Centre Clears ₹507 Cr Project to Boost Community-Level Disaster Risk Reduction

The approval marks a significant expansion of the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF), launched by the Modi Government in 2021 to build a disaster-resilient society.

The High-Level Committee (HLC) chaired by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah has approved ₹507.37 crore for the National Project for Strengthening Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) Initiatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across 20 states. This major initiative, jointly undertaken with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), reflects the government’s continued commitment to enhancing grassroots disaster preparedness.

The approval marks a significant expansion of the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF), launched by the Modi Government in 2021 to build a disaster-resilient society. With today’s decision, the initiative is now being extended to the Panchayat level, empowering local self-governance institutions to anticipate, withstand and respond to disasters more effectively.

The programme follows a bottom-up approach to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), with a strong emphasis on integrating risk-informed planning into local governance structures. It aims to translate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a disaster-resilient India into actionable strategies at the village, block and district levels. To achieve this, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will provide extensive support to states and Union Territories in building institutional capacities and improving coordination mechanisms.

The project will benefit 81 disaster-prone districts across 20 states and will also establish 20 model Gram Panchayats with specialised focus on major hazard types—such as floods, cyclones, landslides, earthquakes and droughts. These model Panchayats will serve as replicable best-practice sites for localised DRR planning and community mobilisation. The initiative will strengthen and complement ongoing PRI empowerment efforts already underway through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and respective state governments.

Under the total project outlay of ₹507.37 crore,

• ₹273.38 crore will be the Central share under the NDMF.

• States will contribute ₹30.37 crore as their matching share.

• An additional ₹151.47 crore will be provided by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, with corresponding state contributions amounting to ₹52.15 crore.

The project’s activities include:

• Institutional strengthening of Panchayati Raj Institutions for disaster management.

• Integration of DRR into development planning, ensuring risk-informed decisions at every local governance level.

• Capacity building and training for State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) and PRI members.

• Intensive IEC (Information, Education and Communication) campaigns to raise community awareness.

• Enhanced inter-agency coordination to support localised mitigation planning and response readiness.

This financial support is over and above the regular allocations provided to the states through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). For the financial year 2025–26, the Central Government has already released:

• ₹16,118 crore to 28 states under SDRF

• ₹2,854.18 crore to 18 states under NDRF

• ₹5,273.60 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 21 states

• ₹1,423.06 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to 14 states

These sustained financial provisions emphasise the Centre’s commitment to empowering states and PRIs to build resilience, reduce vulnerabilities and protect lives and livelihoods from natural disasters.