Unit 3

National Disaster Management Authority

NDMA was established through the Disaster Management Act, 2005 enacted by
the Government of India, and was formally constituted by Dec 2006.
It is a Statutory Body for disaster management in the country.
Mandate: Its primary purpose is to coordinate the response to natural or man-
made disasters and for capacity-building in disaster resiliency and crisis
response. It is also the apex body to lay down policies, plans and guidelines for
Disaster Management to ensure a timely and effective response to disasters.
National Disaster Management Authority Vision
“To build a safer and disaster resilient India by a holistic, pro-active,
technology-driven and sustainable development strategy that involves all
stakeholders and fosters a culture of prevention, preparedness and mitigation.”

Functions of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was established to
follow the functions mentioned below:
Implementing policies related to Disaster Management.
Approving various plans like:
National Plans
Plans by different Ministries & Departments of the Indian Government
Other plans related to the National Plan.
Laying down guidelines for State Government Authorities in accordance with
the State Plan.
Laying down guidelines for different Government Authorities in order to
integrate the preventive measures for the Disaster or attenuation of its effect in
their development plans & projects.
Coordinating with the workforce and implementing the policies/plans
necessary.
Recommending the provision of funds necessary for mitigation.
Depending on the Central Government, providing aid and support to the
countries in need.
Laying down guidelines and broad policies for the functioning of the NIDM
(National Institute of Disaster Management).
Organisational Structure
The Prime Minister is the ex-officio chairperson of the NDMA.
The Cabinet Minister is the Vice-Chairman.
The NDMA Secretariat, headed by a Secretary, is responsible for providing
secretarial support and continuity. Along with this, NDMA has 8 Ministers of
State as its Members.
What are the stages of disaster management?
Disaster Management can be categorised into the following stages:
Prevention
Mitigation
Preparedness
Response
Recovery
Reconstruction

STATE DISASTER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (SDMA)

In pursuance of sub-section (1) and (2) of section 14 of the Disaster
Management Act, 2005 (Central Act 53 of 2005), the Government of Odisha
has established the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) for the State
of Odisha vide Revenue & Disaster Management Department Notification
No.42370/ R&DM dated 20th October 2010.

The Chief Minister of the State is the chairperson of the SDMA. As per rule 3
of the Odisha State Disaster Management Rules, 2010, the Minister, Revenue &
Disaster Management is the Vice-Chairperson of the said authority. Other seven
members are nominated by the chairperson. As per section 14 (4) of the Act, the
Chief Secretary (Chairperson of the State Executive Committee) is the Chief
Executive Officer of the SDMA.

The SDMA, Odisha has been reconstituted by the Government in Revenue &
Disaster Management Department (Special Relief) Notification No.1613/
R&DM(SR) dated 31st August 2013. As per the said notification, the SDMA,
Odisha is comprised of the following members, namely: -
1 Chief Minister - Chairperson ex-officio
2 Minister, Revenue & Disaster Management - Member-cum-Vice
Chairman
3 Minister, Agriculture - Member
4 Minister, Finance - Member
5 Chief Secretary - Member-cum- ex-officio Chief Executive Officer
6 Development Commissioner/ Additional Development Commissioner -
Member
7 Secretary, Home Department - Member
8 Secretary, Department of Water Resources- Member
9 Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management - Member
10 Special Relief Commissioner- Member
The Special Relief Commissioner has been declared as the Additional Chief
Executive Officer of the SDMA, Odisha vide Revenue & Disaster Management
Department Order No.51763/RDM dated 16th December 2010.
MISSION & VISION
Mission
The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) is working with
different stakeholders for sustainable development practice that will reduce
disaster risk and increase the wellbeing and safety of the people.

Vision
To build Odisha Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation
capabilities with our partners and coordinate response and recovery operations
in order to protect the people, environment and economy and ensure a disaster
resilient Odisha.

Functions and responsibilities

As the apex body, the authority is mandated to carry out and plan for disaster
management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters. To achieve
this, it has the following responsibilities:

It carries out disaster mitigation activities such as mock drills and evacuation in
vulnerable areas.
Carry out reconstruction activities while coordinating other departments.
Work with aid agencies, United Nations agencies, international, national and
state-level non-governmental organizations for disaster management activities.
Work with other state and national level relevant organizations for disaster
management.
Prepare and issue guidelines for disaster management for local administrations
and other organisations.
It also carries out pre-emptive disaster mitigation activities such as construction
of cyclone shelters, early warning systems and preparedness drills
In addition to the major natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and Earthquakes,
the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority is also the primary
organisation for capacity improvement to face events such as Lightning, heat
wave, whirlwind, tornado, heavy rain, drowning, boat accident and snake bite.
District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)
Section 25 of the Disaster Management Act mandates the formation of a
DDMA for each district within a state.
The DDMA will also ensure that all State Government Departments at the
District level, as well as municipal governments in the district, follow the
NDMA and SDMA recommendations for prevention, mitigation, preparedness,
and response actions.
Except in tribal areas, where the Chief Executive Member of the District
Council of Autonomous District is designated as Co-Chairperson, the Authority
is chaired by the District Magistrate/District Collector/Deputy Commissioner,
with an elected representative of the local authority as Co-Chairperson.
Provision
The DDMA will serve as the planning, coordinating, and implementing body
for DM at the district level, taking all required actions for DM in compliance
with the NDMA and SDMA recommendations.
Furthermore, where a Zila Parishad exists in a district, the Chairperson of the
Zila Parishad must be the Co-Chairperson of the DDMA.
The District Authority also has the authority to inspect construction in any
section of the district in order to enforce safety standards, coordinate relief
efforts, and respond to disasters on a district-wide basis.
Significance
The DDMA will also ensure that disaster-prone areas in the district are
identified, and that disaster prevention and mitigation measures are
implemented.
As well as that all departments follow the National Authority and State
Authority's guidelines for disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and
response measures.
The DDMA will also coordinate response to any threatening disaster situation
or disaster, coordinate with, and provide necessary technical assistance or
advice to local authorities in the district in order to carry out their functions.
To examine construction in any area of the district, and issue directions to the
concerned authority to take such action as may be necessary to ensure
compliance with such standards as may be requisitioned.
The DDMA will encourage non-governmental organizations and voluntary
social-welfare institutions working at the grassroots level in the district to
participate in disaster management by ensuring that communication systems are
in place and that disaster management drills are conducted on a regular basis.
Departments of the government at the district level for the purpose of
integrating disaster prevention and mitigation measures into their development
plans and projects and monitoring their implementation.
Review the state of capabilities and preparedness level for responding to any
disaster or threatening disaster situation at the district level and take steps to
upgrade them as necessary, and organize disaster relief efforts.
What is the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)?
After a series of natural calamities including, the Orissa Super Cyclone (1999),
Gujarat Earthquake (2001) and Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004), among many
others, the concerned authorities took necessary steps towards designing a
systematic disaster management plan. This led to the enactment of the Disaster
Management Act on December 26, 2005.
The Disaster Management Act has statutory provisions for the constitution of
the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for the purpose of specialized
response to natural and man-made disasters. The practice of “proactive
availability” of this Force to the States and that of “pre-positioning”, in a
threatening disaster situation have immensely helped minimise damage, caused
due to natural calamities in the country.

The constitution of Role of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and

its structure:

Personnel:
The NDRF was raised in 2006, initially with eight battalions, and now has 12
spreads across the country.
Each battalion, which has a sanctioned strength of 1,150 rescuers, caters to
particular states as their areas of responsibility.
In case required, teams from other battalions are also moved for emergency
response.
The NDRF gets personnel and officers on deputation from the Central Armed
Police Force (CAPF) for a period of seven years. After serving their tenure,
personnel go back to their force.
Training
After personnel and officers are deputed to the NDRF, they undergo a first
responder course for five months.
Later on, sections of personnel get advanced specialized training in
Deep diving,
Special search and rescue,
Collapsed structure search and rescue,
Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear emergencies, and also
Psycho-social intervention.
Some of the personnel further undergo specialized training with national and
international institutions including those on chemical and biological warfare
situations.
Structure:
Battalions are divided into rescue teams which are self-contained emergency
response units.
These units contain specialist search and rescue groups, engineering, technical,
electrical experts along with dog squads, and paramedics.
Regulation:
NDRF functions under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and
is headed by a Director-General.
Diverse role of NDRF:

The strategies of preemptive availability and pre-positioning of teams

anticipating emergency situations, facilitated by the nationwide presence of its
battalions, has made sure that damages are contained.
The NDRF is equipped and trained to handle a range of difficulties, from
borewell accidents to chemical, biological and radioactive emergencies.
NDRF has conducted relief, rescue, evacuation operations during all the major
natural or man-made disasters in the country, including floods, cyclones,
earthquakes, landslides, structure collapses, and even some cases of retrieval or
radiological materials.
NDRF teams have also responded to road and train accidents, and also boat
capsizes.

What is a Disaster?
A disaster is defined as a disruption on a massive scale, either natural or man-
made, occurring in short or long periods. Disasters can lead to human, material,
economic or environmental hardships, which can be beyond the bearable
capacity of the affected society. As per statistics, India as a whole is vulnerable
to 30 different types of disasters that will affect the economic, social, and
human development potential to such an extent that it will have long-term
effects on productivity and macro-economic performance.
The various disaster-prone zones in India can be inferred from the map below:
Disasters can be classified into the following categories:

 Water and Climate Disaster: Flood, hail storms, cloudburst, cyclones,

heat waves, cold waves, droughts, hurricanes.
 Geological Disaster: Landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
tornadoes
 Biological Disaster: Viral epidemics, pest attacks, cattle epidemic, and
locust plagues
 Industrial Disaster: Chemical and industrial accidents, mine shaft fires,
oil spills,
 Nuclear Disasters: Nuclear core meltdowns, radiation poisoning
 Man-made disasters: Urban and forest fires, oil spill, the collapse of
huge building structures

What is Disaster Management?

The Disaster Management Act of 2005 defines Disaster Management as an
integrated process of planning, organizing, coordinating and implementing
measures which are necessary for-

1. Prevention of threat of any disaster

2. Reduction of risk of any disaster or its consequences
3. Readiness to deal with any disaster
4. Promptness in dealing with a disaster
5. Assessing the severity of the effects of any disaster
6. Rescue and relief
7. Rehabilitation and Reconstruction

Agencies involved in Disaster Management

 National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): - The National

Disaster Management Authority, or the NDMA, is an apex body for
disaster management, headed by the Prime Minister of India. It is
responsible for the supervision, direction, and control of the National
Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
 National Executive Committee (NEC): - The NEC is composed of
high-profile ministerial members from the government of India that
include the Union Home Secretary as Chairperson, and the Secretaries to
the Government of India (GoI)like Ministries/Departments of
Agriculture, Atomic Energy, Defence, Drinking Water Supply,
Environment and Forests, etc. The NEC prepares the National Plan for
Disaster Management as per the National Policy on Disaster
Management.
  State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA): - The Chief Minister
of the respective state is the head of the SDMA.The State Government
has a State Executive Committee (SEC) which assists the State Disaster
Management Authority (SDMA) on Disaster Management.
 District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA): - The DDMA is
headed by the District Collector, Deputy Commissioner or District
Magistrate depending on the situation, with the elected representatives of
the local authority as the Co-Chairperson. The DDMA ensures that the
guidelines framed by the NDMA and the SDMA are followed by all the
departments of the State Government at the District level and the local
authorities in the district.
 Local Authorities: - Local authorities would include Panchayati Raj
Institutions (PRI), Municipalities, District and Cantonment 11
Institutional and Legal Arrangements Boards, and Town Planning
Authorities which control and manage civic services.

What is the disaster management cycle?

The disaster management cycle is a series of steps that organizations and
individuals use to prepare, contain and mitigate unexpected events. These can
include natural disasters, unexpected damage to property or events that
otherwise endanger the lives of others. The disaster management cycle helps
everyone lessen the impact of unexpected events and recover as many resources
as possible after the initial crisis subsides. A disaster management cycle also
helps those who experience disasters, helping them rebuild, regroup and
recover.
What are the goals of the disaster management cycle?
The disaster management cycle has a few primary goals, some of which
include:
Reduce loss
The first primary goal of the disaster management cycle is to reduce or stop the
immediate loss from the disaster itself. In a flood, this may mean blocking
roads, evacuating citizens or recovering precious items from the flood site.
Reducing loss takes immediate priority in the disaster management cycle
because the initial reaction to a disaster can affect the outcome and aftermath of
the event.
Mitigating loss can also involve helping those who may sustain injuries or are in
danger from the current crisis. Instilling safety and recovery methods as soon as
possible during an event can help improve the rest of the objectives.
Ensure assistance
A goal of disaster management is to help those who need assistance. This can
involve evacuation from a dangerous location or treatment of injuries. Ensuring
assistance can also involve contacting medical personnel who can help.
Securing an area of safety during a crisis can help everyone gather and provide
assistance to those in need. Depending on the event, assistance may require
different levels of expertise to be effective. For example, while anyone can
search for survivors after a hurricane, not everyone can fight a wildfire.
Encourage recovery
The final goal of the disaster management cycle is to encourage recovery from
both property and individuals involved. This can mean rebuilding or allowing
others to recover with medical attention and a safe space. Recovery can also
involve other matters, such as an area's local economy, infrastructure,
population and ecosystem. Depending on what kind of crisis affects an area,
different recovery methods may be necessary for life to return to normal for
everyone involved.

What are the steps of the disaster management cycle?

There are many steps in the disaster management cycle, including:

1. Prevention
One part of addressing a disaster is by being proactive. Prevention involves
identifying potential hazards and creating solutions that can help minimize the
impact. While this part of the cycle involves preparation before the crisis event
begins, putting in place permanent measures that can minimize hazard risk can
help with every goal of disaster management. It can also be important to
remember that not every disaster can be wholly preventable.
Prevention scenarios may involve an evacuation plan for a large population,
such as a school, apartment complex or city. Other prevention methods involve
more long-term plans, such as building structures within and around a city, to
prevent flooding. Preparedness and mitigation involve lessening the likelihood
that you will lose human lives in a disaster. Both structural and non-structural
measures can help improve preparation. For example, building codes that adopt
improved safety measures, such as fire escapes, can help ensure the structural
soundness of an area during a crisis.

Preparedness
Preparedness is when both individuals and groups within an area plan and train
for what they do in response to a disaster event. Developing preparedness in an
individual, group or community is a process that develops and improves over
time. It's defined by ongoing training, both to teach others new concepts and to
review actions with experts. Those who understand appropriate response actions
help evaluate and correct student reactions, helping teach, demonstrate and
ensure high levels of readiness.
Preparedness coaching involves fire drills, active shooter drills and evacuation
procedures. These drills may take place in locations where people gather, such
as malls, schools, churches, city squares, apartment complexes, hotels and
cruise ships.
Response
The response phase is the immediate reaction from everyone after a disaster
occurs. It involves both long- and short-term responses, both of which can
heavily impact the overall outcome and aftermath of the event. In an ideal
situation, a disaster management leader helps coordinate the resource use
throughout the response operation to help ensure the maintenance of personal
and environmental safety in an area. These resources include medical and safety
personnel, equipment and supplies. Disaster management leaders also work
toward keeping order during times of crisis, helping mitigate property damage
from theft or crime during the crisis period.
Recovery
Recovery is the last phase of the disaster management cycle. It involves the
recovery and recuperation of the people and property that experienced the
disaster. This can include individual therapy and group sessions with those who
shared the incident experience. Recovery can also include physical recovery,
both from immediate injuries that were sustained during the crisis and those that
require longer treatments, such as physical therapy.
Other recovery items depend on the disaster that the area has experienced. For
example, if a natural crisis affects a city, recovery can involve rebuilding homes
and restoring the local economy.

BASIC SURVIVAL SKILLS THAT ARE REQUIRED IN TIMES OF

NATURAL DISASTERS FOR ONE OR A
GROUP OF PEOPLE.
1. Learn to Grow Food or Find It
The most crucial factor to survival is your ability to remain energized by having
a constant supply of food. Food can be done easily by having a storage of dry
foods which if rationed well, can last throughout the time of a natural disaster.
In cases where the effect of a natural disaster results in the destruction of
properties, survival knowledge on how to survival outdoors is required. It is
important to learn how to grow food. This includes understanding what crop to
grow based on the soil of the area. It also requires learning about wild plants
and insects. It is necessary to know what native plant or insect are harmful for
consumption and which ones are not. It is also important to
have core competencies of improvisation. Improvisation skill is necessary so
that simple hunting equipment can be made to help hunt for small animals and
also aid in fishing.
Learning how to make makeshift traps and snares can be a useful skill set in
outdoor survival.
2. Clean Water: Find it or Make It
Water is paramount to the human body as such; it is impossible to go on for
long without water. The need for water makes it necessary to find ways to get
clean water to avoid contacting any form of water borne disease. You need to
find multiple sources of water is required where the source of water found is not
a spring. It is required because one source of water might dry up or get
contaminated. You need to learn and know how to get clean water out of all
types of water so water can be made fit for consumption. Reading and learning
from trusted materials about how water can be obtained and purified can help
you.
3. Learn to Repair or Make Clothes
If a natural disaster occurs with no warning, you may not be able to retrieve
your bug out bag Skills related to mending clothes or making new ones
becomes imperative. Based on this fact, learning how to mend torn clothes or
making makeshift clothes from leathers or other relevant materials can be
useful. It will help you and all your loved ones last longer while trying to
survive outdoors because clothes protect you.
4. Grooming
It is imperative to note the fact that your health deteriorates when you are trying
to survive outdoors. To this end, basic level of hygiene must be understood, and
a level of cleanliness must be maintained. It is dangerous if proper basic
hygiene is not considered when surviving outdoors becomes inevitable.

5. First Aid
When a natural disaster occurs, it is expected that people will sustain different
degrees of injuries that might require medical attention. A good knowledge of
first aid can assist immensely in saving lives Learn skills that can emanate from
a huge loss of blood by helping in reducing the flow of blood from any injured
part of the body. A First aid kit must be made available before and during the
occurrence of a natural disaster.
6. Fire and Warmth
The ability to make fire anytime it is required is one of the skills you should
learn. This skill set is typically regarded as one of the essential skills required
for survival in both indoor and outdoor scenarios. More important is the need
to learn to make a fire in any environment at any time of the day. Fire can be
utilized to cook the food you grow or animals you hunt down. It can also
be used to heat up stored food and keep you warm when the weather is cold.
Fire is also an important element applied and learning how to make fire without
a match is essential.
7. Self-defence and Defensive Instincts
Possession of a firearm and having knowledge of how to use it practically can
help to ensure safety and protection of lives and properties while trying to
survive. It is a known fact that humans tend to behave irrationally when they
panic. This irrational behaviour might lead to attack from people who might
attempt to rob you off your supplies. The use of a firearm can also be a form of
defence against wild animal attack. Part of self-defence also means the ability to
understand basic ways of disarming someone who intends to attack you with a
weapon.
8. The Open Mind Concept
In other to react actively to effects of natural disasters, it is critical to keep an
open mind on how devastating the consequences of the disaster might be. It
helps to move you away from a state of shock to a state where your survival
instincts kick in.
9. Natural Disaster Knowledge
An informed mind becomes a transformed mind. Obtaining knowledge about
natural disasters and how it affects the world is encouraged. The knowledge can
help to make informed decisions that are critical to survival. For instance, the
best place to hide from a hurricane might be a bunker. There are also some
human-made factors that can help to tame the effect of some natural disasters.
Arm yourself and your family members with knowledge.
10. Cultivate a Sharp Mind
The need to be on the alert when a natural disaster occurs is always crucial. The
first thing is to look for materials that can be useful to survival. Locations,
where further exposure to danger can be easily averted must also be identified
as quickly as possible.