DISASTER MANAGEMENT (DM) ACT, 2005 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Disaster Management)

Context: The government has introduced a Bill in Parliament to amend the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005

• Establishment: The National Disaster Management Act (NDMA) was formulated in response to significant natural disasters like the 1999 super-cyclone in Odisha, the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, and the 2004 tsunami.
• Creation  of Authority:

o The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

o The National Executive Committee (NEC)

o The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM):

o National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

o State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs)

o District Disaster Management Authority

• Nodal Agency: The Ministry of Home Affairs 
• Financial Provisions: The Act includes provisions for setting up funds for disaster relief and other emergency situations, ensuring financial resources are readily available during crises.
• Formation of Agencies: The Act mandates the creation of various agencies and organizations at the national, state, and district levels. These entities are crucial for ensuring efficient disaster response and management.
• Coverage: It covers all man-made and natural disasters which are beyond the coping capacity of a community. 
• Punishment: Anyone refusing to comply with orders is liable for punishment with imprisonment up to one year, or fine, or both. 
• In case this refusal leads to the death of people, the person liable shall be punished with imprisonment up to two years.

Significance of DM Act

• The institutional framework has effectively saved thousands of lives through timely relief, rescue, and rehabilitation services.
• Increasing natural disasters, intensified by climate change, have heightened the importance of disaster management agencies.
• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) plays a crucial role, necessitating more responsibilities and resources.