Strengthening Disaster Management: A Closer Look at the 2024 Amendment Bill

The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to enhance the effectiveness of national and state disaster management authorities. It seeks to provide statutory status to certain committees and ensure clearer roles among stakeholders. The bill empowers authorities to create comprehensive disaster plans and databases while establishing new urban and state-level response forces.

The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was introduced in Lok Sabha with the goal of enhancing the efficiency of disaster management authorities at both national and state levels. The bill is designed to bring statutory status to pre-existing committees and to clarify the roles and responsibilities among various stakeholders in the field of disaster management.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai emphasized that the bill aims to empower states without infringing on their rights, noting that disaster management is primarily a state responsibility. The bill seeks to enable authorities to create detailed disaster plans and databases, with new provisions for an Urban Disaster Management Authority and a State Disaster Response Force.

The original Disaster Management Act, 2005, aimed at effective disaster management through institutional mechanisms and coordinated response efforts. The 2024 amendment stems from ongoing efforts to align disaster management with development plans and lessons learned from past disasters, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission and various stakeholders including state governments.

(With inputs from agencies.)