Context

Union Cabinet is taking up the proposal to amend the Disaster Management Act of 2005.

About

• The present Act largely focuses on
  • Improving preparedness
  • Providing immediate relief
  • Protecting infrastructure
• The main drawback of the present policy is it neglects long-term recovery.

A brief about disaster management act, 2005

• It was enacted to effectively prevent, mitigate (reducing the severity) and prepare for disasters.
• It came into being on the heels of three major disasters.
  • 1999 - Super cyclone in Odisha
  • 2001 - Bhuj earthquake
  • 2004 - Indian Ocean tsunami.
• The Act mandated the creation of the National Disaster Management Authority, State Disaster Management Authorities and District Disaster Management Authorities.
• It laid down the framework, roles and responsibilities of these bodies to formulate and implement disaster management plans at their levels.

The focus of the act is preparedness, that is:

• Most States invested in resilient infrastructure, early warning systems and evacuation.
• This translated into
  • timely warnings
  • relief shelters and
  • massive evacuation exercises
• All these steps have reduced casualties.
• NDRF and SDRF have helped in providing immediate relief in the aftermath of dis

Long-term recovery

• Once the hazardous situation is passed, the important aspect is how to ensure recovery.
• We are seeing disasters from the narrow prism of providing food, water and medicines.
• At the most, some states are looking at providing shelter.
• These interventions are crucial, but long-term recovery needs much more.

What is urgently needed?

• Recovery measures should address inherent vulnerabilities pertaining to livelihoods, education, water, sanitation, health, and ecology of the disaster-affected communities.
• Intangible losses such as psychosocial needs of the communities should be given equal emphasis.
• Long-term recovery needs to be thought of alongside development in an integrated comprehensive manner by combining health, skill building and livelihood diversification schemes.
• This would ensure that communities have, at the very least, recovered to a new normal before the next disaster strikes. This understanding is crucial to the lawmakers looking to amend the Act.