The Lok Sabha on Thursday (December 13) passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024, amidst winter session chaos in both the houses of Parliament, over various issues ranging from Adani bribery case to the no-confidence motion against Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, .
The amendment bill seeks to strengthen the efficiency of India’s disaster management framework.
The proposed legislation empowers the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMA), instead of the National Executive Committee and State Executive Committee, to formulate and execute disaster preparedness and response strategies.
Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024
Introduced on August 1, 2024 in the Lok Sabha, the amendment Act establishes:
(i) National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
(ii) State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)
(iii) District Disaster Management Authority
These authorities will be responsible for respective disaster management at the national, state, and district levels.
The Bill seeks to amend the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to further strengthen and streamline disaster response and mitigation mechanisms across these levels of governance. The bill also makes provisions for “Urban Disaster Management Authority”, for state capitals and large cities having Municipal Corporations.
Key Provisions
- Authority to NDMA and SDMA: The Bill extends powers to the NDMA and SDMA to prepare national and state-level disaster plans, respectively.
- Establishment of Urban Disaster Management Authorities: State governments can now establish separate Urban Disaster Management Authorities for major cities and state capitals.
- Comprehensive Disaster Database: The Bill mandates the creation of a comprehensive disaster database at both national and state levels, facilitating data driven approach.
Statements by Ministers
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, strongly defended the Bill in the Lok Sabha, asserting that the legislation will improve disaster mitigation and preparedness measures across the country. He underscored the increased allocation of funds to both the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) in recent years.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to X (formerly Twitter) and extended gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling the amendment a landmark move. He further said the provisions of the law will serve as an impetus to build a disaster-resilient nation by empowering the response forces to shield citizens from any form of calamity.
Opposition remarks
Several opposition leaders expressed concerns about the Bill in the Lok Sabha. They voiced strong objections, citing centralization of power by subverting the autonomy of state governments.
Few members also called for financial support to disaster-affected areas, prevention measures, and increased focus on early warning systems.
Despite this, the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was passed in the Lok Sabha to amend the existing Disaster Management Act by a voice vote. It has been sent to the upper house, i.e., Rajya Sabha for further considerations.
