Disaster Management (DM) is defined as the organization, planning and application of measures preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters.
- Disaster Management Act, 2005 (with 2025 amendment) provides for the institutional mechanisms for drawing up and monitoring the implementation of the disaster management plans.
Issues and recommendations highlighted in report
| Subject Area | Identified Gaps & Key Issues | Recommendations |
National Policy on Disaster Management, 2009 | Since 2009, Disaster landscape has changed substantially with climate change, urbanization, new technological forecasting capabilities | Initiate formal review of the Policy to reflect post-2009 developments, including study of climate change impacts, urbanisation risks, role of AI and geospatial technology etc. |
National Disaster Management Plan | First issued in 2016 and revised in 2019, it predates the DM Amendment Act, 2025; operationalisation of National Disaster Mitigation Fund, advances in AI-assisted forecasting etc. | Expedite revision of the NDMP so that the operational plan reflects the current legal, institutional, financial and technological environment. |
Fire Services Legislation | Only 10 States have adopted the revised Model Bill on Maintenance of Fire and Emergency Services (circulated in 2019) despite severe urban fire risks. | MHA must proactively persuade and support remaining States/UTs to adopt or align with the Model Bill within a defined timeframe. |
Urban DM Authorities (UDMA) | Despite legislative provisions under the DM Amendment Act 2025, only one State (Karnataka) has constituted a specialized UDMA for its cities. | MHA should issue advisories to all State Governments to constitute UDMAs for state capitals and municipal corporation cities. |
Hazard Mapping & Town Planning | Significant gaps persist in the completion, standardization, and enforceability. | Mandatorily integrate seismic microzonation and landslide susceptibility maps into town planning regulations; mandatory Disaster Risk Impact Assessment (DRIA) for major infrastructure and urban development projects. |
Disaster Financing | Disaster-related expenditure remains largely relief-centric than mitigation-focused. | Establish dedicated monitoring to track mitigation fund outcomes; strengthening risk financing mechanisms. |
Community & Local Governance | Grassroots capacities not fully integrated, Village Disaster Management Plans (VDMPs) lack regularity. | Expand community-level schemes (Aapda Mitra) with adequate training and equipment; systematically integrate VDMPs into district plans. |
