the rehabilitation was worked out by the Planning Commission in consultation with the Tamil Nadu Government. So, the Ministry of Home Affairs has, actually, not much to contribute.” 7.9.4 The Committee also desired to know whether there is a pattern for allocation to States, especially States which are repeatedly having cyclones, floods and drought. The State of Andhra Pradesh has recently faced Laila, Phailin, Helen and Lehar and it was sought to know whether there was need to change the existing set pattern as recommended by the Finance Commission as it could be inappropriate to have the routine fund for the rehabilitation and relief plan for each State. The Committee further desired to know whether there was need for having separate guidelines for those States facing regular disaster like situation. The concerned Joint Secretary, MHA answered as under:– “This point was actually addressed by the Thirteenth Finance Commission. The Thirteenth Finance Commission Report states, “The fund allocation under SDRF is not governed by the normal Gadgil Formula”. The Gadgil Formula governs the inter se State allocation for other developmental schemes, but that is not taken into consideration for this. For State Disaster Response Fund, the inter se fund allocation is determined by taking into account past expenditure on disaster management by the Thirteenth Finance Commission which has taken into consideration vulnerability of the particular State with reference to natural disasters. That is why, Andhra Pradesh, for example, has a total allocation of R 2,811.64 crores; Odisha has R 2,163.75 crores. Similarly, each State has a particular quantum which is annually decided and the entire recommendation of the Thirteenth Finance Commission is available already. Now, this is not strictly based on population. Other schemes are based on the general population, SC/ST population, etc.; but, here, this is based on vulnerability to natural disasters. So, this point has already been taken into consideration by the Thirteenth Finance Commission.” 7.9.5 The Committee notes that the allocation for mitigating disaster damages, is not purely based on Gadgil Formula, but is based on vulnerability of a particular State. The Committee feels that allocation for SDRF should be made on the basis of vulnerability of a State in the right earnest. 7.9.6 The Committee observes that the CRF has been merged into the SDRF, the allocation made through the FC’s recommendations are supposed to capitalise the SDRF, although it is not specifically mentioned in the Act. The Committee finds that there is absence of mechanism to capitalise the DDRF. The Committee is constrained to express its 103 displeasure that hardly any State Government has set up district disaster funds, let alone providing funds for them. In view of the Committee, this is one important part of the DM Act, 2005, which has not been implemented at all. This is pathetic state of affairs keeping in view the fact that districts are the gross root level implementing authority or agency to deal with all the response measures. The Committee, therefore, strongly, feels that the district administration should have immediate and direct access to resources and for that, DDRF must be constituted and capitalized throughout the country without any exception and delay.

7.10 Additional Financial Assistance 7.10.1 Over and above the provisions of the SDRF, funding is provided from the NDRF in the wake of calamities of severe nature. On receipt of the memorandum from the affected States, an Inter-Ministerial Central Team comprising of representatives of the Central Ministries/Departments is constituted and its report, after examination by the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) headed by Home Secretary, is placed before the High Level Committee (HLC) for their consideration and approval of funds from NDRF. 7.10.2 The Secretary, NDMA apprising the Committee about institutional arrangement for funding for disaster management stated as under:– “The administrative arrangement consists of visit by Inter-Ministerial Central Teams. Then, the report is sent to IMG or NEC and then, it goes to the HLC headed by the Agriculture Minister. Often, depending upon the severity of the calamity or severity of the disaster, a Cabinet Committee is formed. Presently, in the case of Uttarakhand, there is a separate Cabinet Committee which looks after the related issues.” 7.10.3 The Committee desired to know whether Central team has visited Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in the aftermath of recent cyclones. Responding to the query, the concerned Joint Secretary, MHA replied that the Central Team for Odisha has already completed the visit and has submitted its report which was under the consideration of the Government. However, the Central Team has just visited Andhra Pradesh and was to give its report within a week. Responding to further query about the visit of the Central Team in the wake of Helen, the concerned Joint Secretary stated as under:- “After the , the State Government has not given the Memorandum because the State Government already has funds under the State Disaster Reponse Fund. It is only when the requirement is more that they furnish the Memorandum. So, on Helen, they are yet to give the Memorandum. If they give the Memorandum, then, the Central Team will be sent.” 7.10.4 The Committee notes the efforts of the Government to minimize the loss of human lives and to some extent, it has been successful in achieving this task. But there is hardly any effective remedy at hand to minimize the loss of properties, particularly, crops, houses, nets and boats of fishermen, and also the damage to the public utility facilities like electricity, water supply schemes, etc. The recent cyclones Helen and Laila left Andhra and Odisha with colossal devastation, where electrical poles either bent or uprooted, coconut trees uprooted and paddy crops totally damaged by floods. The Committee, however, notes lacunae in regard to the visit of the Central teams to assess the quantum of damage in an affected State. The Committee observes that the Central teams visit the affected States after a gap of ten or fifteen days or twenty days and by that time one cannot expect a farmer to keep the water logging on in their fields since the farmers engage hired tractors to remove the affected crops. Since the Central Team visits after considerable lapse of time, 104 it is not able to make actual assessment of ground realities pertaining to the loss of property and crop. The Committee, therefore, strongly recommends that as and when such calamity happens, the Central team must make a visit to the affected State within a period of two or three days for a preliminary assessment and to take stock of ground realities. For final assessment, it would not be proper for Central team on its own to finalise the actual damage. The Committee is of the considered opinion that the both the State and the Central Government officials after detailed discussions should arrive at final conclusion and final assessments of total loss. It is equally important to look into the new funding options which would further enhance the process for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development in a more integrated format. 7.10.5 The Committee desires that Planning Commission must respond quickly to the needs of the Central Ministries/Departments/States in matters relating to the plan for meeting situations arising out of natural disasters, by enabling adjustment of schemes to meet the requirements as far as possible. A mechanism should be evolved to take expeditious decisions on proposals which involve transfer of funds from one scheme to another, or any other change which involves departure from the existing schemes/ pattern of assistance, new schemes and relaxation in procedures, etc. in the case of natural disasters.

7.11 Monitoring Of Expenditure From Relief Fund 7.11.1 The Ministry of Home Affairs oversees the operations of SDRF and monitors its compliance with these guidelines. A format for monitoring the relief expenditure in accordance with the extant items and norms of assistance has been prescribed. A web based computerized tracking system has also been developed for monitoring the relief expenditure. The Accountant General of the State maintains the accounts of the SDRF. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India audits SDRF every year.

7.12 Disaster Response Reserve 7.12.1 The 13th Finance Commission has observed that procurement of relief materials on short notice is often associated with premium in pricing and could adversely impact quality. The Commission also felt that a national inventory of equipment and material should be maintained for providing immediate relief. It is advisable to keep an inventory of items such as life saving equipments and tents etc. with the NDRF. The Commission has accordingly recommended an initial grant of R 250.00 crores in the form of a revolving fund to be provided to the NDRF for this purpose. Whenever these items are used for responding to a calamity, the cost (or rent for those items that can be reused) should be booked to the overall cost of relief operations incurred by the State Government and the inventory replenished on a regular basis. The Ministry informed that a proposal to constitute this fund along with guidelines for its operations is under consideration of the Government. 7.12.2 The Committee is in agreement with the recommendation of the Thirteenth Finance Commission for creating Disaster Response Reserve for making provision for national inventory of equipment and material for quick response and for providing immediate relief in case of any eventuality. The Ministry may take early action for constituting the fund and for formulating guidelines.

7.13 Capacity Building Grant 7.13.1 On the recommendation of the Thirteenth Finance Commission, R525.00 crore has been allocated to the States for taking up activities for capacity building in the administrative machinery. 105

The Ministry of Finance has issued the guidelines for the utilization of the fund. The guidelines provide for preparation of an action plan for the entire period of 2010-15 as well as action plans for each financial year. These plans would inter alia include items for training and capacity building of stakeholders and functionaries in States, preparation of disaster management plans based on hazard, risk and vulnerability analysis and setting up and strengthening of emergency operations centres in States. 7.13.2 The Committee feels that capacity building is an important aspect for Disaster Management. State Government should take necessary steps in taking up the activities. Under utilisation of funds should not be resorted to. Action plans as required for utilizing funds may be prepared.

7.14 Revamping Of Fire Services 7.14.1 The Thirteenth Finance Commission has recommended, a grant of R 87519 crore to the Local Bodies including municipalities, a portion of which is available for revamping of fire services within their respective jurisdictions. These bodies could provide financial support to the State Fire Services Department towards this objective. The States will be eligible to draw their share from the grant only if they comply with nine conditions. One of these conditions is “All municipal corporations with a population of more than 1 million (2001 census) must put in place fire hazard response and mitigation plan for their respective areas.” An additional fund of R 472 crore has been allocated to seven States. The Ministry of Finance has issued guidelines to the State Governments on 23.09.2010 for utilization of the grant recommended by the Thirteenth Finance Commission for rural and urban local bodies. The Committee was informed that a plan scheme for Strengthening of Fire and Emergency Service in the country was launched in 2009 with an outlay of Rs 200 crore, for a period from 2009- 2012. 7.14.2 The Committee understands that strengthening of fire and emergency services is a significant scheme. The Committee, however, observes that Fire Services are in an archaic condition in the country. There should be total modernization and overhauling of the Fire Services. If more funds are required for this purpose, it may be considered. The Committee recommends that all municipal corporations should put in place fire hazard response and mitigation plan. 7.14.3 The Government of India also launched a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in April 2009 with an outlay of R100 crore during the Eleventh Five Year Plan for revamping of Civil Defence setup in the country during the years 2009-2012. Under Twelfth Five Year Plan Rs. 30 crore has been allocated for the purpose. Besides the above mentioned plan schemes, the non-plan scheme for Financial Assistance to Administrative Training Institutes (ATIs) and other Training Institutes in States/UTs for the operation of Disaster Management Centres was approved in 2007 to be implemented during period 2007-2012. 7.14.4 The Committee understands that revamping of civil defence set up is a significant schemes under Plan-allocation. Therefore, the Committee recommends that adequate funds may be allocated under Plan Schemes for revitalization of Civil Defence set up in the country for funding projects on preparedness and mitigation of disaster. 7.14.5 The Committee was given to understand that besides the funds under plan and non-plan schemes, efforts have also been made by the Government to mobilize the resources from external funding agencies for vulnerabilities assessment, capacity development, institutional strengthening of response mechanism and mitigation measures etc. In the past, the Government has supported the States for reconstruction and rehabilitation of Earthquake and Tsunami affected people for their rehabilitation through aid from World Bank and other such external funding agencies. 106

7.15 National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project 7.15.1 The Government of India has approved a National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP), to be implemented in cyclone prone coastal States/UTs with external aid from the World Bank during the period 2011 to 2015. 7.15.2 The Secretary, NDMA during the Committee’s meeting held on 25th November, 2013, apprised about the initiative taken by the Government in the wake of Phailin for augmenting the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project which was being executed in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha through World Bank aid. Further elaborating on the issue, the Project Director, NDMA stated as under:– “team lead by the Department of Economic Affairs having Asian Development Bank and World Bank, went to Orissa and had a discussion with them. A system of around R 2,600 crores just for infrastructure, not relief, has been decided which includes R 600 crores to start with in the affected areas for taking cabling underground because the major impact is on the electricity poles. So we are tying in the whole of the coastal areas. At present, in Phase one, we are covering Andhra Pradesh and Orissa and in Phase two World Bank has agreed to assist and give R 250 million dollars more covering the State of West Bengal, Kerala, Gujarat and Maharashtra. We would like to take underground cabling. The second important thing which we are trying to do is rural housing. We want to make pucca houses in the coastal areas. These are the two major things we are doing.” 7.15.3 The Committee observes that Government is making arrangements for laying cables which is all the more necessary due to variety of reasons. The recent cyclone ‘Helen’ affected Andhra Pradesh adversely. Some towns and villages around Amalapuram had no electricity for four days and there was no drinking water because of lack of power supply. That being the case, the Committee believes that scheme for providing underground cabling would be of immense utility in the long run in the affected areas, particularly, the coastal districts of both Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the project should be taken on priority and completed as per schedule. Other cyclone prone States should also be covered under the project. 7.15.4 The Committee was given to understand that the post disaster relief and reconstruction is resource intensive and the Government is making efforts to ensure availability of established financial mechanisms both at the State and Central level to address the resource requirements. The present scheme of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) are based on the recommendations of Thirteenth Finance Commission operated from 1st April, 2010 to 31st March, 2015 must be reviewed annually. For disasters needing Central support over and above the SDRF, the processing of the request of the State Governments for support from the Central Government must be taken into account and processed by Ministry of Home Affairs timely while the budgetary provisions for the relief funds must be provided by the Ministry of Finance as per the actual assessment. The Committee recommends that adequate funds should be allocated for strengthening of Disaster Management Institutions, Capacity Development of stakeholder’s, prevention and mitigation and the response mechanism. The Committee also recommends that efforts must be made in the right earnest to ensure that the mitigation and prevention of disaster are given adequate importance by utilizing these funds so that the impact of the disasters is minimized. 7.15.5 The Committee notes that the Twelfth Finance Commission has observed that while disaster preparedness and mitigation are important, provisions need to be built into State Plans, as has been the practice and that the focus of the CRF (SDRF)/NCCF (NDRF) must be primarily on calamity 107 relief. With regard to mitigation, the Ministry of Finance has stated that it should be a part of the overall planning process and that the creation of the Fund would add another layer of approval for the relevant Ministries and Departments. On the other hand, NDMA has suggested the creation of the NDMF, as required under the DM Act, 2005, for mitigation projects in high priority areas, to be taken up by the NDMA itself. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission also deliberated the issue of setting up a National Mitigation Fund as follows:– “Long term mitigation measures, being capital intensive, have to be carried out as part of the national plan or the state plan of the concerned Ministry/ Department. Modalities of integrating projects taken up under the Mitigation Fund and other projects taken up under different schemes would have to be worked out. NDMA may be requested to finalise such modalities and also recommend guidelines for use of the Mitigation Funds at the National, State and District levels.” 7.15.6 Regarding non creation of National Disaster Mitigation fund, the Home Secretary admitted that the fund had still not been sanctioned by the Ministry of Finance and they have raised some queries. A draft EFC note to the Finance Ministry would be submitted. 7.15.7 The Committee feels that the National Disaster Mitigation Fund should be created without any delay. The Committee is of the opinion that the source of Fund and its linkage with the respective State Fund should specified in the Act or Rules explicitly. The Committee further recommends that the guidelines with respect to utilization of National and State Mitigation Funds and identification of projects therein be prepared by the NDMA in consultation with the Planning Commission. The Committee is, however, in agreement with the observation of Task Force that as regards district level Funds, the State Government should decide whether to have response and mitigation funds or to put in place a separate mechanism for timely access to financial resources by District authorities. 7.15.8 As regards the nomenclature of the response fund, with a view to removing the confusion brought upon by the Response Fund having identical abbreviations as the Response Force, the Task Force recommends that in Section 46 the expression ‘National Disaster Response Fund’ may be changed to ‘National Fund for Disaster Response’ (NFDR). Similarly, in Section 48, the expression ‘State Disaster Response Fund’ may be changed to ‘State Fund for Disaster Response’ (SFDR). 7.15.9 The Committee is in agreement with the observation of the Task Force regarding the nomenclature of the response fund and recommends that necessary action be taken in this direction. 108

CHAPTER-VIII

POLICY GUIDELINES AND RULES PERTAINING TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT

8.1 The Committee takes into account that the National Policy for Disaster Management as a statement of intent by the Government towards a disaster resilient India and several formidable Guidelines have been prepared by the National Disaster Management Authority in consultation with the best domain experts in the country with suggested corrective action to address the critical gaps responsible for the weaknesses in the management of disasters in our country. 8.2 Sections 35, 36 and 37 of the DM Act enumerate the duties and responsibilities of various Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India. Similarly, Sections 38, 39 and 40 provide for the duties and responsibilities of the Departments of the State Governments. These provisions relate to preparation of disaster management plans at the national, state and district levels. The Act entrusts the National Disaster Management Authority with the responsibility for laying down the policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters. The Ministries/Departments of the Government of India are required to approve the plans in accordance with the national plans. The guidelines laid down by the National Authority have to be followed by State Authorities in drawing up their State Plans and the same is applicable to different Ministries and Departments of the Government of India for the purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its effects in their development plans and projects. The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) is also required to follow the broad policies and guidelines set by the NDMA. 8.3 Under the existing provisions of the DM Act the National Executive Committee, under the Act has to prepare the National Plan, coordinate and monitor the implementation of the National Policy. Similarly, the State Authority of each State has been given the responsibility for laying down policies and plans for disaster management for their State.

8.4 Rules Under The Disaster Management Act, 2005 8.4.1 Several rules for administration of the different provisions of the Disaster Management Act have been notified by MHA. List indicating Rules notified is at Annexure-I.

8.5 National Policy On Disaster Management (NPDM) 8.5.1 The National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM) has been approved by the Central Government on October 22, 2009 and circulated to all concerned. The policy envisages a safe and disaster resilient India by developing a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster oriented and technology driven strategy through a culture of prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response. The policy covers all aspects of disaster management including institutional and legal arrangements, financial arrangements, disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, techno-legal regime, response, relief and rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery, capacity development, knowledge management, research and development. It focuses on the areas where action is needed and the institutional mechanism through which such action can be channelized. The NPDM addresses the concerns of all the sections of the society including differently abled persons, women, children and other disadvantaged groups in terms of granting relief and formulating measures for rehabilitation of the

108 109 persons affected by disasters. The issue of equity and inclusiveness has been accorded due consideration. It aims to bring in transparency and accountability in all aspects of disaster management through involvement of community, community based organisations, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), local bodies and civil society.

8.6 National Plan On Disaster Management 8.6.1 The Committee was given to understand that an institutional mechanism for preparation of the National Plan has been put in place. The Plan is under preparation in three parts which inter- alia covers National Response Plan, National Mitigation Plan and National Capacity Building Plan. 8.6.2 A Facilitation Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Border Management) in the Ministry of Home Affairs and three sub-committees namely: (i) National Response Plan Committee; (ii) National Mitigation Plan Committee and (iii) National Capacity Building Plan Committee were constituted for preparation of the National Plan on Disaster Management. 8.6.3 The National Mitigation Plans are under preparation by the concerned nodal Ministries and the Nodal Officers of the Ministries, who are the conveners of the National Mitigation Plan Committees, are required to complete the Mitigation Plan in consultation with the members concerned with the respective disasters in NDMA. The Nodal Ministry/Department for Management/Mitigation of Different Disasters is at Annexure-II. NDMA is engaged in the formulation of guidelines through a consultative process involving multiple stakeholders, including the Government, non-government organisations, academic and scientific institutions, the corporate sector and community. Since its inception, NDMA has so far released various disaster specific and thematic guidelines. 8.6.4 The objectives of the guidelines relating to Management of Landslide and Snow Avalanches are to institutionalise the landslide hazard mitigation efforts, to make the society aware of the various aspects of landslide hazard in the country and to prepare the society to take suitable action to reduce both risks and costs associated with the hazard. The guidelines include regulatory and non-regulatory frameworks with defined time schedules for all activities. 8.6.5 The guidelines pertaining to management of cyclones deal with the tropical cyclones by way of appropriate coping strategies and risk reduction plans along with greater public awareness. The guidelines call for proactive, participatory, multi-disciplinary and multi-sector approach at various levels. The management of cyclones encompasses Early Warning System on cyclones, structural measures for preparedness and mitigation, covering cyclone shelters, buildings, road links, drains, embankments, communication/power transmission networks, and non-structural mitigation options, such as coastal zone management, coastal flood plain management, natural resources management, awareness generation related to CDM, hazard zoning and mapping, including the use of GIS tools, capacity development, etc. 8.6.6 The guidelines for management of earthquake emphasises that all new structures are built in compliance with earthquake resistant building codes. Town planning, bye-laws, structural safety audits of existing lifeline structures and other critical structures in earthquake prone areas, carrying out selective seismic strengthening and retrofitting ought to be addressed. 8.6.7 The guidelines concerning management of floods aim at measures for preparedness, prevention, mitigation in the pre-flood stage and on prompt and effective response, relief and recovery during – and post flood stages. Importance on non-structural measures besides structural measures is emphasized in the guidelines. Setting of basin-wise organisations for flood management and also for setting up a National Flood Management Institute for training, education and research are suggested in the guideline. 110

8.6.8 The guidelines for Chemical Disasters (Industrial) call for a protective, participatory, well- structured, fail-safe, multi-disciplinary and multi-structural approach at various levels. On the basis of vulnerabilities and consequences of chemical accidents, the guidelines review the existing regulatory framework and practices and thus propose for a regulatory framework, code of practices, capacity development, institutional framework, etc. The guidelines also set out an approach for implementation of the guidelines. 8.6.9 While the guidelines relating to management of Chemical (Terrorism) Disasters outlines the preparedness and efforts made for mitigating the chemical terrorism, the act of violence perpetrated to achieve professed aims, using chemical agents. The guidelines also identify the gaps and propose the measures required to fill the gaps in the legislative and regulatory frameworks. Surveillance measures for strengthening the intelligence in order to prevent intentional use of chemical agents have also been dealt. 8.6.10 The Committee notes that State Disaster Management Plans ensures that the components of DM addresses to issues pertaining to planning, preparedness, operational, coordination and community participation. The guidelines underline preparation of the plan to include the State profile, vulnerability assessment and risk analysis, prevention measures, mainstreaming DM concerns into developmental plan, programme and projects, preparedness measures, response and partnership with the other stakeholders besides providing for financial arrangement. 8.6.11 Since disasters leave a trail of agony and affect the survivors’ mental health, therefore, the guidelines pertaining to psycho-social support and mental health services intends to develop and integrate a holistic, coordinated and pro-active strategy for management of psycho-social support and mental health services after a disaster through a culture of prevention, mitigation and preparedness to generate a prompt and effective response. A Mass Casualty Event (MCE) is an incident resulting in a number of victims large enough to disrupt the normal course of emergency and health care services. The guidelines for MCE focus on all aspects of medical preparedness and mass casualty management with emphasis on prevention, mitigation preparedness, relief and medical response etc. The guidelines aim to develop a rigorous medical management framework to reduce the number of deaths during MCE. The guidelines for management of dead in the aftermath of disaster aim at institutionalising the standard procedure for proper management of dead bodies and animal carcasses in the aftermath of disasters. 8.6.12 The objective of the management of Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies guidelines is to implement the concept of prevention of nuclear and radiological emergencies. In rare cases of their occurrence due to factors beyond human control, the guidelines suggest the emergency should be managed through certain pre-planned and established structural and non-structural measures to minimize risk to health, life and the environment. 8.6.13 The guidelines for Incident Response System provides directions and guidelines to Central Ministries and the States for an effective and well co-ordinated response and multi-disciplinary, and systematic approach to guide administrative mechanisms at all levels of the government with scope for participation of private sector, NGOs, PRIs and communities to work together seamlessly in the response activities. The guidelines are applicable to the management of all incidents - natural or human-made viz. terrorism (Counter Insurgency), law and order situations, serial bomb blast, hijacking, air accidents, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) disasters, mine disaster, port and harbour emergencies, forest fires, oil field fires and oil spills. 8.6.14 The guidelines for strengthening of safety and security for transportation envisage measures for prevention and for adoption of preparedness practices to a level that there is no chance of error. This calls for firming up the regulations, setting up of mechanisms of strict conformation, as well as fail proof functioning by each role player. 111

8.6.15 The guidelines for management of biological disasters stresses on all aspects of Biological Disaster Management (BDM) including Bio-terrorism (BT) emphasise the preventive approach such as immunisation of first responders and stockpiles of medical countermeasures based upon risk reduction measures by developing a rigorous medical management framework to reduce the number of deaths during biological disasters, both intentional and accidental. These include the development of specialised measures pertaining to the management of biological disasters. 8.6.16 The guidelines pertaining to management of Tsunami take into account the tsunami risk and vulnerability in the country and the preparedness and provides for structural mitigation measures and lay down strategies for protecting lifeline with the sea front besides lays down the guidance for developing the techno-legal regime and giving an account of various tool kits for tsunami risk management. 8.6.17 The guidelines pertaining to Role of NGOs in disaster management spells out the role of NGOs in disaster preparedness, mitigation and response and spell out the institutional mechanism for improving the effectiveness of disaster management through effective coordination between NGOs and the government at different levels. 8.6.18 The guidelines for Urban Flooding aim to develop plans for the management of urban flooding with a view to guide the Ministry and other government bodies for preparation of their disaster management plans on this aspect of disaster, recurrent in urban areas during monsoon. While reviewing the existing international and national practices for the design and maintenance of the urban drainage system, it addresses the issue of urban flood risk, vulnerability analysis and hazard mapping and provides for response action. 8.6.19 The Committee also notes that the plan to counter threats to Municipal Water Supply and Water Reservoirs aims to counter any threat to municipal water supply and water reservoir in view of such a perception and taking into account the present water supply system and legislative framework. The plan suggests to framing a preparedness plan and also outlining the guidelines for a standard operating plan.

8.7 National Action Plan On Climate Change 8.7.1 The impact of climate variability is redefining the hazard profile of many States in India. The Government of India is making efforts to address the Climate Changes challenges through the National and State Climate Change Action Plans, and systems are being strengthened to deal with these changes. On June 30, 2008, Prime Minister released India’s first National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), outlining existing and future policies and programmes addressing climate mitigation and adaptation. The plan identifies eight core “national missions”:– (i) National Solar Mission (ii) National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (iii) National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (iv) National Mission for Sustaining The Himalayan Ecosystem (v) National Water Mission (vi) National Mission for Green India (vii) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (viii) National Mission for Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change 112

8.7.2 The Committee takes note of the policy/guidelines and rules governing the disaster management in the country. The Committee is of the opinion that policy/ guidelines and rules will remain on the paper unless implemented on the ground level. The Committee feels that the follow up action expected from the nodal agencies in preparing plans to address these aspects of strengthening preparedness, prevention, mitigation, emergency response and recovery efforts in these critical sectors remains to be initiated. The National Disaster Management Guidelines on the management of various disasters should be followed by all stakeholder groups to ensure that the paradigm shift envisaged in the National Policy for Disaster Management does not remain an aspiration. 8.7.3 The Committee firmly believes that there should be monitoring mechanism to ensure implementation of the guidelines and rules. The Committee, in this connection, recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs/NDMA should act as nodal agencies. The Ministry of Home Affairs should interact with the concerned Ministries related to DM activities, which either have come out with their own policy, plans and regulatory mechanisms for management of disasters pertaining to their domain or are at different stages of its formulations. The Committee hopes that the concerned Ministries, States and the stakeholders would also work in tandem with NDMA and Union Ministry of Home Affairs and come up with effective and implementable plans at their level. 8.7.4 The Committee underscores the fact that since the DM Act provides provision for preparation of Disaster Management plan at national, State and district level, integrated and co-ordinated approach would be the first and foremost requirement. The Committee, therefore, recommends that every effort should be made to ensure that different types and levels of disaster management plans are consistent with each other. The Committee also recommends that plans at the National and State level must be prepared on realistic and relevant grounds by taking into account various features and needs of smaller geographical units. 8.7.5 In order to enable the Ministry of Home Affairs to discharge its duties and responsibilities pertaining to disaster management, it is essential that adequate number of staff and officers should be posted in the DM Division of MHA. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Disaster Management Division (DM Division) of the MHA in the Government of India may be strengthened so that it is better equipped to undertake the activities assigned by the Act. 8.7.6 The Committee is in agreement with the observation of the Task Force that the NDMA should be given the responsibility of preparing the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) and also of monitoring the activities of various Ministries regarding the tasks assigned by the Act. The Committee notes that NDMA is prepared to undertake the proposed onerous task of preparing NDMP. The Committee recommends that the Government must provide enabling environment by providing adequate number of consultants, experts and supportive staff and officers to NDMA to undertake the task of preparing NDMP. 8.7.7 The Committee views that the role and functions of the NDMA should cover policies, plans, guidelines and regulations relating to prevention, mitigation and preparedness. It should coordinate with the agencies concerned and ensure that all activities relating to prevention, mitigation and preparedness envisaged by the Act are implemented on the ground level. 8.7.8 The Committee further desires that at the State level, the SDMA may be authorised for preparing the State Disaster Management Plan and reviewing the performance of various 113 departments regarding the tasks assigned to them by the Act. A regular monitoring of the activities of various departments of the State Government is required to be put in place for better result. 8.7.9 Since, the District Administration is the first responder to any disaster, the Committee considers that the State Government must strengthen the DDMAs for effective disaster management at the local level. In this regard, the Committee recommends that DDMAs should be better equipped to be able to prepare district disaster management plans and undertake other activities of managing disasters. 8.7.10 The Committee notes that mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into program of various Ministries and Departments is the need of hour and The Planning Commission also desires to ensure that Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is inbuilt in all schemes of Central and State Governments. The Ministry of Finance had accordingly issued checklist, while preparing EFC/SFC/CNE Memo and DPR for new schemes and revisions amounting to R 50 crore and above for enforcing DRR. It was also informed that the Building Code will be in public domain to ensure disaster resilience and to incorporate retrofitting principles. Though the Government has clearly articulated the need to look at disaster management as a development issue, but, in practice, it is not happening as most of the functionaries responsible for certifying do not have adequate skills in this regard and all State Governments are not familiar with the methodology to undertake detailed risk assessment and there is very little capacity in the Government to undertake these tasks. The continuing increase in the damage and destruction of property, assets and public infrastructure is witness to this. The Committee views that all development schemes in vulnerable areas should include a disaster mitigation analysis, whereby the feasibility of a project is assessed with respect to vulnerability of the area and the mitigation measures required for sustainability. The aim of a mitigation strategy must focus on reducing losses in the event of a future occurrence of a hazard. The Committee recommends that mitigation measures need to be considered in land use and site planning activities. Constructions in hazardous areas like flood plains or steep soft slopes are more vulnerable to disasters. Necessary mitigation measures need to be built into the design and costing of development projects. The Committee accordingly is of the considered opinion that random audits of such proposals in areas affected by disasters should be undertaken to ensure adherence to the risk assessment with a long term view for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in development planning. 114

OBSERVATIONS/CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE — AT A GLANCE

The Committee underlines the pivotal role of NDMA in laying down policies of disaster management and finalization of national plan besides co-ordinating the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plan for disaster management. The Committee also takes into consideration the observation of Task Force for enlarging the role of NDMA and observes that the NDMA should be provided with suitable logistic and HR support to carry out its functions in case the Government decides in favour of enlarging its role and responsibility. The Committee understands that finalization of National Disaster Management Plan may take some time. But there should not be undue delay in finalizing the Plan and steps may be taken for its early finalisation. (Para 2.3.7) The Committee agrees with the recommendation of Task Force that the selection of members of NDMA should be through an open and transparent process and for that purpose a Search and Selection Committee may be constituted. The Committee is also in agreement with the views of the Task Force that the tenure and age limit of the Members should be specified in the DM Act, 2005 as has been prescribed in other Acts such as those relating to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Election Commission, the Competition Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission etc. The Committee, however, is in agreement with the views of NDMA that keeping in view the recommendation of the Task Force for enlarging the role of NDMA and with the frequency of occurrence of new types of disasters in the country, any reduction in the number of full time Members of the NDMA would make NDMA handicapped in the performance of its functions and accomplishing its responsibilities. The Committee is, therefore, not in agreement with the recommendation of Task Force in this regard. (Para 2.3.11) In view of the Committee the National Disaster Management Guidelines are guiding documents which provide compiled information/action points to the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, State Governments/Union Territories and other stakeholders and it would just be voluminous paper work, if there is no feedback on putting those guidelines/action points in practice. The Committee therefore, recommends that a mechanism should be placed in the NDMA to address this shortcoming and to encourage all stakeholders to strive for effective implementation of those guidelines as per their availability of resources and the feasibility of implementation etc. (Para 2.4.3) The Committee is surprised to observe that NDMA was constituted in 2006 under the DM Act, 2005 and even after elapse of a period of seven years, NDMA has not framed its business rules pertaining to internal conduct of NDMA and it is only after observation of C&AG that in an internal meeting of NDMA a decision was taken to follow the provisions of Manual of Office Procedure (MOP) of Government of India. The Committee feels that separate and specific business rules and SOPs for NDMA would inject functional efficiency. The Committee, therefore, recommends that NDMA must frame its own business rules pertaining to its internal working. (Para 2.5.4) The Committee presumes that obscurity over the role and responsibility of stakeholders of disaster management lies primarily because of the fact that MHA functions as an executive arm of NDMA while on the other hand MHA also acts as an administrative

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Ministry of it. Although the DM Act stipulates the various functions of NDMA, NEC, NCMC, NDRF and NIDM but the Committee feels that clear demarcation of role and responsibility of various stakeholders in disaster management would be crystal clear only when the functional relation between MHA and NDMA is explicitly mentioned in the DM Act or at least in the Rules. (Para 2.6.3) The Committee is not happy to note that Advisory Committee which ceased to exist from mid of June, 2010 had not been re-constituted till 2013. The Committee understands that Advisory Committee is a significant organ of NDMA consisting of experts in the field of disaster management and having practical experience of disaster management at the national, State or district level to make recommendations on different aspects of disaster management but unfortunately such significant Committee has not been reconstituted since 2010. The Committee takes serious exception to this inordinate delay and wants to convey its strong feeling in this regard. The Committee strongly recommends that the advisory Committee be constituted without further delay. (Para 2.7.3) The Committee is constrained to express its displeasure over the Government’s State of affairs pertaining to approval and execution of projects entrusted to NDMA. Out of ten projects which were identified during Eleventh five year plan, four are yet to be approved and one project i.e. National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project has been approved as late as on 5th April, 2013. Out of the remaining five projects which were sanctioned during Eleventh Five Years plan, only one project viz. Micro-zonation of major cities has been completed and the remaining four are still under various stages of implementation. This is sorry status of working of NDMA which has been mandated to perform functions relating to disaster management. The Committee, therefore, strongly recommends that the administrative ministry must monitor the functioning of NDMA. (Para 2.8.6) The Committee is in agreement with the observation of C&AG that the action by NDMA is lacking as has been mandated under the DM Act for recommending provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation and relief in repayment of loans or for grant of fresh loans to the persons affected by disasters. The contention of NDMA that no affected State has sought NDMA’s intervention in the matter is in contrast with the expected level of activism on the part of an institution at apex level. The Committee believes that once the Act mandates NDMA to perform certain functions, it would be inappropriate to await the request of the State Government for the intervention of NDMA particularly when the State is reeling under the disaster effect. The Committee feels that NDMA should intervene in the matter suo-motto and act promptly in case of occurrence of any disaster in the State. The Committee recommends that NDMA should be more proactive as mandated by the Act. NDMA must also undertake follow up action to observe as to what extent its recommendations have been complied with. (Para 2.9.4) The Committee understands that the mandate of NDMA is not only confined to requesting the stakeholders i.e. the concerned Ministries/Departments and the State Governments to incorporate into its programs the mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Program but also to ensure the implementation of DRR of the concerned projects of stakeholders. NDMA should review the projects undertaken by stakeholders to ensure that DRR is inbuilt in all schemes of Government of India and State Governments. NDMA should perform the task assigned to it by the Cabinet, i.e. to review all major national projects to include structural requirements for disaster reduction. (Para 2.10.4) The Committee in this context recommends that NDMA should not procrastinate in filling up of vacant posts. The number of vacant posts should not be allowed to increase beyond a point. There should be a constant effort to fill up vacancies. (Para 2.11.4) 116

The Committee desires that whenever NDMA appoints experts/consultants, the Terms of Reference (TOR) of consultants should be clearly indicated which inter-alia include precise statement of objectives, tasks to be carried out, schedule for completion of tasks and final outputs. (Para 2.12.3) The Committee feels that NDMA should be prompt in monitoring the execution of its programs/projects to avoid time and cost overrun. The training material so developed should be effectively utilized for future training programmes. (Para 2.13.4) The Committee understands that the NEC is responsible for monitoring the implementation of NDMA guidelines. Keeping in view the observation of C&AG on the non- implementation of National Guidelines on Drought Management as issued in 2010 by NDMA, the Committee recommends that the responsibility of ensuring implementation of guidelines as issued by NDMA must lie with NDMA. The Committee is of the view that NDMA should even otherwise undertake review exercise to assess and ensure the implementation of its National Disaster Management Guidelines. (Para 2.14.4) The Committee is of the view that provision of HLC may be made in the DM Act because HLC plays a pivotal role in determining the assistance to be given to the States from NDRF keeping into account the recommendation of Inter Ministerial Group (IMG). Since, the recommendation of Inter-ministerial Central Team (IMCT) is taken into account in deciding the quantum of assistance to be given to the State and at present NDMA has no representative in IMCT, it would be appropriate that there is a provision for nominating a representative of NDMA as a member of IMCT in the Act to have a linkage in the overall system. The Ministry may look into this. (Para 2.15.3) The Committee takes note of the observation of NDMA that National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) chaired by the Cabinet Secretary has multifarious tasks in addition to natural disasters and entrusting all the functions of NEC to NCMC would detract NCMC. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government should have brainstorming session involving all the stakeholders before taking any final decision in the matter. (Para 2.16.5) The Committee is of the view that SDMAs need to be strengthened so that assigned functions could be effectively performed. The Committee, however, feels that since the recommendation of the Task Force has far reaching implications, final decision in the matter may be taken by Government in consultation with State Governments. (Para 2.17.4) The Committee is of the view that in case the Government takes the decision to assign the functions of SEC to SDMA, all efforts should be taken to restructure SDMA as per the recommendation of the Task Force. The NDMA management agreed to the recommendations of the Task Force. However, the final decision in the matter may be taken only after consulting the State Governments. (Para 2.17.6) The Committee observes that the recommendation of the Task Force for discontinuing SEC and assigning its task to State Crisis Management Committee (SCMC) and SDMA are on similar line as adopted for NCMC, NEC and NDMA. The Committee recommends that it will be appropriate if the proposal to assign the functions of SEC to SCMC is deliberated threadbare with the State Governments and necessary amendments are accordingly made in the Act thereafter. (Para 2.18.2) The Committee is of the considered view that the Government must give due consideration to strengthen the Disaster Management set up at the district level so that the district authority must be in a position to act as the first and foremost effective responder 117 of the disaster in its locality. There should be mechanism of sustained and continuous work especially for preparedness and mitigation. The Committee also views that Disaster Risk Reduction Programme must be implemented at the grass root level keeping in view that the district collector administers MNREGA and other land related programs. District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) should try to fill up vacancies on a regular basis. The Committee agrees that there is a need for organizational structure at the district level to address disaster management in a holistic manner. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government should not delay in considering the observation of the Task Force. However, before arriving at final decision the Government should consult all the stakeholders. (Para 2.19.6) The Committee is in agreement with the observation of the Task Force that the function of the local authority during response, relief and rehabilitation phase of disaster should be well defined as the same would strengthen upgrade and supplement efforts towards combating emerging and new vulnerabilities. The role and responsibility of local authorities and municipal corporations in the management of disaster may be cautiously and diligently explored. Necessary amendments may be made in the DM Act after discussions with the State Governments. (Para 2.20.6) The Committee believes that as mandated by the Disaster Management Act 2005, District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) chaired by the respective District Collectors and co-chaired by the chairmen of the Zilla Parishads at the district level have been established. However, in many cases, these are not active and operational except a few exceptions. Similarly, even though the Disaster Management Act, 2005 stipulates the setting up of the Disaster Response Fund and the Disaster Mitigation Fund at national, State and district levels, only the National and State Disaster Response Funds have become operational till now. The Committee therefore desires that the provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005 should be enforced in letter and spirit in view of the increasing frequency of disasters in the country and resultant damage to property, assets and infrastructure caused by them. (Para 2.20.7) The Committee acclaims the role of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in combating the major disasters occurring in the country including the recent one that took place in Uttarakhand. The Committee agrees that institutional mechanism should be developed to have the benefits of expertise of NDRF as store house in combating disaster management. To have the continuity in the system, the Committee recommends that tenure of some experienced NDRF Personnel be extended beyond normal deputation period of 5 years to 7-10 years. Some regular staff may also be recruited as suggested by the Task Force for continuity. (Para 2.21.3) The Committee, keeping in view the paramount role of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in disaster management, recommends that due consideration must be paid to evolve mechanism to strengthen SDRF. All the States/UTs that have not yet set up SDRFs may be insisted upon the need to set up the same at the earliest. (Para 2.22.2) The Committee is of the view that National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) should act as centre for excellence so far as the capacity building for effective disaster management is concerned. The Committee is in agreement with the observation of the Task Force that NIDM should function as an autonomous body in respect of its entrusted activities and human resource practice and not as a subordinate organisation of either NDMA or MHA. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) can, however, have linkages with NIDM for capacity building and other activities. Action may be taken in this direction. (Para 2.23.6) 118

The Committee further believes that personnel involved in the exercise have to draw upon knowledge of best practices and resources available to them. Information and training on ways to better respond to and mitigate disasters to the responders should go a long way in building the capacity and resilience of the country to reduce and prevent disasters. Training is an integral part of capacity building as trained personnel respond much better to different disasters and appreciate the need for preventive measures. Professional training in disaster management should be built into the existing pedagogic research and education. Specialised courses for disaster management may also be developed by universities and professional teaching institutions, and disaster management should be treated as a distinct academic and professional discipline. The Committee recommends that NDIM may be entrusted with this task. Specific component in professional and specialised courses like medicine, nursing, engineering, environmental sciences, architecture, and town and country planning could also find place in the curriculum. An appropriate component of disaster awareness at the school level will help increase awareness among children and, in many cases, parents and other family members through these children. (Para 2.23.7) Capacity building should not be limited to professionals and personnel involved in disaster management but should also focus on building the knowledge, attitude and skills of a community to cope with the effects of disasters. Capacity building for effective disaster management therefore needs linked to the community and local level responders on the one hand and also to the institutional mechanism of the State and the Nation on the other. The Committee desires that all out efforts should be made to warn communities in any part of the country about extreme weather conditions substantially well in advance to enable them to save the lives and property. Satellite imagery has become an important tool for decision makers in getting alerts for disasters and in assessing the situation pre and post disaster. These capabilities need further refinement and intensification to enable functionaries at the district level to take appropriate and timely decisions. Therefore, the concerned departments viz., Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Space and the organizations under them need to be strengthened to provide advance and effective information on disasters. It is also necessary to create a national platform for sharing, using and disseminating the data. (Para 2.23.8) The Committee feels that the Human Resources Development has to be made systematic. Mere training alone is not enough to develop the capacities. The trainers and trainees have to be selected systematically and there should be provisions for refresher training and utilization of the trained personal. In addition there should be an enabling environment to facilitate the mainstreaming of DRR and tools and methodologies developed. (Para 2.23.9) The Committee underlines the significant role of Civil Defence in the case of occurrence of any disaster in the Country. The Committee, therefore, recommends that all efforts should be made for strengthening and revitalization of Civil Defence in the Country and the Government should allocate adequate fund as contingent amount for the purpose. (Para 2.24.6) The Committee recognizes the role of National Civil Defence College (NCDC) in disaster relief and management training. The Committee is of the view that while deciding the officers for undergoing training at the centre, due care must be taken that nomination for training must come from all States/UTs. (Para 2.25.3) In recent years, the country has witnessed many incidents of fire causing huge loss of lives and property. Therefore the role of National Fire Service College (NFSC) becomes more important in imparting training to personnel of State Fire Services and brigades in all 119 spheres of fire engineering. The Committee recommends that NFSC should get benefits of the experience and expertise of institutions of other leading countries where the occurrence of fire incidents take place frequently and incorporate the same in its curriculum. The Committee also feels that there is need of a Plan for Fire Services at National and State level. The experience of developed countries may be looked into in this regard. (Para 2.26.3) The Committee understands that Home Guards play pivotal role as an auxiliary to the police, serve as an auxiliary to the police in the maintenance of law and order, internal security and help the community in any kind of emergency such as air-raid, fire, cyclone, earthquake, epidemic. The Committee, therefore, recommends that Home Guard should be given due training in the disaster management and their service conditions should also be improved in order to motivate them in the service of the nation. (Para 2.27.3) The Committee understands that disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness are the most important aspects that are to be given attention in achieving the goals and objectives of vulnerability reduction. The Committee strongly believes that mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction in the Development Strategy would go a long way in disaster management in the country and overall economic growth. (Para 3.6.2) The Committee takes into account the fact that in the incidents of the disasters of similar magnitude in USA and Japan, the loss of lives is much less as compared to that in India. The Committee, therefore, observes that prevention and mitigation should contribute to the lasting improvement in evolving safety and the same should be integrated in the disaster management. (Para 3.6.3) From the disasters, the Committee noticed that the loss of life and property due to disasters is mainly due to poor quality of construction of houses and buildings and lack of knowledge and training about managing disasters. The Committee strongly feels that these aspects need to be kept in mind. (Para 3.6.4) The Committee notes that Government has adopted mitigation and prevention as essential components of their development strategy. The Committee is of the strong view that National Response Plan will pave the way for institutionalizing the response plan at three tiers as envisaged in the Disaster Management Act. Similarly, the Capacity Development Plan will provide a roadmap for undertaking the capacity building for people engaged in different facets of disaster management and enhance the capacity at the individual, organizational as well as at the environmental levels. The Committee is, therefore, of the view that the National Response Plan, National Human Resource and Capacity Development Plan and Mitigation Plans may be finalized at the earliest and adopted by respective nodal Ministries. (Para 3.6.5) The Committee believes that once the mitigation plans are approved, concerned Ministries will undertake activities for taking the prevention and mitigation measures to address the hazard and risk involved in the activities of their sector. The Committee hopes that with all measures undertaken, Government will ensure that hazards do not turn into disasters. (Para 3.6.6) The Committee takes notes of the following shortcomings in Disaster Management set-up in the State and recommends that suitable course of action may be undertaken to overcome the following issues/shortcomings:– (i) Non maintenance of the Cyclone Shelters and poor maintenance of early Warning systems in vulnerable area in the State; (ii) No proper establishment and maintenance of EOCs at district level; 120

(iii) Lack of coordination between departments and non government organizations; (iv) Low level of awareness among the community and the departments; (v) Poor Drainage maintenance at urban level; (vi) Encroachments all along the drainages are the main reason for disasters; and (vii) Absence of building bylaws to construct Earthquake resistance structures. (Para 4.2.4) The Committee observes that community based Disaster Management is the need of the hour. (Para 4.2.5) The Committee observes that 44% geographical area of Chhattisgarh is forest due to which, in addition to natural calamity, loss of human life, live stock and crop take place due to attacks of wild animal, snake bite, Scorpion bite, etc. The State Government suggested that it should be included as a natural calamity. The Committee recommends that the Government may consider the request of State Government for inclusion of ‘loss of life and property due to wild animal attacks and sun stroke’, under natural calamity. The Committee also observes that the State needs funds to meet its non plan infrastructural requirement, agricultural subsidy for drought cases, enhancement in quality of infrastructure/human resource requirement and preparation of guidelines for dams/reservoir which affect inter-state boundaries. In the flood affected districts of Chhattisgarh, fund is required for establishment of optical/microwave remote sensing data, flood control work on rivers, engineering data on flood control, investigation on GPS, development etc. All these issues need to be looked into. The Committee believes that an effective Disaster Management strategy lessens the impact of any disaster, which can be achieved through strengthening and reorienting existing organizational and administrative structure from District, State and up to National level. The emergency response plan must first attempt to follow a multi-hazard approach, to bring out all the Disasters on a single platform and incorporate the culture of quick response. It must provide a framework to the primary and secondary agencies and departments, which can outline their own activities for Disaster response. The plan must include specific Disaster action plans along with model scenarios in detail to conduct practice drills at district level. The Committee hopes that the Government of Chhattisgarh would undertake these measures for strengthening Disaster Management set up in the State and the Ministry of Home Affairs should provide due guidance to the State Government. (Para 4.3.6) The Committee observes that mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development planning must be a priority concern for the State Government. The ultimate objective of mainstreaming disaster risk reduction should be to ensure that risks emanating from natural hazards are factored into development policy and planning and considered as a matter of course in the design of all development projects and programs in hazard-prone areas. The Committee, therefore, recommends that suitable course of Action should be chalked out for the purpose. (Para 4.4.3) The Committee, however, notes that DRM program has been very successful in rural areas, but it has not achieved the success as a grassroots program in urban areas. The Committee therefore, desires that mitigation aspect in urban areas needs to be addressed in letter and spirit while projects are conceived and implemented. (Para 4.4.4) The Committee observes that there is need for effective implementation of techno- legal regime and redirecting the development towards creation of less vulnerable infrastructure and improvement of response mechanism in emergency situation. The 121

Committee feels that Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) must be recognized as a Knowledge hub for training and research in the field of Disaster Management. (Para 4.4.5) The Committee take into account the suggestions of MHA and agrees that the work on State Disaster Management Plan and State Disaster Resource Inventory work needs to be expedited for strengthening of disaster management setup in the State and therefore, recommends that appropriate action may be taken in that direction. The Committee notes that multi-hazard District Disaster Management Plan is available only for Gurgaon but for others, it is under preparation. The Committee recommends that the model plans for remaining districts may be prepared on priority basis. (Para 4.5.5) The Committee also recommends that State Disaster Management Policy must be formulated at the earliest. The Committee also feels that human resource support for SDMA and DDMA is required. The Committee, therefore, feels that Government must develop a Human Resource Development Plan for the State and build partnerships with various local level resource institutions for capacity building, training and knowledge management. The State Government must focus on building capacity of Panchayats and other local bodies on disaster management. (Para 4.5.6) The Committee observes that concrete steps are required to strengthen Disaster Management Mechanism in the State which inter-alia includes preparation of Disaster Resource Inventory, Regular updation of DM plans of the district and mock drills; strengthening of the Emergency Operation Centres both at the State and district level; Strengthening of early warning and dissemination systems in the State; strengthening and skill upgradation of rescue personnel; conducting Hazard Risk and Vulnerability Analysis (HRVA); and Capacity Building/strengthening of training institutes for imparting training on DM. (Para 4.5.7) The Committee is in agreement with the comments of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the suggestions of the State and desires that suitable action should be taken to complete all the tasks. (Para 4.6.4) The Committee also takes note of the following suggestions of the State Government for strengthening Disaster Management set up:– (i) Inclusion of Climate Change in to the Disaster Management Department portfolio Convergence of Civil Defence with in Disaster Management Department and Convergence of NCC, NSS, NYK with in Disaster Management department to create cadre of Volunteers. (ii) Mainstreaming of Disaster management in to the departmental plan of line departments and advocacy with international donors/NGOs/civil societies to come up with State specific Disaster Management Policies followed by recognition to the State Inter Agency Group for collective Disaster Management at State. (Para 4.6.5) The Committee recommends that suitable strategy may be chalked out to achieve the above objectives. (4.6.6) The Committee feels that the suggestion of the State Government to make KSDMA a separate entity with KSNDMC and DMC of ATI under its jurisdiction may be examined. The Committee extends whole heartily supports for R&D in the field of DM and DRR for further improvement and desires that concerted efforts should be made in this regard. The Committee also feels that there is urgent need for technical and skilled manpower support 122 for enhancing capacity building as the State in multi-disaster prone zone and frequently faces occurrence of two or more disasters simultaneously. (Para 4.7.6) The Committee is in agreement of the suggestion of State Government that Role of Relief Commissioner maybe defined in the Act; Involvement of Secretaries of line Departments in State Executive Committee; Formalization of functions of SDMA and encouraging participation of elected representative at District level and other District level officers to participate in DM activities. The State has also indicated several other inadequacies and made other suggestions. The Ministry of Home Affairs may look into all the suggestions and take appropriate action. (Para 4.8.8) The Committee feels that the State should prepare its DM Act, Disaster Management Policy and DM By-Laws, fire service for rural areas, Earthquake Risk Mitigation Bill, updation of planned SOPs. (Para 4.8.9) A good communication network is required for dissemination of early warning right upto the village level. Awareness Generation Program should be done on continual basis. Massive training of architects, engineers and massons in earth quake resistant design and constructions would be vital. There is need to integrate mainstreaming development plan into planning process and continuous updation of planned SOPs and manuals. The Committee also stresses for introduction of earthquake resistant techniques into academic curriculum at the engineering colleges and Architect Colleges, ITIs, Poly-techniques. (Para 4.8.10) The Committee agrees that structural and non-structural measures should be integral part of both the overall development process and relief and recovery activities and steps should be taken in this direction. The Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that the State has to prepare State and District DM plans. If so, the Committee recommends that the plans may be prepared at the earliest. (Para 4.9.7) The Committee took note of weaknesses of disaster management set up in the State which inter-alia includes sharing of international border of 1040 km. with Pakistan, scarcity of water (197 blocks are in dark zone), extreme weather conditions, non-availability of mitigation funds, need to update IDRN Web Portal, and absence of concrete early warning system. The Committee, therefore, feels that there is need to strengthen the Disaster Management Set-up in the State by appointment of requisite staff and officers in SDMA, SEC and DDMAs and setting up of National, State and District Disaster Mitigation Fund, Preparation of Disaster Management Plans at sub-division and village level to be accompanied by participation and training of CBOs and continuation of DRR and URR projects. The Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis for select district which is at planning stage, should be completed at the earliest and as suggested by the State Government cold wave and heat wave may be categorized as natural calamity. (Para 4.10.5) The Committee feels that concerted efforts should be made for training and capacity building on Disaster Risk reduction, creation of pool of community volunteers on search and rescue, identifying 3-4 departments at the State level and develop joint action plan for mainstreaming DRR into the ongoing development programs and plans to strengthen last mile connectivity for early warning system for floods and cyclone. There is further need to establish DM Training Institute under Department of Disaster Management for continuous capacity building of DM officers at all level and to raise one full-fledged battalion of State Search and Rescue Force. The Committee also suggests that WBSDMA may be made functional if not made so far. Disaster Management may be mainstreamed into fire and emergency and civil defence activities. (Para 4.11.9) 123

The Committee observes that there is urgent need for strengthening and streamlining institutions of disaster management set up in the State of Arunachal Pradesh in view of its terrain and topography. The Committee observes that there is lack of proper awareness/knowledge on disaster among the stakeholders. The Committee, therefore, recommends for suitable action in that direction. The Committee also desires that Disaster Management components need to be incorporated in the day to day activities as well as workplace and proper co-ordination and co-operation of various government departments, administration and the community is also required. (Para 4.12.3) The Committee is in agreement with the observations of the Ministry of Home Affairs and recommends that Central Government as well as the State Government should chalk out specific strategy with the objective to make the Disaster Management set-up more resilient and effective. (Para 4.13.5) The Committee observes that SDMA and DDMAs have been set up in the State. However, Disaster Management set up in the State needs further strengthening through various measures like institutionalization of DM at PRIs/ULB level, strengthening of EOCs at State, District, Sub-Division and Revenue Circle Level. A State-wise smooth communication system is also required to be put in place. Sufficient SDRF battalions need to be created to reach the affected corners of the State quickly. (Para 4.13.6) The State Government suggested that concrete steps were required to be taken for further strengthening of DM mechanism in the State which inter-alia includes mainstreaming Disaster Management with Development plans and programmes, strengthening techno-legal regime in the State, retrofitting measures for lifeline buildings, schools and health facilities, strengthening and equipping OCs at State, District, Sub- Divisional levels, hazard specific strategic planning by all concerned departments, resource mobilization and mass awareness drive, continuity in training and capacity building activities for the stakeholders and volunteers etc. and greater involvement of the PRIs, knowledge networking with expert institutions/organizations in the areas of disaster risk reduction and better monitoring and evaluation of development/infrastructure projects and putting in place an integrated response mechanism. The Committee desires that the State Government must take necessary steps to complete all the above tasks. Union Ministry of Home Affairs may also render necessary assistance to the State in this regard. (Para 4.13.7) The Committee also feels that setting up of a State of the Art Institute of Disaster Management would facilitate in carrying out need based training and capacity building activities in the State. (Para 4.13.8) The Committee recommends for constitution of State Disaster Response Force, strengthening of Relief and Disaster Management Directorate and DMI and Integration of Disaster Response System. The Committee desired that financial constraints of the NE States, including Manipur in the instant case, should be appreciated and they should be properly be supported to strengthen their disaster management system. (Para 4.18.4) The Committee observes that the Disaster Management set up in the State can be strengthened by enhancement of capacity building of all stakeholders and community, better and effective functioning of all the Emergency Operation Centre by improving the functioning of the disaster management institutional frame works such as SDMA, DDMAs and Disaster Management Training Institutes. The functioning of the SDMA can be made more effective by providing experts and professionals in disaster management, well equipped libraries, exposure visits of the stakeholders to other States where disaster management institutions are functioning effectively. Awareness generation must be made 124 up to the grass root level and providing vertical and horizontal linkages in disaster management planning. (Para 4.19.8) The Committee observes that the Disaster Management Act, 2005 has been adopted by Mizoram; however, the Disaster Management Rules is still pending approval. The Committee, therefore, recommends that Disaster Management Rules needs to be approved as soon as possible in order to enable the Department to function smoothly. (Para 4.20.4) The Committee feels that recruitment of adequate staff to man the Emergency Operation Centers is necessary. The Committee also feels that in order to further strengthen Disaster Management mechanism, technical personnel are crucial to be posted in the Department. The Committee, therefore, strongly recommends that the State Government should appoint additional technical manpower support at the earliest. Further, Union Government in tandem with the State Government must arrive at a decision with regard to providing more funds in SDRF for procurement of equipments for search and rescue work and also for relief of the victims. (Para 4.20.5) The Committee observes that the State is striving to integrate disaster management components into development planning and processes but it would be effective and result oriented only if suitable guidelines are prepared for State Government/Ministries etc. for incorporating specific disaster management components into specific planning and develop process. The Committee in this background recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs may consider and examine the suggestions of State Government of Tripura. (Para 4.21.8) The Committee would also like to suggest for developing inter-state and international cooperation for extending support on cross border disasters as 80% boundary of the State is with Bangladesh. The Committee also recommends for development of early warning mechanism within the State resources and linking up with national and international early warning agencies. (Para 4.21.9) The Committee recommends that sanction of 36 posts for making the establishment of Directorate of Disaster Management fully functional should be accorded at the earliest. Demand of better communication support between islands in view of their topography as well as transport vehicles is justified and should be looked into on priority basis. The Committee took into account the observation of the MHA that on the basis of the formula worked out on pro rate basis by the DM division, a proposal has been sent by the UT Division of MHA to Ministry of Finance for establishing the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the UTs which is under active consideration in that Ministry. If the approval of the Ministry of Finance has been received, a separate SDRF for each UT may be created. The Committee desires that MHA should undertake requisite follow up action if the approval has not yet been received from Ministry of Finance. (Para 4.22.6) The Committee recommends that UT Government of Chandigarh should undertake SWOT analysis of Disaster Management set up in UT and review it from time to time. (Para 4.23.3) The Committee is of the view that UT needs capacity building and awareness generation programmes. UT also requires effective mitigation measures to be built in its developmental process and be vigilant to safeguard its territorial/geographical interests. Besides, the UT requires technical guidance and funds for setting up of the Disaster Management Cell and to prepare their Disaster Management Plan. The Committee recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs should take up the issues with the Ministry of Finance for setting up Disaster Management Cell and for establishing SDRF. (Para 4.24.3) 125

The Committee feels that the UT’s request for funds for setting up of the Disaster Cell as well as technical guidance to prepare disaster plan need to be addressed. For strengthening of disaster management set up, UT needs capacity building of DM among the public, public awareness, improved use of technology and social/family activities. An early action may be taken in this regard. (Para 4.25.3) The Committee observes that proposals for the formation of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in UTs are pending in the Ministry of Finance. The Committee desires that MHA should actively take up the follow up action with that Ministry for considering the proposals, if not cleared as yet. The Committee further notes that at present there is no staff provided for the Disaster Management Directorate and the same is managed with the staff of Revenue Department. There is also further need to strengthen the existing control room with adequate staff and with most modern equipments. The Committee recommends that Ministry of Home Affairs should examine all these issues. (Para 4.26.2) The Committee notes the disaster management arrangements as well as preparedness at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad. The Committee is of the view that both the airports have the most modern system in place. The Committee desires that other airports in the country should also have similar and modern disaster management arrangements. In all the airports, there should be regular Disaster Management rehearsal and the arrangements should be reviewed from time to time. (Para 5.2.8) The Committee notes the disaster management arrangements as well as preparedness at Chennai Petro Chemicals Ltd. (CPCL) to meet any eventuality. The Committee is of the view that CPCL as well as other such plants should strive to upgrade disaster management arrangements by conducting evaluations at regular intervals. The Committee also desires that Government should also take steps to ensure that effective disaster management system is put in place at such plants in private sector also in the country. The Committee desires to be apprised of the steps taken in this regard. (Para 5.5.5) The Committee notes the disaster management arrangements as well as preparedness at Chennai Port Trust to meet any eventuality. The Committee is of the view that Chennai Port Trust as well as other major Port Trusts should strive to upgrade the disaster management arrangements by conducting evaluations at regular intervals. The Committee also desires that Government should also ensure that minor Ports spread across the coastline of the country also take up steps to have effective disaster management system. The Committee desires to be apprised of the steps taken in this regard. (Para 5.6.6) The Committee notes the Disaster Management arrangements as well as preparedness at SHAR, Sriharikota. The Committee desires that all other establishments of ISRO should also have well laid disaster management system comparable to world class disaster management arrangements to meet any eventuality in case of any disaster. (Para 5.11.7) The Committee hopes that the development of flight model of C band Disaster Management Synthetic Aperture Radar (DMSAR) must have been completed. There should be an effective communication system to receive data from ISRO and disseminate it without any loss of time. There should be regular co-ordination between Ministry of Home Affairs and ISRO. Disaster Management Support Program should be widened and strengthened so that even small mishaps that may have taken place predicted or unpredicted, may be communicated for effective and quick relief. R&D may be strengthened for improving early warning of disasters. (Para 5.11.8) 126

The Committee takes a serious view that after lapse of three months of the tragedy, formalities were still to be completed for giving the relief announced by the concerned authorities. The categorical statement given by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand that that all those people, who are missing for one month, will be presumed to be dead, showed the sincere empathy of the State Government for the victims. However, this seems to be evaporating when much time is taken for giving compensation. The Committee feels that the Government is not doing justice to the families of those whose members are missing. The Committee views that there must have been some other methods to accomplish the task. The Committee strongly recommends that the assurance given by the Home Secretary as well as the State Government officials for completing formalities for compensation should be met and compensation should be given at the earliest. (Para 6.6.4) The Committee feels that the Ministry of Home Affairs should play a proactive role to ensure that all insurance claims of the victims of Uttarakhand disaster are expedited. For this purpose, a nodal officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs may be appointed to take care of such insurance claims of life and property and also to liaise with Ministry of Finance. (Para 6.6.6) The Committee understands that it is difficult for local people from remote village to procure building materials viz. cement, steel, wood etc. Therefore, the Committee desires that the District authorities should provide cement and other construction material at subsidized rates. The Committee wishes to drive home the need to give proper attention on the construction activities in Uttarakhand at reasonable prices at this critical hour. Since people are opting for owner-driven building of houses, efforts should be made to ensure that the plan of the building and the structure is earthquake-resistant. Therefore, while approving the construction plans, care should be taken to ensure that every building design is earthquake-resistant and every house so constructed is insured for, at least, 15 years through the insurance companies. (Para 6.10.4) The Committee takes note of the submission of additional Chief Secretary on the issue of scientific dredging of River Bed Material (RBM) and restrictive policy of MoEF to treat river system of Uttarakhand as a reserve forest. Since RBM is cited as the major reason for colossal waste and loss, the Committee feels that picking up chugan is essential to clear the centre of the rivers which are at present filled with RBM. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the MoEF may consider without delay the request of the State Government of Uttarakhand and send a Task Force to understand and study the river system in Uttarakhand and reconsider the restricted policy of MoEF so that colossal damage is prevented in future. (Para 6.10.11) The Committee takes into account the grievances of the State Government of Uttarakhand regarding the restrictive forest land transfer as a constraint for reconstruction of road connectivity and reply of MoEF thereon. The Committee desires that the State Government may provide specific details of road stretches in respect to which forest diversion in excess of permissible limit of one hectare is required. After getting the information, the MoEF may consider the matter and take an early decision. (Para 6.10.14) The Committee understands that rescheduling by itself is not a solution as it again be putting burden on the people, but, at the same time, the fact that they would not have to pay the loan till the Government takes a final view would be a temporary psychological relief. The Committee, therefore, recommends that loan of marginal farmers should be fully waived off and certain appropriate percentage of the loan taken by other category of farmers may be waived off. (Para 6.10.16) 127

The Committee would like to put it on record the great work done by the Force personnel in evacuating people there and the Committee pays tribute to those 20 personnel who lost their lives while trying to rescue the general public who were stranded at various places. The Committee believes that the country will never forget the great sacrifice they have made. In regard to the network of airstrips and helipads for the entire country, with particular reference to Uttarakhand, the Committee observes that the space is very limited and the State is not able to provide air ambulance to evacuate people in case of emergency. The Committee desires that the Home Ministry may take note of this aspect and take necessary action in this regard at the earliest. There should be a good network of shelter houses with food security to the stranded population as and when calamity of such nature happens. The Committee would like to cite the example of the coastal area of the country, where community centres have been created near the coast. As and when something happens, people are immediately rushed to that place. Then community kitchens are opened and the affected people are taken care of. The government should consider such things in Uttarakhand. (Para 6.10.20) The Committee feels that observations of C&AG on the working of Disaster Management set up in Uttarakhand are very serious. The Committee observes that the NDRF and the ITBP, along with other personnel of the Armed Forces, have done a commendable job in rescuing the stranded pilgrims and locals. The Committee takes note of the disaster preparedness of the State from the background note as already stated earlier. However, in the light of C&AG observations, the Committee feels that a strong and robust disaster management system is all the more necessary as Uttarakhand has a sensitive eco system which is prone to natural calamities. Though the Committee understands that the nature’s fury is beyond human control, disaster preparedness can substantially reduce loss of life as can be seen in the examples of the countries of Japan and the USA which frequently face Tsunamis and Hurricanes etc. Due to complex terrain and ongoing tectonic activities, disaster management should be an integral part of the governance in the State of Uttarakhand. In this direction, the State Government must ensure effective and efficient functioning of the SDMA by convening regular meetings and monitoring follow up action of its recommendations. Immediate steps should be taken to formulate the policy guidelines, plans, rules and norms ensuring that Disaster Management measures are incorporated in the developmental process. The Committee feels that the State Government should codify building bye-laws to ensure safe construction practices in the State and Hazard Safety Cell should be empowered suitably to carry out its functions effectively. Moreover, the State Government should provide critical infrastructure such as trauma centre, so that the affected people could be given immediate medical attention. (Para 6.11.3) The Committee is also of the view that Government should take steps to prepare training modules and calendars to upgrade the skills of personnel, NGOs and communities engaged in disaster prevention and mitigation. Government should prioritize assessment of structural and non-structural safety of school buildings and identify necessary mitigative action to be included in the school safety programme. (Para 6.11.4) The State Government should take immediate steps to form Village Disaster Management Committees in all villages of the State. The Government should also take immediate steps to prepare a comprehensive Rehabilitation and Resettlement plan to rehabilitate the disaster affected villages and monitoring and evaluation mechanism as prescribed by GOI and the same should be made functional at the earliest. (Para 6.11.5) The Committee would like to pin-point the case of coastal region of Andhra Pradesh where large number of cyclones has struck for the last few years and if there is a warning, 128 the entire district administration one day before convert itself into disaster management unit. All concerned Departments remain ready with plans, evacuations and relief operations which immediately swing into action. The underline motive of the Committee is to highlight the necessity of keeping disaster preparedness all the time in operational mode to combat any eventualities by gaining the benefits of experience of other States. The Committee hopes that one State should share the information with the other States on all critical issues pertaining to Disaster Management which would go a long way in strengthening the Disaster Management set up in the State. (Para 6.11.6) The Committee understands that the entire western Himalayan region, including Uttarakhand, are prone to disasters and requires better preparedness measures including installation of effective and timely early warning systems for predicting various hydro- meteorological disasters well in advance with high degree of spatial accuracy. Moreover, a robust and fool-proof safe disaster dissemination system is required to be accompanied by a long term full-fledged preparedness and mitigation programme. The Committee understands that financial requirement involving all these projects is beyond the capability and competence of the State Government and Government of India has to take initiative in this regard. (Para 6.11.7) The Committee notes that IMD has prepared a comprehensive proposal for about R 360 crores for Integrated Himalayan Meteorological Programme both for Western and Central Himalayas, including locating adequate number of Doppler radars and Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) for monitoring hydro-meteorology, and submitted the same to the Central Government/Planning Commission for approval. The Committee recommends that the proposal which is under active consideration must get green signal because with the implementation of the proposed Meteorological programme, as much as 48 hours advance alert would be available to the State Governments for cloudbursts and extreme weather events in time. It is also important that the globally practiced mitigation efforts of the identified high hazard slide zones must be fully supported and funded by Union Government. (Para 6.11.8) The Committee was informed that implementation of environment protection laws and all other measures to preserve the eco-system was the responsibility of the State Government. However there was also a need that the situation/conditions on ground are reviewed from time to time by MoEF to effect relaxations, as required and necessary so as to reduce the risk caused by disasters. The Committee also recommends that Disaster Risk Reduction should therefore be incorporated as one of the considerations in the implementation of such laws/regulations. Crucially a large percentage of roads in Uttarakhand are under the charge of BRO. The Committee recommends that it is right time that the alignments of the roads are reviewed in consultation with GSI and full protection provided for the portion which are under constant threat of landslides/or are part of the slide zones. Alternative modes of connectively such as provision of tunnels and others must be considered. The strategic importance of the roads and their all season connectivity in Uttarakhand need not be over-emphasized. The Committee, therefore, recommends that MOD should seriously consider providing funds for this purpose. The Committee wishes to point out that separate and alternative evacuation routes/roads are also planned and developed by BRO particularly from the major pilgrim centres even though for short stretches. (Para 6.11.9) The Committee feels the need for the road map for reconstruction and rehabilitation and future strategy to overcome such natural disasters. In this connection, the following steps may be considered:– 129

(i) need for a multi modal transport system; (ii) network of airstrips and heliports; (iii) adequate number of air ambulances; (iv) network of godowns with built in shelters for providing food security to the stranded population; (v) scientific extraction of RBM from rivers beds to ward off expansion of river channels; (vi) augmentation of Wireless, Satellite and Ham communication systems and installation of high performance computers and Doppler Radars and Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and other systems. (Para 6.11.10) The Committee notes that State Government has constituted an expert group to examine the issue of tourism and carrying capacity of remote pilgrimage/tourist sites with a view to issue some guidelines in the matter. The Committee feels that registration of pilgrims should also be examined as Uttarakhand is a multi-entry State with pilgrims coming by various modes of transport and visiting different religious shrines far flung from one another. The Committee also desires that alternative means of livelihood for State population needs to be worked out. (Para 6.11.11) The following assistance was sought by the representatives of the State Governments:– (i) For the rehabilitation of the damaged villages, requirement of R 8000 crore may be examined and assessed. (ii) Highly sophisticated world class area specific warning system may be provided. (iii) Army, ITBP and NDRF should make recruitment of their personnel to providing employment to the jobless persons of the State (iv) Waiver of interest and loan component of various dues of the disaster affected persons. (v) While Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned a special package of R 100 crore for development of infrastructure. Special package particularly for transporters, hoteliers and travel agents etc. who have suffered and will further face the hardships because of the disaster and decline in tourism, is required. It will be of great help if Nainital and Dehradun are developed as major Conference Centres (While Dehradun has a modern airport, Pantnagar can service Nainital). Direct flight from Dehradun to Kathmandu and back can be introduced, subject to traffic potential. (Para 6.11.12) The Committee recommends that the above suggestions may considered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. (Para 6.11.13) The Committee also notes that some sections in the media attributed this disaster as a manmade disaster due to extensive human intervention in the fragile Himalayan eco- system. While it is obvious that calamity of this level could not have been averted totally, but environmentalists kept saying that the exploitation has been very large with the neglect of environmental concerns which have been expressed by them over a period of time. The Committee feels that development and environment should go hand in hand. (Para 6.11.14) 130

The Committee notes that the allocation for mitigating disaster damages, is not purely based on Gadgil Formula, but is based on vulnerability of a particular State. The Committee feels that allocation for SDRF should be made on the basis of vulnerability of a State in the right earnest. (Para 7.9.5) The Committee observes that the CRF has been merged into the SDRF, the allocation made through the FC’s recommendations are supposed to capitalise the SDRF, although it is not specifically mentioned in the Act. The Committee finds that there is absence of mechanism to capitalise the DDRF. The Committee is constrained to express its displeasure that hardly any State Government has set up district disaster funds, let alone providing funds for them. In view of the Committee, this is one important part of the DM Act, 2005, which has not been implemented at all. This is pathetic State of affairs keeping in view the fact that districts are the gross root level implementing authority or agency to deal with all the response measures. The Committee therefore, strongly, feels that the district administration should have immediate and direct access to resources and for that, DDRF must be constituted and capitalized throughout the country without any exception and delay. (Para 7.9.6) The Committee notes the efforts of the Government to minimize the loss of human lives and to some extent, it has been successful in achieving this task. But there is hardly any effective remedy at hand to minimize the loss of properties, particularly, crops, houses, nets and boats of fishermen, and also the damage to the public utility facilities like electricity, water supply schemes, etc. The recent cyclones Helen and Laila left Andhra and Odisha with colossal devastation, where electrical poles either bent or uprooted, coconut trees uprooted and paddy crops totally damaged by floods. The Committee, however, notes lacunae in regard to the visit of the Central teams to assess the quantum of damage in an affected State. The Committee observes that the Central teams visit the affected States after a gap of ten or fifteen days or twenty days and by that time one cannot expect a farmer to keep the water logging on in their fields since the farmers engage hired tractors to remove the affected crops. Since the Central Team visits after considerable lapse of time, it is not able to make actual assessment of ground realities pertaining to the loss of property and crop. The Committee, therefore, strongly recommends that as and when such calamity happens, the Central team must make a visit to the affected State within a period of two or three days for a preliminary assessment and to take stock of ground realities. For final assessment, it would not be proper for Central team on its own to finalise the actual damage. The Committee is of the considered opinion that the both the State and the Central Government officials after detailed discussions should arrive at final conclusion and final assessments of total loss. It is equally important to look into the new funding options which would further enhance the process for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development in a more integrated format. (Para 7.10.4) The Committee desires that Planning Commission must respond quickly to the needs of the Central Ministries/Departments/States in matters relating to the plan for meeting situations arising out of natural disasters, by enabling adjustment of schemes to meet the requirements as far as possible. A mechanism should be evolved to take expeditious decisions on proposals which involve transfer of funds from one scheme to another, or any other change which involves departure from the existing schemes/pattern of assistance, new schemes and relaxation in procedures, etc. in the case of natural disasters. (Para 7.10.5) The Committee is in agreement with the recommendation of the thirteenth Finance Commission for creating Disaster Response Reserve for making provision for national 131 inventory of equipment and material for quick response and for providing immediate relief in case of any eventuality. The Ministry may take early action for constituting the fund and for formulating guidelines. (Para 7.12.2) The Committee feels that capacity building is an important aspect for Disaster Management. State Government should take necessary steps in taking up the activities. Under utilisation of funds should not be resorted to. Action plans as required for utilizing funds may be prepared. (Para 7.13.2) The Committee understands that strengthening of fire and emergency services is a significant scheme. The Committee however, observes that Fire Services are in an archaic condition in the country. There should be total modernization and overhauling of the Fire Services. If more funds are required for this purpose, it may be considered. The Committee recommends that all municipal corporations should put in place fire hazard response and mitigation plan. (Para 7.14.2) The Committee understands that revamping of civil defence set up is a significant schemes under Plan-allocation. Therefore, the Committee recommends that adequate funds may be allocated under Plan Schemes for revitalization of Civil Defence set up in the country for funding projects on preparedness and mitigation of disaster. (Para 7.14.4) The Committee observes that Government is making arrangements for laying cables which is all the more necessary due to variety of reasons. The recent cyclone ‘Helen’ affected Andhra Pradesh adversely. Some towns and villages around Amalapuram had no electricity for four days and there was no drinking water because of lack of power supply. That being the case, the Committee believes that scheme for providing underground cabling would be of immense utility in the long run in the affected areas, particularly, the coastal districts of both Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the project should be taken on priority and completed as per schedule. Other cyclone prone States should also be covered under the project. (Para 7.15.3) The Committee was given to understand that the post disaster relief and reconstruction is resource intensive and the Government is making efforts to ensure availability of established financial mechanisms both at the State and Central level to address the resource requirements. The present scheme of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) are based on the recommendations of Thirteenth Finance Commission operated from 1st April, 2010 to 31st March, 2015 must be reviewed annually. For disasters needing Central support over and above the SDRF, the processing of the request of the State Governments for support from the Central Government must be taken into account and processed by Ministry of Home Affairs timely while the budgetary provisions for the relief funds must be provided by the Ministry of Finance as per the actual assessment. The Committee recommends that adequate funds should be allocated for strengthening of Disaster Management Institutions, Capacity Development of stakeholder’s, prevention and mitigation and the response mechanism. The Committee also recommends that efforts must be made in the right earnest to ensure that the mitigation and prevention of disaster are given adequate importance by utilizing these funds so that the impact of the disasters is minimized. (Para 7.15.4) The Committee feels that the National Disaster Mitigation Fund should be created without any delay. The Committee is of the opinion that the source of Fund and its linkage with the respective State Fund should specified in the Act or Rules explicitly. The Committee further recommends that the guidelines with respect to utilization of National and State Mitigation Funds and identification of projects therein be prepared by the NDMA 132 in consultation with the Planning Commission. The Committee is, however, in agreement with the observation of Task Force that as regards district level Funds, the State Government should decide whether to have response and mitigation funds or to put in place a separate mechanism for timely access to financial resources by District authorities. (Para 7.15.7) The Committee is in agreement with the observation of the Task Force regarding the nomenclature of the response fund and recommends that necessary action be taken in this direction. (Para 7.15.10) The Committee takes note of the policy/guidelines and rules governing the disaster management in the country. The Committee is of the opinion that policy/guidelines and rules will remain on the paper unless implemented on the ground level. The Committee feels that the follow up action expected from the nodal agencies in preparing plans to address these aspects of strengthening preparedness, prevention, mitigation, emergency response and recovery efforts in these critical sectors remains to be initiated. The National Disaster Management Guidelines on the management of various disasters should be followed by all stakeholder groups to ensure that the paradigm shift envisaged in the National Policy for Disaster Management does not remain an aspiration. (Para 8.7.2) The Committee firmly believes that there should be monitoring mechanism to ensure implementation of the guidelines and rules. The Committee, in this connection, recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs/NDMA should act as nodal agencies. The Ministry of Home Affairs should interact with the concerned Ministries related to DM activities, which either have come out with their own policy, plans and regulatory mechanisms for management of disasters pertaining to their domain or are at different stages of its formulations. The Committee hopes that the concerned Ministries, States and the stakeholders would also work in tandem with NDMA and Union Ministry of Home Affairs and come up with effective and implementable plans at their level. (Para 8.7.3) The Committee underscores the fact that since the DM Act provides provision for preparation of Disaster Management plan at national, State and district level, integrated and co-ordinated approach would be the first and foremost requirement. The Committee, therefore, recommends that every effort should be made to ensure that different types and levels of disaster management plans are consistent with each other. The Committee also recommends that plans at the National and State level must be prepared on realistic and relevant grounds by taking into account various features and needs of smaller geographical units. (Para 8.7.4) In order to enable the Ministry of Home Affairs to discharge its duties and responsibilities pertaining to disaster management, it is essential that adequate number of staff and officers should be posted in the DM Division of MHA. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Disaster Management Division (DM Division) of the MHA in the Government of India may be strengthened so that it is better equipped to undertake the activities assigned by the Act. (Para 8.7.5) The Committee is in agreement with the observation of the Task Force that the NDMA should be given the responsibility of preparing the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) and also of monitoring the activities of various Ministries regarding the tasks assigned by the Act. The Committee notes that NDMA is prepared to undertake the proposed onerous task of preparing NDMP. The Committee recommends that the Government must provide enabling environment by providing adequate number of consultants, experts and supportive staff and officers to NDMA to undertake the task of preparing NDMP. (Para 8.7.6) 133

The Committee views that the role and functions of the NDMA should cover policies, plans, guidelines and regulations relating to prevention, mitigation and preparedness. It should coordinate with the agencies concerned and ensure that all activities relating to prevention, mitigation and preparedness envisaged by the Act are implemented on the ground level. (Para 8.7.7) The Committee further desires that at the State level, the SDMA may be authorised for preparing the State Disaster Management Plan and reviewing the performance of various departments regarding the tasks assigned to them by the Act. A regular monitoring of the activities of various departments of the State Government is required to be put in place for better result. (Para 8.7.8) Since, the District Administration is the first responder to any disaster, the Committee considers that the State Government must strengthen the DDMAs for effective disaster management at the local level. In this regard, the Committee recommends that DDMAs should be better equipped to be able to prepare district disaster management plans and undertake other activities of managing disasters. (Para 8.7.9) The Committee notes that mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into program of various Ministries and Departments is the need of hour and The Planning Commission also desires to ensure that Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is inbuilt in all schemes of Central and State Governments. The Ministry of Finance had accordingly issued checklist, while preparing EFC/SFC/ CNE Memo and DPR for new schemes and revisions amounting to R 50 crore and above for enforcing DRR. It was also informed that the Building Code will be in public domain to ensure disaster resilience and to incorporate retrofitting principles. Though the Government has clearly articulated the need to look at disaster management as a development issue, but, in practice, it is not happening as most of the functionaries responsible for certifying do not have adequate skills in this regard and all State Governments are not familiar with the methodology to undertake detailed risk assessment and there is very little capacity in the Government to undertake these tasks. The continuing increase in the damage and destruction of property, assets and public infrastructure is witness to this. The Committee views that all development schemes in vulnerable areas should include a disaster mitigation analysis, whereby the feasibility of a project is assessed with respect to vulnerability of the area and the mitigation measures required for sustainability. The aim of a mitigation strategy must focus on reducing losses in the event of a future occurrence of a hazard. The Committee recommends that mitigation measures need to be considered in land use and site planning activities. Constructions in hazardous areas like flood plains or steep soft slopes are more vulnerable to disasters. Necessary mitigation measures need to be built into the design and costing of development projects. The Committee accordingly is of the considered opinion that random audits of such proposals in areas affected by disasters should be undertaken to ensure adherence to the risk assessment with a long term view for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in development planning. (Para 8.7.10)

MINUTES

XX TWENTIETH MEETING

The Committee met at 11.00 A.M. on Wednesday, the 11th May, 2011 in Room No. 63, Parliament House, New Delhi.

MEMBERS PRESENT 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman

RAJYA SABHA 2. Shri Rishang Keishing 3. Shri S.S. Ahluwalia 4. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee 5. Shri D. Raja

LOK SABHA 6. Shri L.K. Advani 7. Dr. Rattan Singh Ajnala 8. Shri Raman Deka 9. Shri Mohd.Maulana Asrarul Haque 10. Shri Bishnu Pada Ray 11. Adv. A. Sampath 12. Shri Hamdullah Sayeed 13. Shri Neeraj Shekhar 14. Shri Ravneet Singh 15. Shrimati Seema Upadhyay 16. Shri Harsh Vardhan 17. Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure

SECRETARIAT Shrimati Sharada Subramaniam, Joint Secretary Shri P.P.K. Ramacharyulu, Director Shri D.K. Mishra, Joint Director

2. The Chairman welcomed the Members of the Committee and apprised them of the agenda for the meeting.

3. * * *

*** Relates to other matter.

137 138

4. The Committee, thereafter, discussed the subjects to be undertaken by the Committee for detailed study and examination. After some discussion the following subjects were identified by the Committee for the purpose :– 1. Security at Airports in the country; 2. Working of Immigration Division in the Ministry of Home Affairs; 3. Working of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad; 4. Disaster Management in the country; 5. Administration of Union Territories; 6. Infrastructure Projects and Economic Development in NE Region; 7. Functioning of Civil Defence Training Institutes in the country; 8. Coastal Security Management; 9. Indo-Bangla Border Fencing; 10. Problems faced by the Home Guards and their Working Conditions; and 11. Law and order situation in Delhi. 5. A verbatim record of the proceedings of the meeting was kept.

6. The Committee then adjourned at 11.15 A.M. 139

XXIV TWENTY FOURTH MEETING

The Committee met at 3.00 P.M. on Thursday, the 30th June, 2011 in Main Committee Room, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi.

MEMBERS PRESENT 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman

RAJYA SABHA 2. Shri Rishang Keishing 3. Shri S.S. Ahluwalia 4. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee 5. Dr. V. Maitreyan 6. Shri D. Raja

LOK SABHA 7. Shri L.K. Advani 8. Dr. Rattan Singh Ajnala 9. Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar 10. Shri Ramen Deka 11. Shri Mohd. Maulana Asrarul Haque 12. Shri Natubhai Gomanbhai Patel 13. Adv. A. Sampath 14. Shri Neeraj Shekhar 15. Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh 16. Shri Ravneet Singh 17. Shrimati Seema Upadhyay 18. Shri Harsh Vardhan 19. Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav

SECRETARIAT Shri P.P.K. Ramacharyulu, Director Shri D.K. Mishra, Joint Director Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director Shri Sanjeev Khokhar, Committee Officer

WITNESSES

Representatives of Ministry of Home Affairs 1. Shri A.E. Ahmad, Secretary (Border Management)

139 140

2. Dr. Noor Mohammad, Secretary, NDMA 3. Shrimati B. Bhamathi, Additional Secretary 4. Dr. N. S. Kalsi, Joint Secretary, MHA 5. Shri G.Y.V. Sarma, Joint Secretary, MHA 6. Shri Lokesh Jha, Joint Secretary, MHA 7. Shri Amit Jha, Joint Secretary, NDMA 8. Shri P.K. Tripathi, Joint Secretary, NDMA 9. Shri N. Sandhu, Director, IB 10. Shri Rajinder Kumar, Additional Director, IB 11. Shri P. Nanda, Joint Director, IB 12. Shri Arvind Deep, Joint Director, IB 13. Dr. Anand Kumar, Joint Director, IB 14. Shri Arun Chaudhary, Special DG, CISF 15. Shri Ajay Bhatnagar, IG, CISF 16. Shri R.K. Medhekar, DG, NSG 17. Shri R.S. Pradhan, IG, NSG 18. Shri Mukul Goel, IG, NDRF&CD 19. Shri Anand Kumar, Joint Director, Bureau of Immigration 20. Shri Santosh Kumar, Professor, NIDM Representatives of Ministry of Civil Aviation 1. Shri Rohit Nandan, Joint Secretary 2. Shri Rajasekhar Reddy, Director 3. Shri B.B. Dash, Joint Commissioner, Security, Ministry of Civil Aviation 4. Shri R.N. Dhoke, Additional, COS (CA), BCAS 5. Shri M.T. Baig, Assistant Commissioner, Security 2. At the onset, the Chairman welcomed the Members to the meeting of the Committee and apprised them about the agenda of the day.

The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Second Bill, 2010 3. * * * 4. * * * Security at Airports in the country: working of Immigration Office in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Disaster Management in the country 5. The Chairman recapitulated the decision taken in its previous last sitting that after the presentation of the Home Secretary, Members had raised various queries/issues and the Home Secretary could not give clarifications to the issues due to paucity of time, and, therefore, the meeting remained inconclusive. He also stated that since the Home Secretary was to retire, he had sought exemption from appearing in the sitting and to depute other senior officers to be present in the meeting to clarify the issues. The Chairman informed the Members that Secretary, Border Management and other senior officers of the Home Ministry had come to give clarifications on the issues raised by the Members.

(At this stage the witnesses were called in)

*** Relates to other matter. 141

6. The Chairman welcomed the Secretary, Border Management and other senior officers of the Home Ministry. He asked him to first reply to the queries raised in the last meeting and after that, Members may seek further clarifications. 6.1 Thereafter, the Secretary, Border Management clarified various issues concerning Disaster Management as under.

Disaster Management

●. Disasters which are eligible for assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund and the National Disaster Response Fund have conventionally been decided on the basis of the recommendations of the successive Finance Commissions.

● The scale of assistance which is extended to the victims of different disasters and for immediate repair of infrastructure is determined as per the guidelines, terms, items and norms approved by the Central Government. States are annually provided funds from the Central Government as contribution to the SDRF. Last year Rs.6,077 crores were extended of which Central share was Rs.4,677 crores.

● The assistance is based on the assessment which is done by a Central team, which is then approved by a high-level Committee chaired by the Finance Minister.

● The long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction measures are normally covered under the Plan scheme of the States and they are covered through the additional Central assistance or the Special Plan Assistance.

● In man-made disaster situations, the normal thing is that if it is a train accident, or if it is a building collapse, normally some form of relief is extended either by the Ministry or the State Government concerned.

● Regarding the people living by the riverside who get displaced due to erosion of the river-bank, the National Flood Mitigation Project is the prime strategy for reduction in risks, severity or consequences of floods. National Disaster Management Authority has also been asked to prepare a detailed project report on flood mitigation.

● There is a huge capacity gap between the demand and supply of fire services. The assistance to the affected people, can be met through the SDRF and the NDRF.

● Under article 243(w) of the Constitution, the subject of fire is listed as a municipal function. As per the recommendations of the Thirteenth Finance Commission a grant of Rs. 87,519 crores have been allocated to local bodies.

● The battalion headquarters of NDRF forces have been located at ten places but each NDRF consists of 18 teams and as situations evolve and develop, these teams often move very often in advance also.

● In disaster situations, the air support is received promptly from the Air Force and from the MHA zone resources whenever we have required and no need had been felt for a separate facility.

● There are four training centres for NDRF personnel under the control of parent organizations of NDRF to give training to the personnel drawn from the CAPF.

● For mainstreaming the civil defence organization into disaster management the Civil Defence Act was amended in 2010. 142

● The NDMA and NDRF and other ministries have taken several initiatives for raising the capacity of children and other citizens across the country. A pilot project at a cost of Rs. 48 crores has been sanctioned in two districts per State and in 200 schools per district, to promote awareness and education activities, demonstrating disaster risk management, training and capacity building and assessing vulnerability.

● Home Guards are administered under respective Home Guard Acts of the States. 6.2 * * * 6.3 * * * 7. Thereafter, the Chairman and Members of the Committee sought clarifications on the following issues:

● When an information about any disaster from a State is received, how fast does the Central Government react and when does it send its team to visit the States, if there is a calamity in a particular State?

● During monsoon period, due to floods, thousands of acres of land in villages in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal are eroded. What initiatives, the Government has taken to check this?

● Does NDRF have a system of spraying solid ice or helicopter system to do use large fires?

● Landslides occur in the Himalayan foothills as soon as the monsoon sets in. How much NDRF is equipped to tackle with the landslides?

● ** * 8. The Secretary, Border Management and other officials replied to some of the queries. The Chairman then asked them to furnish written replies to the issues/queries raised. 9. A verbatim record of the proceedings of the meeting was kept.

10. The Committee then adjourned at 4.26 P.M.

*** Relate to other matters. 143

IX NINTH MEETING

The Committee met at 10.30 A.M on Wednesday, the 28th December, 2011 in Room No. 63, Parliament House, New Delhi.

MEMBERS PRESENT 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman

RAJYA SABHA 2. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee 3. Shri D. Raja 4. Shri Javed Akhtar

LOK SABHA 5. Shri Khagen Das 6. Shri Ramen Deka 7. Shri Mohammad Asrarul Haque 8. Shri Naveen Jindal 9. Shri Babulal Marandi 10. Shri Lalubhai B. Patel 11. Shri Bishnu Pada Ray

SECRETARIAT Shri P.P.K. Ramacharyulu, Joint Secretary Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director Shri Sanjeev Khokhar, Committee Officer Shri Anurag Ranjan, Committee Officer 2. At the outset the Chairman welcomed the Members of the Committee to the sitting of the Committee and apprised them the agenda of the day. He stated that the meeting was called to consider the future programme of the Committee in view of the announcement of dates for elections in five States, viz., Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Punjab and Goa.

2.1 * * * 3. The Chairman, thereafter, proposed the following course of action in the next inter-session period:– (i) seeking the comments of the concerned State/UT Governments on implementation of Coastal Security Scheme as part of the examination of Coastal Security Management and all the State/UT Governments on the Disaster Management and also to hear Chief Secretary, NCT of Delhi on Disaster Management set-up in NCT of Delhi;

*** Relates to other matter.

143 144

(ii) having three-four sitting of the Committee in the next inter-session period to hear the presentation of Home Secretary on:– (i) The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2011; (ii) Internal Security; (iii) Disaster Management; and (iv) Coastal Security (iii) * * * (iv) * * *

3.1 The Members of the Committee unanimously acceded to the suggestions made by the Chairman of the Committee. 3.2 The Committee then decided to visit National Institute of Disaster Management during inter- session period in Delhi to take stock of the Working of NIDM and measures and programmes undertaken by it for prevention of Disaster or mitigation of its effects.

4. The Committee then adjourned at 10.40 A.M.

*** Relates to other matter. 145

XXIV TWENTY FOURTH MEETING

The Committee met at 11.00 A.M. on Thursday, the 4th July, 2013 in Main Committee Room, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi.

MEMBERS PRESENT 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman

RAJYA SABHA 2. Shri D. Raja 3. Shri Janardan Dwivedi 4. Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy 5. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee 6. Dr. V. Maitreyan

LOK SABHA 7. Shri Anandrao Adsul 8. Shri L.K. Advani 9. Dr. Sahfiqur Rahman Barq 10. Shri Aaron Rashid J .M. 11. Shri Sanjay Dina Patil 12. Shri Rathod Ramesh 13. Shri Ravneet Singh

SECRETARIAT Shri P.P.K. Ramacharyulu, Joint Secretary Shri Vimal Kumar, Director Shri D.K. Mishra, Joint Director Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director Shri Sanjeev Khokhar, Assistant Director Shri Anurag Ranjan, Committee Officer

WITNESSES Representatives of Cabinet Secretariat I. Shri Ajit Kumar Seth, Cabinet Secretary 2. Shri L.C. Goyal, Special Secretary 3. Shri Subhash Chandra Garg, Additional Secretary 4. Shri K.L. Sharma, Joint Secretary Representatives of Ministry of Home Affairs 1. Shri Anil Goswami, Home Secretary 2. Shrimati Gauri Kumar, Secretary (BM)

145 146

3. Shri G.V.V. Sarma, JS (Disaster Management) 4. Shri Satpal Chouhan, Joint Secretary (C&PG) 5. Shri Sanjay Agarwal, Director (Disaster Management) 6. Shri Ajay Chaddha, DG, ITBP 7. Shri M.S. Bhurji, IG (Ops), ITBP 8. Shri Sandip Rai, IG, NDRF Representatives of NDMA 1. Dr. S. S. Agarwal, Secretary 2. Brig. S. Visvanathan, Advisor Representative of Ministry of Power Shri Ghansyam Prasad, Director Representatives of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation 1. Shri S. Sahu, Joint Secretary 2. Dr. Dinesh Chand, Additional Advisor Representative of Ministry of Petroleum Ms. Sushma Rath, Director Representatives of Ministry of Defence 1. Lt. General Vinod Bhatia, AVSM, SM, DGMO, AHQ 2. Shri K.S. Babu, Air Vice Marshal 3. Shri S. Ravi Vrindhachalem, Air Commodore 4. Shri S.B. Deo, Air Marshal Representative of Border Roads Brig. V.S. Kattarya, DDG, O/o DGBR Representatives of Indian Meteorological Department 1. Dr. K.J. Ramesh, Advisor, IMD 2. Shri B.K. Bandyopadhyay, Deputy DGM, IMD Representative of Department of Food and Public Distribution Shri Deepak Kumar, Joint Secretary Representatives of ISRO 1. Shri G. Srinivasa Rao, Head, Disaster Management Support Division 2. Shri J.R. Sharma, ISRO Representatives of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 1. Shri R.K. Jain, Joint Secretary 2. Shri Niloy Roy, CMO Representative of Department of Telecommunication Ms. Rita Teaotia, Additional Secretary Representative of Ministry of Water Resources Shri N.K. Mathur, Commissioner Representative of Government of Uttarakhand 1. Shri S.K. Mattoo, Chief Resident Commissioner 147

2. Shri Bhaskaranand, Secretary (DM) 3. Shri Manoj Chandran, Additional Secretary 4. Shri S. Ramaswamy, Principal Secretary 5. Shri S.D. Sharma, Inv. Commissioner Representatives of Planning Commission 1. Ms. Sindhushree Khullar, Secretary 2. Shri S.N. Brohmo Choudhury, Advisor, NE 3. Shri T.K. Pandey, Joint Secretary (Financial Resources) 4. Shri S. Lakshmanan, Consultant (Financial Resources) Representatives of Department of Expenditure 1. Shri R.S. Gujral, Secretary (Expenditure) 2. Ms. Anjuly Chib Duggal, Additional Secretary 3. Dr. Rajat Bhargava, Joint Secretary (Budget)

I. OPENING REMARKS OF CHAIRMAN 2. At the outset, the chairman welcomed the Members to the sitting and apprised them of the agenda i.e. (i) to hear the Home Secretary on the relief and rehabilitation and rescue measures being undertaken in Uttarkhand after cloud burst and flash floods and to (ii) hear the Cabinet Secretary, Finance and Planning Commission Secretaries on ‘Strengthening the working of the Ministry of DoNER for effective implementation of policies, programmes, schemes and projects meant for North-Eastern Region’. 2.1 The Chairman, thereafter, read out a letter received from the Home Minister with regard to rehabilitation and rescue measures in Uttarakhand after f1ash floods and cloud burst there stating that there was no provision laid down in the Disaster Management Act or the guidelines issued thereunder for declaring a disaster as a National Calamity. He added that as per the information received from the State Government of Uttarakhand, 580 human lives had lost, 4,200 villages had been affected, and over 2,300 houses had been reported damaged and about 3,100 persons have been injured. The State Government was in the process of making damage assessment and the number of lives lost may go up after debris is cleared. Essential commodities including food packets were being air dropped. Food packets, water and medicines are being sent to all the affected areas. Relief camps are being organised in different parts of the State. Medical teams with sufficient medicines and equipments were being sent. Free transport was being arranged for all the people till their respective destinations. Special train bogies were being arranged in different trains to help the pilgrims to reach their destination. Stranded tourists had been allowed free access to all State guest houses as well as tourist guest houses of the State Governments. As on 1st July, 2013, over one lakh people had been evacuated by all agencies to safer places. 2.2 The Chairman also mentioned that he had also written a letter to the Hon’ble Chairman of the Rajya Sabha as well as to the Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha requesting them to allow Members of Parliament to donate money from their MPLAD fund for relief measures in Uttarakhand. The Hon’ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha had written back that the Members of Parliament were allowed to donate up to rupees fifty lakh from their MPLAD funds towards relief and rehabilitation in the State of Uttarakhand. 2.3 The Chairman mentioned that the Committee would hear the Home Secretary in brief and at a later stage, it would study the situation in depth because it would be diverting the attention of Government officials engaged in relief and rescue operations by way of attending the meetings. 148

(At this stage, witnesses were called in)

II. REHABILITATION AND RESCUE MEASURES IN UTTARAKHAND 3. The Chairman welcomed the Home Secretary and other officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and State Government of Uttarkhand and placed on record the appreciation of the commendable job by personnel of NDRF, ITBP and Armed Forces under a joint command, in rescuing the stranded pilgrims and locals. He then asked the Home Secretary to make his presentation on the matter. 4. The Home Secretary submitted that the first responder in the disaster was the State Government of Uttarakhand and immediately after that, the Government of India moved into action. All the Ministries of the Government of India were mobilized. The National Crisis Management Committee, under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary, thereafter met every day to review the situation and coordinate all the assistance that was required to be rendered to the State Government to ensure that everything was done as quickly as was humanly possible. He added that the Government of India directed the Armed Forces, ITBP, the National Disaster Response Force to start salvage, rescue, relief and succor operations and consequentially a very large number of people were rescued. A member- of the National Disaster Management Authority was stationed at Dehradoon to coordinate the efforts. The National Executive Committee, under the Home Secretary was meeting every day to review and take stock of the situation. Connectivity of telephone had been established with many towns and the basic telephony was in operation but it may not necessarily be possible for every mobile telephone to be working there. The State Government authorities needed to continue the relief operations. Systematic efforts would be required to ensure immediate restoration of basic road connectivity. The State Government needed to prepare a Memorandum for Assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund. The State Government also had to plan for long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation, which could be looked into by the Planning Commission separately. 4.1 The Secretary, Disaster Management, State Government of Uttarakhand, thereafter gave a brief of the sequence of the event of disaster that took place and the steps taken by the State Government and Central Government. He stated that the focus was on Kedar Valley though the State Government had information from other valleys like Badrinath, Ghangaria, Hemkund Sahib, Gangotri and Yamunotri as the people there were safe with no problem of food and other civil supplies. More than 300 persons were evacuated from Rambara, which was almost non-existent and totally inaccessible for the rest of the world. The entire road connectivity was totally cut off at different places and the emphasis was on restoration of road connectivity. Mule tracks and kutcha roads were made to evacuate the people. Many local people in Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri will remain safe and there will be all kind of relief materials till the closure of ‘holy kapaats’ of the ‘Char Dhams’ in third week of November, 2013. He expressed thanks and gratitude for the assistance given by the Government of India, Indian Army, Indian Air Force, NDRF and all other Government agencies. 4.2 With regard to Chairman’s query about delay to reach Garud Chatti, the Secretary submitted that it was totally isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. There was no helipad at all. It was amidst the jungle. Hence there was delay in reaching Garud Chatti but the operation in Garud Chatti was completed within 48 hours and about three hundred persons were evacuated. 4.3 Regarding reports in certain sections of media of looting the tourists and pilgrims at certain places, the Secretary submitted that one case of this kind had come to the notice of the State Government and police personnel were enquiring into it. Regarding exact number of dead persons, the Secretary submitted that there was debris in Kedarnath and Ram Bada which was very high upto 30 feet and the 560 count had come from visually counting the dead. The death toll may rise 149 in future after extraction. With regard to missing persons, the State Government had requested the Chief Secretaries of all the State Governments and Union Territories to identify people from their States who had been there in the chardham yatra, during this particular period of disaster, and then revert back to us along with their detailed list. The State Government would then consider them as missing. The State Government was also taking regular help from all service providers to locate the position of different people in the Kedar Hills during this period of time. The number has been estimated at 3,078. All care and caution has been taken to reach at this figure. 4.4 The Chairman and Members of the committee, thereafter, raised the following queries:- (i) Conflicting news about the forewarning given by the Meteorological Department and by the ISRO; (ii) No meeting of National Executive Committee. since September, 2008 till December, 2012; (iii) Possibility of earthquake in Uttarakhand and adequate warning to the State Governments; (iv) Pooling of help form other State Governments; (v) Status of prevention of diseases and epidemic in that area; (vi) Position of drinking water; and (vii) Neglect of environmental concerns by construction of dams and roads by blowing up Himalayan ranges. 4.5 Concluding the discussion, the Chairman asked the Home Secretary to send written replies on the queries raised and stated that the Committee would discuss NDMA, the relief and rehabilitation programme in detail later on. 5. * * * 6. * * * 7. A verbatim record of the proceedings of the meeting was kept.

8. The Committee then adjourned at 12.55 P.M.

*** Relates to other matter. 150

IV FOURTH MEETING

The Committee met at 11.30 A.M. on Monday, the 21st October, 2013 in Room No. 63, First Floor, Parliament House, New Delhi.

MEMBERS PRESENT 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman

RAJYA SABHA 2. Shrimati Kanimozhi 3. Shri Santiuse Kujur 4. Dr. V. Maitreyan 5. Shri D. Raja

LOK SABHA 6. Shri L.K. Advani 7. Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal 8. Dr. Shafiqur Rahman Barq 9. Shri E.T. Mohammed Basheer 10. Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar 11. Shri Naveen Jindal 12. Shri Sanjay Dina Patil 13. Shri Rathod Ramesh 14. Shri Ravneet Singh

SECRETARIAT Shri P.P.K. Ramacharyulu, Joint Secretary Shri Vimal Kumar, Director Shri D.K. Mishra, Joint Director Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director Shri Sanjeev Khokhar, Assistant Director

WITNESSES Representatives of Ministry of Home Affairs 1. Shri Anil Goswami, Home Secretary 2. Shri G.V.V. Sarma, JS (Disaster Management) 3. Shri Satpal Chouhan, Joint Secretary (C&PG) 4. Shri Sanjay Agarwal, Director (Disaster Management) 5. Shri Goutam Ghosh, Deputy Secretary 6. Shri Ashok Shukla, Deputy Secretary 7. Shri S. Agarwal, Secretary, NDMA

150 151

8. Brig. S. Visvanathan, Advisor, NDMA 9. Shrimati A. Gulati, Financial Advisor, NDMA 10. Dr. Satendra, ED, NIDM 11. Shri K. Chaudhary, DG, NDRF 12. Shri S.R. Rathore, IG, NDRF Representatives of Ministry of Finance 1. Shri Rajiv Kumar, Joint Secretary 2. Ms. Usha Titus, Joint Secretary 3. Ms. S. Sharan, Director 4. Shri Alok Chandra, Director Representatives of Ministry of Defence 1. AVM M. Singh, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ACIDS (Jt Ops) 2. Major General Subrata Saha, YSM, VSM, ADG (MO)/AHQ 3. Shri A. Chakravarty, ADG, Military Operation 4. AVM SRK Nair, AVSM VM ACAS Ops (T&H) 5. Colonel A. Shukla, SM Director Military Operations Representatives of Ministry of Agriculture Shri S. Sharan, Director Representatives of Department of Atomic Energy 1. Shri K.A.P. Sinha, Joint Secretary 2. Shri S. Hari Kumar, Scientific Officer G, AERB 3. Dr. Pradeep Kumar, Scientific Officer (H+), Head Radiation safety Division, BARC, Mumbai Representative of Department of Food and Public Distribution Shri Deepak Kumar, Joint Secretary Representative of Ministry of Drinking Water Supply Shri Dinesh Chand, Additional Advisor Representative of Central Water Commission Shri Y.D. Roy, Director Representatives of Ministry of Earth Sciences 1. Dr. K. J. Ramesh, Scientist ‘G’ 2. Dr. B.K. Bandyopadhyay, DDGM Representative of Ministry of Rural Development Shrimati Vijaya Srivastava, Joint Secretary Representative of Ministry of Petroleum Shri Alok Tripathi, Director Representative of Cabinet Secretariat Shri S.C. Garg, Additional Secretary Representatives of State Government of Uttarakhand 1. Shri S. Kumar, Chief Secretary 2. Shri Rakesh Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary 152

3. Shri Bhaskaranand, Secretary, Disaster Management 4. Shri S. Ramaswamy, Principal Secretary 5. Dr. G.B. Joshi, DG, Health 6. Shri S.D. Sharma, Additional Resident Commissioner 7. Shri Amit Negi, Additional Secretary, PWD Representatives of ITBP 1. Shri M. Alam, ADG 2. Shri M.S. Bhurji, IG Representative of Department of Space Shri J.R. Sharma, OSD 2. At the outset, the Chairman asked the Home Secretary to give a presentation on the disaster management in the country covering the damage caused by cloud burst and flash floods in Uttarakhand, and steps being taken for rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the aftermath of these natural calamities. He also asked the Home Secretary to apprise the Committee of the steps being undertaken by the Ministry in order to strengthen disaster preparedness in the country as well as the problems in tackling rehabilitation and reconstruction works. The Chairman also quoted observations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India about Uttarakhand that the State Disaster Management Authority was virtually non functional as it met only once in January, 2008 and it failed to ensure incorporation of the disaster prevention into the development process as envisaged in the Disaster Management Act 2005. He also quoted various observations of CAG like absence of the critical infrastructure such as trauma centre, reliable communication system, structural safety of school buildings,etc. which were of serious nature. 3. Responding to the observations of the Chairman, the Home Secretary made the following submissions:

● The term “Disaster Management” had been defined very broadly in the Disaster Management Act to include not only response alone but also a number of pre-disaster events like mitigation, capacity building and evacuation, as well as, post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction.

● As per the policy on National Disaster Management, the primary responsibility for disaster management rested with the State Governments and the Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments by providing logistics and financial support such as deployment of aircraft and boats, specialist teams of Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, National Disaster Response Force and arrangements of relief materials, State Disaster Response Fund supplemented through the National Disaster Response Fund.

● After the enactment of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, a well built institutional and legal framework for the disaster management in the country had come into being at both the Central and the State Governments level.

● Enhancement of capabilities for disaster management was a continuous and gradual process encompassing several activities and concerted actions by a number of stakeholders. Community participation was a key element in these efforts.

● For preventive and mitigation measures, each Ministry of the Government of India as well as State Governments had their assigned roles. In the case of the natural disaster of June, 2013 in Uttarakhand, the State Government took all possible steps immediately. All the concerned Ministries of the Government of India were mobilized. 153

The National Crisis Management Committee under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary met regularly to review the situation. Special meetings of the National Executive Committee were held to coordinate all the efforts that were needed to support the State Government. 4. The Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand made the following submissions. The Home Secretary and the Joint Secretary also intervened and supplemented the submissions:- .

● The rescue had been completed and the relief distribution admissible under the NDRF had also been completed in 99 per cent of the cases to the satisfaction of the local people. Over and above the NDRF, the State Government had also restored the facilities in 24 areas like additional amount of R15,000 besides R10,000 as per the norm of the Government of India and the NDRF for loss of horse. Relief to the tune of R160 crore to the affected families had been given.

● In all, 4,094 persons were reported to be missing and the figure had been calculated very logistically with the help of the Government of India. Initially, it went up to 10,000, but after cross-checking and after doing de-duplication in a prescribed manner, it came to 4,094 persons as missing. They were presumed to be dead. Out of 22 States, the maximum number of people were missing from Uttar Pradesh, which comes to 1,125. Chief Secretaries of the States have been asked to furnish the details prescribed by the Registrar General of India because as per the direction of the Registrar General, some formalities have to be completed by the concerned State Governments. After completion of those formalities, within a month or so, death certificates along with R2 lakh from the Prime Minister Relief Fund and R1.5 lakh from SDRF totaling to R3.5 lakh, will be sent. Some States are giving more than R3.5 lakhs. Another R1.5 lakh from the National Disaster Relief Fund have already authorized.

● About 983 persons of the State are missing or presumed to be dead. R5 lakh each to the next of the kin of missing, without waiting for the death certificate had been given.

● Until and unless the State Governments comply with the instruction of the Registrar General, death certificates cannot be given. But the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India advised to issue the perfect death certificates, which will be applicable to all the cases of litigations, civil cases, criminal cases, etc.

● Under the Indian Evidence Act, normally, presumption of death happens after seven years. However in such cases of disaster, a period of seven years is not insisted upon. On the basis of the precedent adopted in the case of Tsunami, a simplified instruction to cut short the period and conduct an inquiry has been issued as 90 per cent of the victims are not ordinary residents of Uttarakhand, but from other States. Therefore, a procedure has been worked out, which consisted an inquiry within the originating State. The inquiring officer will certify that this person had gone to Uttarakhand and there was no proof that the person had come back. The inquiry officer of other State will then send the report to the District Magistrate of Rudraprayag. After that, the authorized officer in Rudraprayag district will give not only the death certificate but also release the ex-gratia. The procedure had been evolved to avoid litigations as the matter regarding the death of a person would go to court because he may have left behind some property and that may get involved in litigation. Therefore, unless a formal certificate of death is issued to withstand judicial scrutiny, problem may not be properly solved. However no State has given any information of its missing persons. 154

● The Department of Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance has been requested to issue instructions to the insurance companies to process insurance claims of affected or dead persons.

● State Government has been more liberal and given a relief of R2 lakh to the person who had lost his house. The State Government has launched a scheme of providing another R5 lakh in four installments for construction of house by giving options of either owner driven construction or State-driven construction. Majority of the people are looking at pre-fabricated houses given by the State. But over the last one and a half months, everybody was going for a owner-driven construction. R1.5 lakh will be given when the work is completed up to the plinth level and another R1 lakh up to the second stage and another lakh up to the third stage and the last 1.5 lakh in the fourth stage. This work has already started.

● Earthquake as well as other threats would be taken into account. Many other locations, according to the GSI, are not good locations. Therefore their locations are being changed. Design of the houses would be earthquake-resistant and every house would be insured for, at least, ten years. The State Government is getting it insured through the insurance companies.

● The owner driven construction is taking place primarily with the local material. The State driven construction is with pre-engineered material. Site development work like electricity, water, etc has been given to the Collectors and they have started doing site work. One school and one small health post in the cluster would be provided.

● 2,400 homeless families had been given R3,000 per month rental facility for 24 months and everybody is living in proper shelters. The D. M. has been made the in-charge of rehabilitation of 2,400 families.

● A large number of schools have been damaged, especially in the Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag districts. The Rotary International has adopted all the schools of the Uttarakashi district for reconstruction according to the given standards and designs. The Government of India, under various programmes of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, has released the money for each and every school which is not covered by any of the voluntary groups.

● Nobody is living in any temporary shelters in the schools. Every school has become functional and the education is not suffering. Damaged schools have been shifted to nearby areas in some or the other building like panchayat building or the mid-day meal building which are not damaged.

● Sufficient money has been sanctioned by the Rural Development Ministry for damaged community halls and work has been started. Dharamsalas in Badrinath, Kedarnathji, Gangotri and Yamnotri areas were affected badly. More than 350 buildings in Kedarnathji were totally razed to the ground. But the building work of total reconstruction would not be possible during this season because of the very cold season and would only commence in the next season. Heavy and bigger machines have to be moved there to demolish majority of the structures. The Archaeological Survey of India and the GSI teams have visited the place four-five times and they are developing a proper master plan.

● A system for voluntary organizations coming forward to rebuild schools, community halls, dharamsalas or public activities like hospitals has been developed and Chief Resident Commissioner has been made in-charge of issues dealing with assistance 155

coming in through voluntary organizations. Many ashrams in and around Haridwar have also picked up some areas and activities. The State Government is allowing them to pick up whatever area they wanted to undertake. :

● Besides Members of Parliament, MLAs from a non-affected areas have also been allowed to use MLA fund in the affected area.

● With the help from the Central Government, voluntary sector and the various NGOs, there is no issue of availability of resources in the State and the State Government has already distributed R319 crore to various beneficiaries under various programmes.

● The total Package of R7,500 crore on the Plan side has been approved after thorough discussions with Planning Commission.

● Regarding connectivity, all temporary connectivity has been ensured, but major permanent connectivity will take place from 18 months to 24 months. Restoration of Kedarnath could take three seasons as the terrain was very badly affected. Helicopter services have been restored to the area and yatra has commenced with everyday 100- 150 people. The alternative route has been restored to Kedarnath. Connectivity by smaller vehicles to Badrinath Gangotri and Yamunotri has been fully restored. Connectivity for a proper bus to go would take from 18 months to 24 months. 4,200 villages were cut off from the main roads. Out of that, only 87 villages have been left and restoration would take another three months.

● Restoration of electricity except in 28 villages has been done. In those 28 villages also, sufficient solar lights and alternative energy has been provided. Restoration of electricity in 28 villages would take another two months.

● There are around 2,000 drinking water schemes which were damaged, and restoration of drinking water facility except in 30 schemes has been done on temporary basis. Permanent reconstruction would be completed between one year to three years because availability of water from main sources has been disturbed.

● Telecom facilities has been fully restored. One can talk from Kedarnath to any part of the world. The BSNL work was the last connectivity which was restored.

● Besides, a monitoring Committee at the State level, five Member Grievance Committee comprising of MLA, MP of the area and a social worker at district level has been formed. That Committee has received very few complaints on distribution.

● The major reason for the colossal loss along the riverside was due to restrictive policy of the MoEF to treat every river system of Uttarakhand as a reserve forest. In Himachal, no river system is in the reserve forest. Uttarakhand is the only State in the country where every river system is under the reserve forests and mining is not allowed due to which the centre of the rivers are all filled with RBM and the shores are fully exposed. The issues was raised at all the forums, even at the Cabinet Secretary’s level and the IMG was formed. The MoEF was requested then to send a separate Task Force to understand and study the system and allow mining.

● The Finance Ministry has given us three concessions. Service Tax has been exempted up to 31st March, because tourism took a big hit in Uttarakhand due to this calamity and orders from the Government of India have been issued. In the next Cabinet Meeting, a final decision on loan waiver for those who have lost their land altogether, and interest waiver for those who have lost their crop, would be taken. The State Government is in touch with the Ministry of Rural Development for devising a special 156

programme for those who have lost their land altogether, because ultimately they have become landless. If there is any surplus land available with the State Government that would be allotted to them. But in Uttarakhand, majority of land was declared as forest land and a waiver from MOEF has been sought for authorizing to pick up degraded forests up to five hectares and give it to the people for resettlement purposes.

● For the first time the State Government of Uttarakhand has increased ten-fold the money, given for removal of silt from agricultural land. The earlier amount was just peanuts. In fact, many farmers never came to take this meagre money. Dozers were put in operation, but the National Green Tribunal sent a notice for flouting the rules. The State Government appeared before the Tribunal and explained to them that this was a natural calamity.

● MHA has already released 32.55 crore rupees under the Head ‘Loss of substantial portion of land, caused by land-slide and change of course of river.

● Loss of Commercial buildings is not covered under neither NDRF or SDRF norms and there is need to take care of the commercial buildings as well.

● The cloud burst was not a normal rain and the water in Tehri Dam on that day rose upto 800 plus meters against its full capacity of 824 meters in about eight hours. So, against the controversies concerning construction of dams, the dam saved Haridwar and Rishikesh from being non-existent and the number of deaths would have been in hundred thousand.

● Teams from NIMHANS, Bangalore and other Government institutions have reported that people especially the children have faced a lot of trauma after seeing these incidents and to rehabilitate them, a comprehensive programme through the NRHM has been drawn up and approved by the Ministry of Health. The same would be put in place as soon as the money is released. There are three villages where only widows are there. They have lost their husbands and bringing them to the mainstream is not an easy task. A lot of support from voluntary groups and doctors from different cities has been received and they are already camping in these villages.

● The State Government would certainly enforce a stringent regulatory system to check construction, especially unauthorized construction along river banks. In view of the gravity of calamity, compensation has been given for unauthorized buildings also, but with a rider that no construction can be made at the place and one has to go somewhere else. But this condition has resulted into their demand for land, which is not available in the State on account of forest conservation.

● Regarding non creation of National Disaster Mitigation Fund, the Home Secretary admitted that the fund has still not been sanctioned by the Ministry of Finance and they have raised some queries. A draft EFC note to the Finance Ministry would be submitted. The representative of the Ministry of Finance submitted that after the rescue operations, mitigation, reconstruction, long-term rehabilitation, etc., are taken which come under the plan funds. The Cabinet has taken a decision that 10 per cent under each scheme will be a flexi fund, which can be used for these kinds of activities also. Under the Act, each Ministry is supposed to prepare a plan under which they can take care of this.

● The representative of the Air Force drew attention towards the handicaps faced by them in rescue and relief operations. The Air Force moved 45 helicopters in quick time but was impaired in operations because of lack of operating surface. From very few 157

places they could operate the helicopters with no facility whatsoever, including fuel. There was no command and control of the large number of helicopters operated by Air Force, Army and civil. He suggested that in all States, operating surfaces should be identified where helicopters can operate from. While constructing a National Highway at a distance of about 100 kms., an area of 100 meter by 100 meter operating surface should be available for any contingency. In the hills this distance can be reduced to about 50 kms. It could be part of the project. There should be an overall control of operating aircrafts in such situation for better coordination.

● Setting up of go-downs and shelter homes and upradation of airstrips has been included as an immediate measure in the R7,500 crores package submitted to the Central Government.

● For the reconstruction of roads by agencies particularly National Highway Authority and Border Roads Organisation, the time line has been given between 12 months to 36 months as most of the roads from 1 to 3 kms. have been washed away leaving nothing on the ground and for this purpose, forest land transfer is required. If permission is not given immediately, then it would be very difficult to complete within three years and may spill over to between five to ten years. Naxal affected States have been authorized to decide land transfer cases upto five hectares, but for Uttarakhand, the decision is pending. 5. Concluding the discussions, the Chairman asked the Secretary, NDMA to make presentation on the functioning, plans and experience of NDMA in the next meeting. He also asked the chief Secretary to provide by the next meeting a detailed data of public property lost, private property lost and the arrangements made by the State Government, the progress made in relief and rehabilitation measures so far and the schemes and guidelines for involving NGOs as well as activities assigned to them, in a crisp, bullet point model. The Chairman also hoped that the promise made by the Home Secretary and the Uttarakhand Government to the Committee that all the cases of missing persons would be settled within one month, would be fulfilled. 6. Verbatim record of the proceedings of the meeting was kept.

7. The Committee then adjourned at 1.00 P.M. 158

X TENTH MEETING

The Committee met at 4.30 P.M. on Monday, the 17th February, 2014 in Room No. 67, Parliament House, New Delhi.

MEMBERS PRESENT 1. Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu — Chairman

RAJYA SABHA 2. Shri Prasanta Chatterjee 3. Shri Santiuse Kujur 4. Dr. V. Maitreyan 5. Shri D. Raja 6. Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy

LOK SABHA 7. Shri Anandrao Adsul 8. Shri L.K. Advani 9. Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal 10. Shri Naveen Jindal 11. Shri Rathod Ramesh

SECRETARIAT Shri Vimal Kumar, Director Shri D.K. Mishra, Joint Director Shri Bhupendra Bhaskar, Assistant Director Shri Sanjeev Khokhar, Assistant Director Shri Anurag Ranjan, Committee Officer 2. At the outset, the Chairman welcomed the Members of the Committee to the sitting of the Committee and apprised them agenda of the day which was to consider and adopt the following three draft Reports of the Committee:– (i) 178th Report on Disaster Management in the Country; (ii) 179th Report on Action Taken by the Government on the recommendations/ observations contained in the 137th Report on Rehabilitation of J&K Migrants; and (iii) 180th Report on Administration of Union Territories (Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Chandigarh). 2.1 The Chairman informed the Members that the respective sub-Committees had adopted the draft 179th Report and draft 180th Report on 13th February, 2014. 3. The Committee then first took up the draft 178th Report on Disaster Management in the Country for consideration. After a brief discussion, the report was adopted with some minor changes.

158 159

3.1 The Committee then took up the draft 179th Report on Action Taken by the Government on the recommendations/observations contained in the 137th Report on Rehabilitation of J&K Migrants for consideration. After a brief discussion, the report was adopted with some minor changes. 3.2 The Committee then took up the draft 180th Report on Administration of Union Territories (Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Chandigarh) for consideration. After a brief discussion the report was also adopted with some minor changes. 3.3 The Chairman and Committee Members then appreciated the work done by Committee Secretariat in terms of drafting comprehensive and quality reports within stipulated timeframe. 4. The Chairman also informed the Members that two Reports, namely, 176th Report on Functioning of Delhi Police and 177th Report on Coastal Security Management were considered and adopted by the Committee in its sitting held on 7th January 2014. He stated that these two Reports alongwith the above three adopted Reports would be presented/laid in the current session on 19th February 2014. 5. The Committee then nominated its Chairman and in his absence Shri D.Raja M.P. Rajya Sabha and Shri Santiuse Kujur, M.P. Rajya Sabha to present the 176th, 177th, 178th, 179th and 180th Reports to the Rajya Sabha on 19th February, 2014. The Committee also nominated Shri Naveen Jindal, MP, Lok Sabha and in his absence DR. Shafiqur Rahman Barq, MP, Lok Sabha to lay five reports on the Table of Lok Sabha the same day.

6. The Committee then adjourned at 4.50 P.M.

ANNEXURES

ANNEXURE-I

RULES NOTIFIED UNDER DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACT, 2005

Sl. No. Rules and regulations Scope 1 2 3

1. Disaster Management (Term of Provide for pay and service conditions of Vice Office and Conditions of Service Chairperson/Member of NDMA, disqualifications, of Members of the National resignation and filling up vacancies in the National Authority and payment of Authority. allowances to Members of Advisory Committee) Rules, 2006

2. Disaster Management (National Provide for composition of the institute and Institute of Disaster Management) governing body, filling up of vacancies, meetings of Rules, 2006 the institute and powers and functions of the Executive Director.

3. National Institute of Disaster Provide for composition of the institute and the Management Regulations, 2006 governing body meetings, transaction/recording of business of the institute; delegation of functions to governing body or Executive Director; term of office, powers and functions, transaction, powers and functions of Executive Director.

4. Disaster Management National Provide for procedures to be followed by the National Executive Committee (Procedures Executive Committee (exercise of powers by the and Allowances) Rules, 2006 Chairperson of NEC during emergency, meeting of NEC atleast once in three months, forwarding minutes of every meeting to National Authority, etc, allowances to be paid to a person associated as an expert with a sub-committee of NEC.

5. Disaster Management (Removal of Provide tenure to the Vice Chairperson and Difficulties) Order, 2006 members of NDMA.

6. Disaster Management (Annual Provide for the contents to be included in the Report of National Authority) annual report and its laying before both the Houses Rules, 2006 of Parliament within nine months of the end of the Financial Year.

7. Disaster Management (Notice of Provides for notice of alleged offence and intention Alleged Offence) Rules, 2007 to make a complaint and particulars to be furnished alongwith notice.

163 164

12 3

8. National Disaster Management Recruitment Rules for selecting a Financial Advisor Authority (Financial Advisor) (JS equivalent) on deputation in NDMA. Recruitment Rules, 2008

9. Disaster Management (National Provide for constitution of force; direction and Disaster Management Response control of Force; responsibility, training, skill, Force) Rules, 2008 duties, etc. and conditions of service of NDRF.

10. Disaster Management (National Provides for insertion of Sashastra Seema Bal Disaster Response Force) Act, 2007 and omission/insertion in entries (iii) and Amendment Rules, 2008 (iv).

11. National Disaster Management Provides for Recruitment Rules for selection of Authority, Group ‘C’ posts group C such as dispatch rider, Hindi typist, Recruitment Rules, 2009 cashier, etc. in NDMA.

12. National Disaster Management Provides for Recruitment Rules for selection of Authority (Group ‘A’) Advisor, Joint Advisor and Senior Research Officer Recruitment Rules, 2009 etc. in NDMA. 165

ANNEXURE-II

NODAL MINISTRY/DEPARTMENT FOR MANAGEMENT/MITIGATION OF DIFFERENT DISASTERS

Sl. Disaster Disaster Mitigation Efforts No. Management by

1 2 3 45

Nodal Ministry Member Ministries on Mitigation Plan Committees

1. Earthquake MHA Ministry of Earth Ministries of Science and Sciences Technology, Urban Development; Rural Development; HRD; Health and Family Welfare; Panchayati Raj; Youth Affairs and Sports; Women and Child Development; IT and Telecommunication; I and B; and Space

2. Flood MHA Ministry of Water Space; Telecommunication Resources

3. Drought, A&C Deptt. of Hailstorm and Agriculture and Pest Attack Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture

4. Landslide MHA Ministry of Mines Road Transport and Highways and Shipping

5. Avalanche MHA Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Defence and Shipping

6. Forest Fire E&F Ministry of Environment and Forests

7. Nuclear MHA/AE Deptt. of Atomic Defence; Health and Family Disaster Energy Welfare

165 166

12 3 4 5

8. Industrial E&F Ministry of and Chemical Environment and Disasters Forests

9. Biological H&FW Ministry of Health Defence, Environment and Disaster and Family Forests, Agriculture and Co- Welfare operation, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries; and Chemicals and Fertilizers

10. Rail Accidents Railway Ministry of Railways

11. Road Accidents RTH&S Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping

12. Aviation CA Ministry of Civil Accidents Aviation

13. Cyclone/ MHA India Metrological Tornado/ Deptt. Under Hurricane Ministry of Earth Sciences

14. Tsunami MHA Ministry of Earth Sciences 167

ANNEXURE-III

LIST OF REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS

Report Title of the Report No. 12 1st On Demand Nos. 42 and 44 of the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the year 1993-94 2nd The Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privilege) Amendment Bill, 1992 3rd The Supreme Court Judges (Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 1991 4th The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 1992 5th The Census (Amendment) Bill, 1992 6th The Human Rights Commission Bill, 1993 7th The Working of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Central Vigilance Commission 8th The Specified Areas (Issue of Identity Cards to Residents) Bill, 1993 9th The Demands for Grants (1994-95) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 10th The Demands for Grants (1994-95) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 11th The Demands for Grants (1994-95) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs 12th The Representation of the People (Second Amendment) Bill, 1994 13th The Indian Contract (Amendment) Bill, 1992 14th The Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 1994 15th The Demands for Grants (1995-96) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 16th The Demands for Grants (1995-96) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 17th The Demands for Grants (1995-96) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs 18th The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 1995 19th The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 1995 20th The Working of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) 21st The Hire-Purchase (Amendment) Bill, 1989 22nd The Pondicherry (Administration) Amendment Bill, 1995 23rd The Arbitration and Conciliation Bill, 1995 24th The Election Commission (Charging of Expenses on the Consolidated Fund of India) Bill, 1994

167 168

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25th The Criminal Law (Second Amendment) Bill, 1995 26th The Situation in Jammu and Kashmir 27th The Private Security Guards and Agencies (Regulation) Bill, 1994 28th The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 1994 29th The Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations of the Committee contained in its Fifteenth Report on the Demands for Grants (1995-96) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 30th The Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations of the Committee contained in its Sixteenth Report on the Demands for Grants (1995-96) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 31st The Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations of the Committee contained in its Seventeenth Report on the Demands for Grants (1995-96) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs 32nd The Demands for Grants (1996-97) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 33rd The Demands for Grants (1996-97) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 34th Demands for Grants (1996-97) Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs 35th The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 1996 36th Insurgency situation in the North Eastern Region 37th The Demands for Grants (1997-98) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 38th The Demands for Grants (1997-98) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 39th The Demands for Grants (1997-98) of the Ministry of Law and Justice 40th The Lokpal Bill, 1996 41st The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Conditions of Services) Amendment Bill, 1998 42nd The Lotteries (Regulation) Bill, 1998 43rd The Demands for Grants (1998-99) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 44th The Demands for Grants (1998-99) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 45th The Demands for Grants (1998-99) of the Ministry of Law and Justice and Company Affairs 46th The Indian Majority (Amendment) Bill, 1997 47th The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 1997 48th The Administrators-General (Amendment) Bill, 1998 49th The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 1997 50th The Lokpal Bill, 1998 51st The Central Vigilance Commission Bill, 1998 169

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52nd The Notaries (Amendment) Bill, 1997 53rd Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Bill, 1998 54th The Demands for Grants (1999-2000) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 55th The Demands for Grants (1999-2000) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 56th The Demands for Grants (1999-2000) of the Ministry of Law and Justice and Company Affairs 57th Foreigners (Amendment) Bill, 1998 58th Explosive Substances (Amendment) Bill, 1999 59th The Demands for Grants (2000-01) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 60th The Demands for Grants (2000-01) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 61st The Demands for Grants (2000-01) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs 62nd The Salaries Allowances, Leave and Pensions of the Officers and Servants of the Supreme Court Bill, 1994 63rd The Salaries Allowances, Leave and Pensions of the Officers and Servants of the Delhi High Court Bill, 1994 64th The Companies (Second Amendment) Bill, 1999 65th The Companies Bill, 1997 66th The Constitution (Eighty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 1999 67th Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations of the Committee contained in its Fifty-ninth Report on the Demands for Grants (2000-01) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 68th Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations of the Committee contained in its Sixtieth Report on the Demands for Grants (2000-01) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 69th Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations of the Committee contained in its Sixty-first Report on the Demands for Grants (2000-01) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs 70th The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 1999 71st The Demands for Grants (2001-02) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 72nd The Demands for Grants (2001-02) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs 73rd The Demands for Grants (2001-02) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 74th The Constitution (Ninety-first Amendment) Bill, 2000 75th Cross-Border Terrorism and Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir 76th The Repealing and Amending Bill, 1999 77th The Indian Divorce (Amendment) Bill, 1999 170

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78th The Freedom of Information Bill, 2000 79th The Registration and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2000 80th The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2000 81st Lotteries (Prohibition) Bill, 1999 82nd North-Eastern Council (Amendment) Bill, 1998 83rd Personnel Policies of Central Industrial Security Force and Central Secretariat Service 84th The Lokpal Bill, 2000 85th Law’s Delays: Arrears in Courts 86th The Demands for Grants (2002-03) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs 87th The Demands for Grants (2002-03) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 88th The Demands for Grants (2002-03) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 89th The Companies (Second Amendment) Bill, 2001 90th The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2001 91st Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations of the Committee contained in its Seventy-fifth Report on Cross-Border Terrorism and Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir 92nd The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2001 93rd The Competition Bill, 2001 94th The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2002 95th The Repatriation of Prisoners Bill, 2002 96th The Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme 97th The Election and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2002 98th Demands for Grants (2003-04) of Ministry of Home Affairs 99th Demands for Grants (2003-04) of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 100th Demands for Grants (2003-04) of Department of Development of North Eastern Region 101st Demands for Grants (2003-04) of Ministry of Law and Justice 102nd The Sixth Schedule to the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2003 and the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Bill, 2003 103rd Salaries and allowances of the Judicial officers of the Union Territories Bill, 2003 104th Constitution (Ninety-seventh Amendment) Bill, 2003 105th Constitution (One hundredth Amendment) Bill, 2003 106th Constitution (One Hundredth Second Amendment) Bill, 2003 and the State of Delhi Bill, 2003 107th The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2003 108th The Assam Rifles Bill, 2003 171

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109th Demands for Grants (2004-05) of Ministry of Home Affairs 110th Demands for Grants (2004-05) of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region 111th Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2003 112th Demands for Grants (2005-06) of Ministry of Home Affairs 113th Demands for Grants (2005-06) of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region 114th The Displaced Persons Claims and Other Laws Repeal Bill, 2004 115th The Disaster Management Bill, 2005 116th The State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Bill, 2004 117th Action Taken by the Government on the Recommendations contained in the Eighty-third Report of the Committee pertaining to the Personnel Policy of CISF 118th The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2005 119th The Demands for Grants (2006-07) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 120th The Demands for Grants (2006-07) of the Ministry of Development of NER 121st Examination of ‘Administration’ of Union Territories 122nd The Communal Violence (Prevention, control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005 123rd Sashastra Seema Bal Bill, 2006 124th Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in the One Hundred Nineteenth Report on Demands for Grants (2006-07) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 125th Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in the One Hundred Twentieth Report on Demands for Grants (2006-07) of the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region 126th The Demands for Grants (2007-08) of Ministry of Home Affairs 127th The Demands for Grants (2007-08) of Ministry of DoNER 128th The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2006 129th The Sixth Schedule to the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2007 and the Constitution (One Hundred and Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2007 130th Action Taken by the Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in One Hundred Twenty-sixth Report on DFGs (2007-08) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 131st Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in the One Hundred Twenty-seventh Report on DFGs (2007-08) of the Ministry of DoNER 132nd The Demands for Grants (2008-09) of Ministry of Home Affairs 133rd The Demands for Grants (2008-09) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region 134th The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Bill, 2006 135th Border Fencing and Floodlighting Projects of Indo-Pak Border 136th Revamping and Revitalization of Civil Defence in the Country 137th Rehabilitation of J&K Migrants 172

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138th The Central Industrial Security Force (Amendment) Bill, 2008 139th The Private Detective Agencies (Regulation) Bill, 2007 140th Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in One Hundred Thirty-second Report on DFGs (2008-09) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 141st Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in the One Hundred Thirty-third Report on DFGs (2008-09) of the Ministry of DoNER 142nd Implementation of Central Scheme of Modernisation of Prison Administration 143rd The Land Ports Authority of India Bill, 2009 144th The Demands for Grants (2010-11) of Ministry of Home Affairs 145th The Demands for Grants (2010-11) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region 146th The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2010 147th The Repatriation of Prisoners (Amendment) Bill, 2010 148th The New Delhi Municipal Council (Amendment) Bill, 2010 149th Action Taken by Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in the One Hundred Forty-fifth Report on Demands for Grants (2010-11) of the M/o DoNER 150th Action Taken by Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in the One Hundred Forty-fourth Report on Demands for Grants (2010-11) of the M/o Home Affairs 151st The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2010 152nd Action Taken by Government on the Recommendation/Observations contained in the One Hundred Thirty-sixth Report on Revamping and Revitalisation of Civil Defence in the country 153rd Action Taken by Government on the Recommendation/Observations contained in the One Hundred Thirty-fifth Report on Border Fencing and Flood Lighting Projects along Indo- Pak Borders 154th The Border Security Force (Amendment) Bill, 2011 155th The Enemy Property (Amendment) Second Bill, 2010 156th Action Taken by Government on the Recommendation/Observations contained in the One Hundred Forty-second Report on Implementations of Central Scheme of Modernisation of Prison Administration 157th Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2011 158th North-Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) Amendment Bill, 2011 159th The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2011 160th The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2011 161st Demands for Grants (2012-13) of Ministry of Home Affairs 162nd Demands for Grants (2012-13) of M/o DoNER 163rd Working of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police academy, Hyderabad 164th The Constitution (One Hundred Eighteenth Amendment) Bill, 2012 173

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165th Action Taken by Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in the One Hundred and Sixty-first Report on Demands for Grants (2012-13) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 166th Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in its One Hundred and Sixty-second Report on Demands for Grants (2012-13) of the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region 167th The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 168th The Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Bill, 2012 169th The Demands for Grants (2013-14) of Ministry of Home Affairs 170th The Demands for Grants (2013-14) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region 171st The North Eastern Council (Amendment) Bill, 2013 172nd Action Taken by the Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in the One Hundred Sixty-third Report on Working of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad 173rd Strengthening of the working of Ministry of DoNER for effective implementation of Policies, Programmes, Schemes and Projects meant for North Eastern Region 174th Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in the One Hundred Sixty-ninth Report on Demands for Grants (2013-14) of the Ministry of Home Affairs 175th Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in the One Hundred Seventieth Report on Demands for Grants (2013-14) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region 176th Report on the Functioning of Delhi Police l77th Report on the Coastal Security Scheme 178th Report on the Disaster Management in the Country 179th Report on the Action Taken by the Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in its One Hundred Thirty-seventh Report on Rehabilitation of J&K Migrants 180th Report on the Administration of Union Territories (Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Chandigarh)

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