ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMISSION’S 3rd REPORT TITLED ‘CRISIS

MANAGEMENT: FROM DESPAIR TO HOPE’

Details of the Government’s Decisions on the recommendations of the

Administrative Reforms Commission

Sl. Recommendations made by Administrative Government’s Decision

No. Reforms Commission
1. Constitutional provision - Is there need for
a separate entry (Para 4.1.5)

1 (a) A new entry, “Management of Disasters and (a) The recommendation is not accepted
Emergencies, natural or manmade”, may be as the existing dispensation in the
included in List III (Concurrent List) of the Constitution of India adequately meets
Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. (1) the objectives contained in the
recommendation.
2. Analysis of the Disaster Management Act,
2005: (Para 4.2.3.5)

The Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Central

Act) needs to be amended to bring in the
following features:

2 (a) Disaster/ Crisis Management should (a) The recommendation is accepted.

continue to be the primary responsibility of the
State Governments and the Union Government
should play a supportive role. (2)

3 (b) The Act should provide categorization of (b) The recommendation is not accepted.
disasters (say, local, district, state or national For flexibility, it could be in the guidelines
level). This categorization along with intensity of and not in the Act, and that categorization
each type of disaster will help in determining the is possible only after the event.
level of authority primarily responsible for
dealing with the disaster as well as the scale of
response - detailed guidelines may be stipulated
by the NDMA on this subject.(3)

4 (c) The functions of the National Disaster (c) The recommendation is partially
Management Authority should be: to accepted. As per Section 6 of Disaster
recommend policies, to lay down guidelines for Management Act, 2005, NDMA has
preparation of different disaster management already been vested inter-alia with the
plans and standard operating procedures; to responsibilities of laying down policies on

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No. Reforms Commission
promote and organize vulnerability studies, disaster management and guidelines to
research and evaluation; to advise on be followed by the State Authorities in
parameters of categorization and on declaration drawing up the State Plan which included
of national and state disasters; to develop various subcomponents as mentioned in
expertise and knowledge in the field of recommendations of ARC. However,
crisis/disaster management and disseminate to the deployment of specialized manpower,
the field, to develop and organize training and machinery and advising on the use and
capacity building programmes, to coordinate the constitution of disaster management
early warning system and deploy specialized funds should be with Central and State
manpower and machinery in support of Governments, as at present.
local/state governments, where required; to Responsibility for general
advise on the constitution and use of the superintendence of the National Disaster
Disaster Management Funds; and to give Response Force should rest with the
recommendations on all matters relating to Central Government, which is responsible
crisis/disaster management to the for the paramilitary forces from which
government.(4) NDRF battalions were drawn.

5 (d) The task of implementation of (d) The recommendation is accepted.

mitigation/prevention and response measures
may be left to the State Governments and the
district and local authorities with the line
ministries departments of Government of India,
playing a supportive role.(5)

6 (e) The law should cast a duty on every public (e) The recommendation is not accepted.
functionary, to promptly inform the concerned There is no need to amend the DM Act
authority about any crisis, if he/she feels that since the existing provisions adequately
such authority does not have such meet the objectives sought to be fulfilled
information.(6) by the recommendation.

7 (f) The law should create a uniform structure at (f) The recommendation is partially
the apex level to handle all accepted. NDMA provides for Prime
crises. Such a structure may be headed by the Minister and Chief Ministers to head
Prime Minister at the national level and the Central and State structures
Chief Minister at the state level. At the respectively. Natural disasters could be
administrative level, the structure is operationally handled by
appropriately headed by the Cabinet Secretary the NEC under GoI’s supervision.
and the Chief Secretary respectively.(7) Other serious crises could be handled
by existing arrangement of NCMC and
CMGs. No amendment is required to
the Act.

8 (g) The law should make provisions for stringent (g) The recommendation is accepted.

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No. Reforms Commission
punishment for misutilization of funds meant for
crisis/disaster management.(8)

9 (h) The role of the local governments should be (h) The recommendation is accepted.
brought to the forefront for crisis/disaster
management.(9)

10 (i) The NEC as stipulated under the Disaster (i) The recommendation is not
Management Act need not be constituted, and accepted since the NEC has already
the NCMC should continue to be the apex been constituted on 27.9.06. In addition
coordination body. At the state level, the to coordinating response measures, NEC
existing coordination mechanism under the also implements NDMA guidelines.
Chief Secretary should continue (refer para Serious crises other than natural
4.3.3).(10) calamities would continue to be managed
by the NCMC.

11 (j) Since all sections of the Act have not been (j) The recommendation is accepted.
notified, it is suggested that the above
amendments be carried out without further
delay. Meanwhile, except for those sections for
which amendments are suggested, the others
can be notified straightway so that the law can
be brought into effect.(11)
3. Coordination at the Apex Operational
Level: (Para 4.3.3.3)

12 (a) There is no need for a separate ministry/ (a) The recommendation is accepted.
department of disaster management at the
national or the state level.(12)

13 (b) The NEC as stipulated under the Disaster (b) The recommendation is not accepted
Management Act, 2005 need not be constituted, since the NEC has already been
and the NCMC can continue to be the apex constituted on 27.9.06.
coordination body. At the state level, the
existing coordination mechanism under the
Chief Secretary may continue. (13)

14 (c) Notwithstanding the establishment of NDRF, (c) The recommendation is accepted.

the role of the Armed Forces, particularly the NDRF is a specialized force and army
Army, in coming to the aid of victims of disasters would give support during disasters.
should be retained and the special capabilities
acquired by the Armed Forces in search and
rescue and on-the spot medical attention need
to be maintained. (14)

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4. Role of Local Self-Governments: (Para
4.3.4.2)

15 (a) State Governments may examine the need (a) The recommendation is accepted.
to incorporate provisions in the state disaster The Central Act specifies it already.
management law and also the state laws
governing local bodies to provide for a well
defined role to the municipal bodies and
panchayat raj institutions.(15)
5. Crisis Management Set Up for
Metropolitan Cities: (Para 4.3.5.2)

16 (a) In larger cities (say, with population (a) The recommendation is accepted.
exceeding 2.5 million), the Mayor, assisted by
the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation
and the Police Commissioner should be directly
responsible for Crisis Management.(16)
6. Creation of Legal and Institutional
Framework for Managing Floods in Inter-
State Rivers: (Para 4.3.8.2)

17 (a) Using powers under Entry 56 in the Union (a) The recommendation is not accepted.
List, a Law may be enacted to set up There is a law proposed on dam safety
mechanisms for collection of data, managing and protocols for release of water from
flow in rivers and release of water from reservoirs. The proposed National
reservoirs, so as to prevent disasters, with Flood Management Commission being
interstate ramifications.(17) set up in the Ministry of Water Resources
would also look into these aspects.
Hence no law is needed.
7. Empowering the Relief
Commissioners/Disaster Management
Departments to Effectively Discharge
Disaster Related Responsibilities: (Para
4.3.9.2)

18 (a) The State Disaster Management (a) The recommendation is accepted.

organisations need to be strengthened for A framework broadly conforming to the
dealing with crises. This could be achieved in recommendations has already been
the following manner: incorporated in the DM Act, 2005 and the
SOPs drawn up and circulated to all
(i) A framework should be in readiness to be put States/UTs/ Central Ministries/
in place immediately during crisis or on Departments address the requirements
fulfillment of some pre-arranged scenarios – the contained in the recommendation.
‘trigger mechanism’ needs to be well defined to

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No. Reforms Commission
ensure that the ‘framework’ is put in active
operation instantaneously.

(ii) The ‘framework’ may consist of officers

(designated by name) drawn from Revenue,
Police, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Public
Health Engineering, Water Resources, Women
& Child Development, Welfare, Public Works,
Highways, Irrigation, Health, and Treasury &
Accounts Departments. The designated officers
must undergo a week’s orientation every year,
though they may continue to discharge their
normal departmental responsibilities except
when seconded to the nodal point in the manner
suggested above.

(iii) The designated officers will work as a

cohesive integrated team under one roof on
whole-time basis during crisis situations, under
the leadership of the nodal officer and be
responsible entirely for the functioning of their
department insofar as it relates to
drought/disaster management.

(iv) The role and responsibility of each

department needs to be specifically identified
and defined on the lines the Ministry of
Agriculture has specified the responsibilities of
various Union Government agencies during
severe droughts.

(v) The designated departmental officer should

be delegated powers and responsibilities
defined in advance and will deal with other
departmental functionaries directly.(18)

8. Institutional Support from Science and

Technology Institutions to Disaster
Management: (Para 4.3.10.3)

19 (a) The National Disaster Management (a) The recommendation is accepted.

Authority, assisted by NIDM, may facilitate a
common platform between the Science and

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No. Reforms Commission
Technology organizations and the users of the
technologies. Such a mechanism may be
operationalised both at the Union and State
levels.(19)
9. Strengthening of National Institute of
Disaster Management (NIDM): (Para 4.3.11.2)

20 (a) NIDM may continue as an autonomous body (a) The recommendation is accepted.
and function as an apex professional institution
in disaster management. In addition to research
and studies, the institution needs to engage
itself in documenting and disseminating global
and national best practices and in developing
planning, training and evaluation
methodologies.(20)
10. Professionalization of Disaster
Management: (Para 4.3.12.3)

21 (a) ‘Disaster Management’ as a body of (a) The recommendation is accepted.

knowledge should be introduced as a subject in
Management and Public Administration. The
University Grants Commission may initiate the
process to see how best this can be
implemented in selected Universities.(21)

22 (b) The possibility of bilateral agreements with (b) The recommendation is accepted.
foreign governments and international
institutions dealing with different aspects of
disaster management, for exchange of
experiences and learning from their
documentation and research efforts may be
explored.(22)
11. Enunciating a Policy Towards Crisis
Management Which Emphasizes Risk
Reduction: (Para 5.2.3)

23 There is need to have a National Policy on

Disaster Management. The policy must address
all issues not included in legislations and may,
in particular include the following:

(a) Disaster Management to be (a) to (i): The recommendations are

professionalized. accepted.
(b) Risk management to be brought to the

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No. Reforms Commission
centre stage in all disaster mitigation plans.

(c) All efforts for disaster management to be

based on hazard and vulnerability analysis.

(d) Communities and local governments to be

made aware of the hazards and the
vulnerabilities.

(e) Communities and local governments to be

involved in formulating disaster management
plans.

(f) The primary responsibility for disaster

management to be that of the State
Government, with the Union Government
playing a supportive role.

(g) Effective implementation of land use laws,

building byelaws, safety laws and environmental
laws.

(h) Setting up a framework to coordinate the

responses from different sections like donors,
voluntary organisations, corporate bodies etc.

(i) Special needs of women, children, elderly

and physically challenged persons to be
addressed.(23)
12. Assessment of Risk - Hazard and
Vulnerability Analysis: (Para 5.3.8)

24 (a) Hazard and vulnerability analyses should be (a) The recommendation is accepted.
made an essential component of all
crisis/disaster mitigation plans.(24)

25 (b) Priority should be given to seismic micro- (b) The recommendation is accepted.
zonation of vulnerable major cities, hazard
prone areas, and urban agglomerations in a
scale of 1:1000 in Zones V and IV, with topmost
priority being given to cities with population of
more than one million.(25)

26 (c) Geographical Information System tools (c) The recommendation is accepted.

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No. Reforms Commission
should be used to integrate spatial data such as
topography, hydrology, land use, land cover,
settlement pattern and built structure as well as
non-spatial data such as demography,
socioeconomic conditions and infrastructure in a
common platform. This should be integrated
with satellite and aerospace data as well as
data from Geographical Positioning Systems for
real time monitoring of crisis situations and for
scientific assessment of damages.(26)

27 (d) Scientific, technological and research (d) The recommendation is accepted.

organizations such as NRSA, ISRO, NIC, GSI
and NIDM should be brought on a common
platform by NDMA for developing a sound
information base for crisis management. This
exercise should generate base hazard maps for
district and sub-district levels and should be
completed by the end of Eleventh Plan. Till such
time the GIS based hazard maps are prepared,
the conventional maps have to be used. These
maps should form the basis for hazard
analysis.(27)

28 (e) A detailed vulnerability analysis should be (e) The recommendation is accepted

carried out in all hazard prone areas. Such an
analysis would prioritize the areas in order of
vulnerability; it should also highlight the
vulnerability of different sections of society and
infrastructure. (28)
13. Generating Awareness about Risk: (Para
5.4.4)

29 (a) Awareness generation programmes should (a) The recommendation is accepted.

be undertaken using tools of social
marketing.(29)

30 (b) A responsible media, which is also well (b) & (c): The recommendations are
informed about all aspects of disaster, is a very accepted.
powerful tool for sensitizing people. Proactive
disclosures about all aspects of disaster
management would build a healthy relationship
between the media and disaster management
agencies.(30)

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31 (c) Details of past accidents and disasters and
the lessons learnt, should be documented and
kept in the public domain. The Disaster
Management Authorities have to take up this
task.(31)
14. Preparation of Disaster Management
Plans: (Para 5.5.9)

32 (a) Crisis/disaster management plans as (a) to (d): The recommendations are

stipulated under the Disaster Management Act, accepted.
2005 should be prepared, based on hazard and
vulnerability analysis. The off site emergency
plans, in case of industrial hazards, should be
integrated into the District Crisis/Disaster
Management Plan. The State Disaster
Management Authorities should set up a
mechanism in place to evaluate these plans
periodically, and ensure the effectiveness of the
plans.(32)

33 (b) The District Disaster Management Plan

needs to have two components:
i. Long Term Mitigation Plan.
ii. Emergency Response Plan.
The Long Term Mitigation Plan, in turn, should
have the following components:
i. Long Term Development Plan.
ii. Long Term Enforcement Plan.
Annual plans should be culled out of the Long
Term Development/ Enforcement Plans. State
Governments must evolve a mechanism for
speedily scrutinizing district level long term
plans to harmonize these with similar plans for
other districts, particularly those located
contiguously. (33)

34 (c) The quality of on-site and off-site emergency

plans in hazardous industrial units need to be
enhanced in terms of completeness and
practicability of implementation considering the
ground level situation. The State Disaster
Management Authorities should set up a
mechanism in place to evaluate these plans
periodically.(34)

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No. Reforms Commission
35 (d) The plan should be prepared in consultation
with all role players. Each role player should
understand and accept his/her roles. This would
require awareness campaigns, especially for the
community.(35)

36 (e) For ensuring quality of on-site and off-site (e) The recommendation is accepted.
emergency plans (for hazardous units), the
professional expertise available, both in
industry, and in enforcement agencies such as
the Factory Inspectorates should be
improved.(36)

37 (f) All crisis/disaster management plans should (f) & (g): The recommendations are
be tested periodically through mock drills.(37) accepted.

38 (g) It should be the responsibility of the state

level ‘nodal department’ to ensure that adequate
assistance is available at the district level for
drawing up and periodically updating the plans.
The nodal department must engage agencies
and experts on a continuing basis to examine
the plans and bring methodological and
substantive deficiencies to the notice of
agencies formulating the plans.(38)

39 (h) The same principles would apply to plan at (h) The recommendation is accepted.
other levels.(39)
15. Making Crisis/Disaster Management
Plans a Part of Development Plans: (Para
5.6.3)

40 (a) The activities in the disaster management (a) & (b): The recommendations are
plans should be included in the development accepted.
plans of the line agencies and the authorities
like panchayats and municipal bodies.(40)

41 (b) The supervisory level of each agency should

ensure that the annual plan of that agency
incorporates the activities listed out in the
disaster management plan on a priority basis.
(41)

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No. Reforms Commission
42 (c) Incorporation of disaster mitigation plans into (c) The recommendation is accepted.
the development plans should be specially
monitored at the five-year and annual plan
discussions at State and Union (Planning
Commission) levels. The Planning Commission,
State Planning Boards and Planning
Departments must revise on priority basis the
proforma for formulating plan proposals to
ensure that the process adequately takes into
account the disaster prevention concerns.(42)

16. Instruments for Mitigation of Hazards:

(Para 5.7.1.2)

43 (a) Environment management should be made (a) The recommendation is accepted.

an integral part of all development and disaster
management plans.(43)
17. Construction of Disaster Resistant
Structures: (Para 5.7.2.3.13)

44 (a) Structural prevention measures should be a (a) The recommendation is accepted.

part of long term disaster management plan for
an area.(44)

45 (b) Appropriate Zoning Regulations need to be (b) & (c): The recommendations are
extended to all areas. Phasing of the areas to accepted.
be covered should be done based on the
intensity of the hazard anticipated. This would
require strengthening of the Town and Country
Planning Departments of State Governments.
Local bodies can be given financial incentives
for preparation of Zoning Regulations. The
hazard zonation maps prepared should be one
of the inputs for preparation of Zoning
Regulations.(45)

46 (c) Building byelaws should incorporate the

disaster resistant features of buildings. Since
safety codes are complex and technical, it is
necessary to issue simplified guidelines which
could be understood by the citizens. Further,
these codes should be implemented in the most
hazard prone areas, on priority.(46)

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No. Reforms Commission
47 (d) The importance of disaster resistant (d) The recommendation is accepted.
constructions and simplified safety guidelines
should be widely disseminated so as to promote
compliance. In so far as the rural areas are
concerned, other methods of dissemination
including setting up of Building Technology
Demonstration Centres and undertaking
demonstrative disaster constructions in severe
hazard prone areas should be taken up.
Demonstration camps should also be used to
make the people aware of the concerns and the
solutions.(47)

48 (e) The existing system of enforcement of (e) The recommendation is accepted.

building regulations needs to be revised. It
should be professionalised by licensing
architects and structural engineers for
assessment of structures and certification of
safe buildings. The units of local bodies
dealing with enforcement of building byelaws
and zoning regulations also need to be
strengthened.(48)

49 (f) The standards prescribed by BIS for disaster (f) The recommendation is accepted.
resistant buildings should be available in the
public domain, free of cost. This should be
posted on websites of the concerned
government agencies to promote
compliance.(49)

50 (g) Among the existing buildings, government (g) The recommendation is accepted.
buildings used by the public should be
evaluated and retrofitted first, giving preference
to buildings housing essential services. It would
be advisable to fix a schedule for all such
buildings in hazard prone areas. Private
buildings used by the public should also be
tackled on priority. A mix of regulatory and
financial incentives could be used for this
purpose by the local bodies.(50)

51 (h) All these measures should become an (h) The recommendation is accepted.
integral part of long term disaster/crisis
management plans. (51)

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18. Effective Implementation of Laws and
Regulations: (Para 5.7.3.2)

52 (a) Effective enforcement of laws on (a) to (f): The recommendations are

encroachments, public health and safety, accepted.
industrial safety, fire hazards, safety at public
places should be ensured. The same applies to
Zoning Regulations and Building Byelaws.(52)

53 (b) Third party audit of all major alleged

violations needs to be introduced in the
respective regulation governing the activity.(53)

54 (c) All records pertaining to

permissions/licenses should be brought in the
public domain suo motu.(54)

55 (d) There should be periodic inspections of all

such places/facilities by a team of stakeholders
assisted by experts.(55)

56 (e) A scheme for enforcement of laws should be

part of the long term mitigation plan.(56)

57 (f) Public education on consequences of

violations is important.(57)
19. Early Warning Systems: (Para 5.8.3)

58 (a) Though it is the responsibility of the (a)The recommendation is accepted.

government machinery and the local bodies to
disseminate the warning, peoples’ participation
has to be enlisted. For this purpose, the role of
community leaders, NGOs and others should be
clearly defined in the emergency response plan
and they should be fully trained and prepared
for their respective roles.(58)

59 (b) Communications networks, with sufficient (b) The recommendation is accepted.

redundancies should be established between
the data collection point to the points where
hazard is likely to occur. The communication
channels from the point of alert generation to
the point of disaster should have enough

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No. Reforms Commission
redundancies so as to maintain line of
communication in the event of a disaster
striking. Care has to be taken to put in place
systems to disseminate warnings to all sections
of the people.(59)

60 (c) The early warning system should be (c) The recommendation is accepted.
evaluated after each disaster to carry out further
improvements. (60)
20. Building Community Resilience: (Para
5.9.2)

61 (a) Location specific training programmes for (a) The recommendation is accepted.
the community should be executed through the
panchayats. (61)

62 (b) Crisis management awareness needs to be (b) The recommendation is accepted.

mainstreamed in education. For the purpose, an
appropriate component of disaster awareness
should be introduced in school, college,
university, professional and vocational
education.(62)

63 (c) Disaster awareness should be included in (c) The recommendation is accepted.

training programmes for elected leaders, civil
servants, police personnel, and personnel in
critical sectors such as revenue, agriculture,
irrigation, health and public works.(63)

64 (d) Orientation and sensitization programmes (d) The recommendation is accepted.

highlighting issues and concerns in disaster
management should be taken up for legislators,
policy makers, and elected leaders of urban
local bodies and panchayati raj institutions.(64)

65 (e) NIDM and NDMA would have to play a vital (e) The recommendation is accepted.
role in working out the details of these
suggestions for implementation by different
authorities.(65)
21. Financial Tools for Risk-Reduction: (Para
5.10.4)

66 (a) Government and the insurance companies (a) The recommendation is accepted.
should play a more pro-active role in motivating

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citizens in vulnerable areas to take insurance
cover. This could be done through suitably
designed insurance policies, if required, with
part funding from government. NDMA could play
a major facilitating role in this area.(66)
22. Research and Use of Knowledge: (Para
5.11.4)

67 (a) NIDM should develop methodologies for (a) The recommendation is accepted .
effective dissemination of knowledge on
disaster management. (67)

68 (b) Disaster management plans should attempt (b) to (d): The recommendations are
to integrate traditional knowledge available with accepted.
the communities.(68)

69 (c) NIDM should coordinate with research

institutions and universities on the one hand and
field functionaries on the other and identify
areas where research is required.(69)

70 (d) It may be ensured that the IDRN network is

updated regularly.
(70)
23. Emergency Plan: (Para 6.1.6)

71 (a) Since the initial response in any (a) The recommendation is accepted.
crisis/disaster should be timely and speedy, the
Emergency Response Plans should be up-to-
date and should lay down the ‘trigger points’ in
unambiguous terms.(71)
72
(b) The district emergency response plan should (b) The recommendation is accepted.
be prepared in consultation with all concerned.
The plan should be known and accepted by all
the role players. (This should be apart of the
District Disaster management Plan).(72)

73 (c) Standard operating procedures should be (c) The recommendation is accepted.

developed for each disaster at the district and
community level, keeping in mind the disaster
vulnerability of the area. Disaster management
plans at all levels should have handbooks,
checklists, manuals with precise instructions for

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No. Reforms Commission
disaster management personnel, search and
rescue teams, and Emergency Operations
Centres.(73)

74 (d) Unity of command should be the underlying (d) The recommendation is accepted.
principle for effective rescue operations. For
example, in a district, all agencies of Union and
State Government have to work under the
leadership of the Collector. Such unity of
command principle should pervade at all field
levels.(74)

75 (e) The plan should be validated annually (e) The recommendation is accepted.
through mock drills and should be backed up by
capability building efforts.(75)

76 (f) Any plan would have its limitations as each (f) The recommendation is accepted.
crisis situation would vary from another. Plans
are, therefore, no substitute for sound
judgement at the time of crisis.(76)

77 (g) Handling of crisis should be made a (g) The recommendation is accepted.

parameter for evaluating the performance of
officers.(77)

78 (h) These principles apply to plans at other (h) The recommendation is accepted.
levels and also in case of metropolitan
cities.(78)
24. Coordinating Relief: (Para 6.2.6)

79 (a) Effective coordination is essential at the (a) to (g) The recommendations are
district and sub-district levels for rescue/relief accepted.
operations and to ensure proper receipt and
provision of relief. During rescue and relief
operations, unity of command should be
ensured with the Collector in total
command.(79)

80 (b) In order to avoid mismatch between demand

and supply, the demand should be assessed
immediately and communicated to all concerned
including through the media, so that the relief
provisions are provided as per
requirements.(80)

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81 (c) Ensuring safe drinking water and sanitized
living conditions should receive as much a
priority as other basic means of livelihood.(81)

82 (d) All procurement and distribution of relief

materials should be done in a transparent
manner.(82)

83 (e) Monitoring and vigilance committees should

be set up involving the stakeholders. These
committees could also look into grievances.(83)

84 (f) Trauma care and counselling should be

made an integral part of the relief
operations.(84)

85 (g) There is urgent need to evolve objective

methods of assessing the damage so that there
are no allegations of bias, distortions,
exaggeration or arbitrary scaling down. Satellite
imagery could be used as a tool to validate the
reported damages. NDMA should be requested
to draw up the necessary detailed guidelines for
assessment, to be followed by all
authorities.(85)
25. Civil Defence: (Para 6.3.1.13)

86 (a) The Civil Defence Act should be amended (a) The recommendation is accepted.
as proposed so as to cover all types of
disasters.(86)

87 (b) Civil Defence should be constituted in all (b) & (c) The recommendations are
districts which are vulnerable not only to hostile accepted.
attacks but also to natural calamities. The goal
of community participation should be pursued
primarily through the instrumentality of Civil
Defence especially in urban areas.(87)

88 (c) The objective should be to include 1% of the

population within the fold of Civil Defence within
five years. Efforts should be made to enlist
paramedics as Civil Defence volunteers.(88)

89 (d) Budgetary allocations relating to Central (d) The recommendation is accepted.

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Financial Assistance for Civil Defence should be
increased substantially.(89)

90 (e) Civil Defence set-ups at all levels should be (e) & (f) The recommendations are
permitted to accept donations.(90) accepted.

91 (f) The Civil Defence set-up at the state level

may be brought under the control of the
Crisis/Disaster Management set-up.(91)
26. Police, Home Guards and Fire Services:
(Para 6.3.2.11)

92 (a) Policemen, Firemen and the Home Guards (a) The recommendation is accepted.
at the field level who are among the first
responders should be adequately trained in
handling crises/disasters. Such training should
be specific to the types of crises envisaged in
an area. More importantly, they should be fully
involved in the preparation of the local
Crisis/Disaster Management Plan and also be
fully conversant with them.(92)

93 (b) The minimum qualification for entry to Home (b) to (g) The recommendations are
Guards may be revised to at least a pass in the accepted.
10th class, given the increased responsibility
and complexity of tasks to be entrusted to
them.(93)

94 (c) A section of Home Guards should also be

given para-medical training.(94)

95 (d) Fire Services should more appropriately be

renamed as Fire and Rescue Services with an
enhanced role to respond to various types of
crises.(95)

96 (e) While in the long run, it would be desirable to

place the Fire Services under the control of all
municipal bodies, as a first step, this may be
done in bigger cities (population exceeding 2.5
million). In the remaining parts of the state, the
Fire Services should be organized as a
department but within a district, full operational
control should be given to the District

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No. Reforms Commission
Crisis/Disaster Management Authority. Transfer
of these services to municipal authorities should
be accompanied by transfer of commensurate
financial resources.(96)

97 (f) Only persons with expertise in crisis/disaster

management should be inducted into the top
management of the Fire (and Rescue)
Services.(97)

98 (g) Fire and Rescue Services should be brought

under the control of the State Crisis/Disaster
Management set up under the Disaster
Management Law.(98)

99 (h) The NDMA may be requested to suggest (h) The recommendation is accepted.
model provisions regarding these services for
inclusion in the Disaster Management Act/s.(99)
27. Setting-up Integrated Emergency
Operations Centre (EOC): (Para 6.4.2)

100 (a) While it is necessary that each nodal (a) The recommendation is accepted.
ministry handling crisis has an EOC, it is clearly
desirable to have an integrated National
Emergency Operation Centre for all types of
crises. ‘Subject-matter specific’ Ministries/
Departments should deploy representatives in
this Centre which must be networked with all
other EOCs and control rooms.(100)
28. Organising Emergency Medical Relief:
(Para 6.5.7)

101 (a) An institutional arrangement to attend to (a) to (c): The recommendations are
medical emergencies is required to be put in accepted.
place.(101)

102 (b) Access to this system should be facilitated

by having an identical telephone number
throughout the country.(102)

103 (c) This arrangement envisages involvement of

the private hospitals. The enunciation of the role
of various role players may be through
legislation.(103)

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29. Relief and Rehabilitation: (Para 7.1.12)

104 (a) Damage assessment should be carried out (a) to (g): The recommendations are
by multi-disciplinary teams in a transparent and accepted.
participatory manner in accordance with
guidelines laid down by NDMA. (refer para 6.2.6
g).(104)

105 (b) The efforts of NGOs and other groups have

to be coordinated with government activities at
the district and state levels.(105)

106 (c) A recovery strategy should be evolved in

consultation with the affected people and
concerned agencies and organisations. The
recovery strategy should include all aspects of
rehabilitation - social, economic and
psychological.(106)

107 (d) Minimum standards of relief should be

developed to address the requirements of food,
health, water and sanitation shelter
requirements. Focus should be placed on the
special needs of the vulnerable population that
is, children, women, the elderly and the
physically challenged.(107)

108 (e) Implementation of the rehabilitation efforts

should be carried out by the village
panchayats/local bodies. The first priority should
be to get the beneficiary oriented works
executed through the beneficiaries themselves.
(108)

109 (f) Concurrent monitoring and a quick financial

audit should be carried out to prevent misuse of
funds.(109)

110 (g) Risk reduction aspects should be

incorporated into the recovery plans. Land use
plans which ensure safety of the inhabitants
should be brought into effect during
reconstruction.(110)

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111 (h) All new civil constructions should (h) The recommendation is accepted.
mandatorily be made disaster resistant as per
prescribed standards.(111)

112 (i) A mechanism for redressal of grievances (i) The recommendation is accepted.
should be established at the local and district
levels.(112)

113 (j) For all major disasters, NIDM should conduct (j) The recommendation is accepted.
a detailed evaluation exercise through
independent professional agencies.(113)
30. Revisiting the Financial Procedures:
(Para 7.2.6)

114 (a) Both the funds (National Disaster Mitigation (a) The recommendation is accepted.
Fund and the National Disaster Response
Fund) may be operationalised from April 1, 2007
with an initial annual contribution of Rs. 5000
crores each from the Government of India. This
would be in addition to CRF and NCCF for the
present. The CRF and NCCF would cease to
exist at the end of the award period of the
Twelfth Finance Commission. (114)

115 (b) NDMA may recommend to Government of (b) The recommendation is accepted.
India the quantum and criteria of assistance and
conditions of release from the two new funds as
well as manner of replenishment of these funds
from different sources.(115)

116 (c) A system of compiling accounts for each (c) The recommendation is accepted.
calamity separately with reference to each head
of relief expenditure should be initiated. The
Comptroller and Auditor General of India may
consider laying down a standardized format in
this regard.(116)

117 (d) Accounts as above may be available on the (d) The recommendation is accepted.
website of the state level nodal agency at such
intervals as may be laid down.(117)

118 (e) The basis for calculation of assistance from (e) The recommendation is accepted.
the funds should be available on appropriate
websites.(118)

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31. Gender Issues and Vulnerability of
Weaker Sections: (Para 8.3)

119 (a) The vulnerability analysis should bring out (a) The recommendation is accepted.
the specific vulnerabilities of women and these
should be addressed in any mitigation effort.
Disaster mitigation plans should be prepared, in
consultation with women’s groups. Similar
steps should be taken for other vulnerable
groups.(119)

120 (b) Rescue and relief operations should focus (b) & (c) The recommendations are
on the most vulnerable groups-women, children, accepted. .
the elderly and the physically challenged. (120)

121 (c) Relief measures should take into account the

special requirements of women and other
vulnerable groups. Particular attention needs to
be given to their physical and mental well being
through health care and counselling.(121)

122 (d) In the recovery phase, efforts should focus (d) & (e) The recommendations are
on making women economically independent by accepted.
offering them opportunities of earning incomes;
providing training in new skills, forming self-help
groups and providing microfinance, marketing
facilities etc.(122)

123 (e) The title of new assets created should be in

the names of both husband and wife.(123)

124 (f) Camp managing committees should have (f) The recommendation is accepted.
adequate number of women
representatives.(124)

125 (g) Trauma counselling and psychological care (g) & (h) The recommendations are
should be provided to widows and women and accepted.
other persons in distress. These activities
should form part of the disaster management
plan.(125)

126 (h) Arrangements have to be made for

orphaned children on a long term basis. NGOs
should be encouraged to play a major role in

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No. Reforms Commission
their rehabilitation.(126)
32. Revisiting Long Term Interventions
(Droughts): (Para 9.2.5)

127 (a) A National Institute of Drought Management (a) The recommendation is accepted.
may be set up for networking on multi-
disciplinary, cross-sectoral research on various
aspects of drought, acting as a resource centre
on droughts and carrying out impact evaluation
studies of the drought management efforts. It
needs to be ensured that the mandate and
agenda of this proposed institute does not
duplicate the efforts of the National Institute of
Disaster Management.(127)
33. Livelihood Management in Extremely
Drought Prone Areas: (Para 9.3.2)

128 (a) A strategy for making people pursue (a) The recommendation is accepted.
livelihoods compatible with their ecosystems
needs to be evolved. Some concrete steps in
this direction could be:
(i) A multi-disciplinary team needs to be
immediately constituted by the Ministry of
Environment and Forests to specifically identify
villages where soil and climatic conditions make
‘conventional agriculture’ unsustainable.
(ii) Alternate means of livelihood have to be
evolved in consultation with the communities, in
such areas.
(128)
34. Codifications of Management
Methodologies: (Para 9.4.3)

129 (i) State Governments need to rewrite the (i) The recommendation is accepted.
Relief ‘Manuals’ thoroughly in the light of recent
developments including inputs from the NDMA
and their own experience and update them once
in a few years.(129)

130 (ii) Ministry of Science and Technology may (ii) The recommendation is accepted.
compile from time to time a document
incorporating details of available scientific and
technical inputs/facilities for detecting the onset
and progress of drought; and inter-face between

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No. Reforms Commission
scientific and technical organizations with
disaster management agencies of the Union
and State Governments.(130)
35. Rationalization of Drought Declarations:
(Para 9.5.2)

131 The method and mechanism of declaration of

droughts needs to be modified under the
guidance of NDMA. While it is for the State
Governments to work out the modalities keeping
in view the peculiarities of their agro-climatic
conditions, the Commission recommends that
the modified mechanism may incorporate the
following broad guiding principles:

(a) Where a certain percentage (say, twenty per (a) & (b) The recommendations are
cent) of area normally cultivated remains accepted.
unsown till the end of July or December for
Kharif and Rabi respectively, the affected
Tehsil/ Taluka/Mandal could be declared
drought affected by the government.

(b) To begin with, ‘eye estimates’ could be used.

Such estimates may be verified with reference
to remote sensing data as access to such
facilities improves progressively. The ultimate
objective should be to use remote sensing as
the primary tool of early detection of droughts
with ‘eye estimates’ remaining only as
‘secondary verifying methods’.
(131)
36. Deployment of Remote Sensing for
Diagnosis and Prognosis of Drought
Situations:(Para 9.6.3)

132 (a) Deployment of remote sensing as the (a) The recommendation is accepted.
primary tool for diagnosing droughts, monitoring The work on improving these tools would
their course and forecasting prognosis is a goal continue, but there is no need for an
that needs to be pursued speedily and NRSA cell at the district level.
systematically. This would require dovetailing
remote sensing into the routine framework of
drought management. This could be best
achieved through establishment of an NRSA
cell in identified drought prone districts. The

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No. Reforms Commission
activities of the NRSA cells in the districts must
include monitoring of other disasters as
well.(132)
37. Making Rivers Perennial: (Para 9.7.4)

133 (a) Technical agencies under the Ministries of (a) The recommendation is accepted.
Water Resources, Environment and Forests and
Science and Technology must immediately
carry out river specific feasibility studies to
determine the ecological and hydrological
implications of making seasonal rivers
perennial.(133)
38. Rainfed Areas Authority: (Para 9.8.2)

134 (a) A National Rainfed Areas Authority may be (a) The recommendation is accepted.
constituted immediately. The Authority can deal
inter alia, with all the issues of drought
management mentioned in this chapter.(134)
39. Epidemics: (Para 10.1.12)

135 (i) To more effectively prevent outbreak/spread (i) to (v): The recommendations are
of epidemics, it is imperative that a accepted.
comprehensive revised ‘model’ legislation on
public health is finalized at an early date and
that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
systematically pursues its enactment by the
states with adaptations necessitated by local
requirements.(135)

136 (ii) The Union legislation governing Public

Health Emergencies be introduced for final
consideration in the light of feedback received
from the states at an early date.(136)

137 (iii) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has to

ensure that requisite plans envisaged under the
Disaster Management Act, 2005, are drawn up
in respect of epidemics also and that the role of
the district administration finds explicit mention
in the Public Health Emergency Bill. The
structure created by the Disaster Management
Act, 2005, should be utilized for managing
epidemics also. (137)

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Sl. Recommendations made by Administrative Government’s Decision
No. Reforms Commission
138 (iv) While surveillance and management of
epidemics are the responsibilities of public
health professionals, it is clear that a particularly
severe outbreak could overwhelm the capacities
of the ‘line organisations’. The Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare and the State Governments
must ensure that ‘standard operating
procedures’ are devised to assign roles and
responsibilities of agencies and personnel
outside the line organizations wherever a
situation so warrants.(138)

139 (v) State level handbooks and manuals

concerning disaster management should have a
chapter on “epidemics-related emergencies”. A
model chapter may be circulated by the Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare for guidance of
states. It may be useful to document the past
handling of epidemics like the Plague (Surat)
and Japanese encephalitis (Eastern UP) to
facilitate standardization of response
mechanisms.(139)
40. Disruption of Essential Services: (Para
10.2.2)

140 (i) All crisis/disaster management plans should (i) to (iii): The recommendations are
include plans for handling possible disruptions accepted.
in essential services. (140)

141 (ii) All agencies/ ,organizations engaged in the

supply of essential services should have their
own internal crisis management plans to deal
with emergencies.(141)

142 (iii) The regulatory authorities of the respective

sectors may lay down the required framework
for drawing up standard operating procedures
and crisis management plans.(142)

26