Central government assigns ministries for disaster preparedness and management

Srinagar, Sep 23: The Central Government on Tuesday issued a notification under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, assigning specific Ministries and Departments the responsibility for monitoring, early warning, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and capacity building for various disasters.

According to a notification issued by the Government of India the designated Ministries and Departments will handle specific disasters to ensure prompt and effective response mechanisms are in place.

The Ministry of Defence has been tasked with managing avalanches and oil spills, while the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will handle biological disasters.

Ministry of Earth Sciences has been assigned the responsibility for cold waves, cyclones, tornadoes, earthquakes, heat waves, lightning, tsunamis, hail storms, and heavy rainfall, with cold wave early warnings being a primary focus.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare will manage frost and cold waves, droughts, hailstorms, and pest attacks, whereas Ministry of Jal Shakti will oversee floods and glacial lake outburst floods.

Urban floods, excluding early warnings, will be handled by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and forest fires fall under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

The Ministry of Mines has been assigned industrial and chemical disasters as well as landslides, while nuclear and radiological emergencies will be managed by the Department of Atomic Energy.

The notification emphasizes that all designated Ministries and Departments must coordinate with other relevant agencies and stakeholders to strengthen disaster preparedness and response across the country. (KNC)