Role of local and state bodies in disaster management



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Sharing Responsibility in the roles of local and state bodies

Posted Date: 07 Jun 2009 |Updated: 07-Jun-2009 |Category: Education|Author: Jyoti Malhotra |Member Level: Gold |Points: 7 |


This article describes about sharing responsibilities in the State and Local governing bodies.

The following ministry is assigned the responsibility of providing emergency support (i) Ministry of home affairs (ii) Ministry of health and family welfare.

The officials from the health, irrigation water, sanitation, police and fire services department and representatives of national and international NGO’s forms that District Disaster Management committee.

. The officers from the social welfare, health, water and sanitation, police and fire services department and different government and non-government organizations are the part of BDMS.

The primary purpose of UNDMT is to ensure prompt effective and country level disaster preparedness by the UN system and the response when appropriate.

The Nehru Yuva Kendras were launched in the year 1972 as part of the silver jubilee celebration of India Independence with the objective of providing the non-student rural youth avenues to take part in nation building activities.


NYE functions under the ministry of youth and sports affairs, Govt. of India. It is registered society and governed by Board of Governors under the ministry.

In order to make a competent force, training right from the school to the higher education courses about disaster management is being introduced. It has been designed with a purpose to sensitize students in all the aspects of disaster management.

As a District Magistrate of a particular district, I will coordinate and supervise powers of all the departments at the district level. I will take efforts in tackling disasters through early warning system, relief distribution, providing shelter to the victims, medical assistance, etc. I will also take the help of the Disaster Management Teams, like the Fire Services, Police, Health, Practitioners, etc.

The departments which we need to furnish to fight the disasters are :Health department, Department of water and sanitation, Police, Fire Services and NGOs.
The important bodies that are responsible for disaster management are the folloing:

i) Union Cabinet headed by P.M. 
ii) Group of Ministers headed by P.M. 
iii) National Crisis Management Committee under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary.

The main functions of the District Disaster management committee are:
i) Helping the administration for preparation of the district disaster management plan.
ii) Carry out mock drills.
iii) Coordinating training for the members of the disaster management teams at the district level.
The National Civil Defence College was founded on 29th April 1957 at Nagpur as the Central Emergency Relief Training Institute ( CERTI) to function as the training centre of the emergency institute focuses on advanced and specialist training to the leaders of relief services.

The motto of NSS is NOT ME BUT YOU. It underlines that the welfare of an individual is ultimately dependent on the welfare of the society as a whole. The Ministry of Education – introduced the National Service Scheme during 1969 – 1970.


The disaster to be managed at National level:

The Ministry of Home Affairs is the Nodal Ministry at the centre for coordinating
Disaster management activities for all natural hazards except drought, which is taken care by Ministry of Agriculture under the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. Other ministries are assigned the responsibility of providing emergency support in case of disasters that fall with in their preview.

The disaster to be manager at State Level:

The Chief Minister or the Chief Secretary of the state and the Relief Commissioner who are incharge of the relief and rehabilitation measures in the wake of natural disasters in their states function under the overall direction and control of the state level committee. The states have the relief manual called as the State Relief Code and th Stte contingency plan which guides them to manage disaster scenarios.

Home Guard is a voluntary force to assist police in controlling civil disturbance and communal riots.