Central Government Assigns Ministries Key Roles for Comprehensive Disaster Management
Ministries tasked with specific disaster responsibilities to strengthen preparedness, early warning, and response systems
The Central Government on Tuesday issued a notification under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, assigning designated Ministries and Departments the responsibility for monitoring, early warning, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and capacity building for various disasters.
The notification outlines specific roles for each Ministry to ensure prompt and effective disaster response. 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.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences will oversee cold waves, cyclones, tornadoes, earthquakes, heat waves, lightning, tsunamis, hailstorms, and heavy rainfall, with special focus on early warning for cold waves. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare will manage frost, cold waves, droughts, hailstorms, and pest attacks. Floods and glacial lake outburst floods fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, while urban floods (excluding early warnings) will be handled by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Forest fires will be managed by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, industrial and chemical disasters and landslides by the Ministry of Mines, and nuclear and radiological emergencies by the Department of Atomic Energy.
The government emphasized that all designated Ministries and Departments must coordinate closely with relevant agencies and stakeholders to bolster disaster preparedness, ensure timely response, and mitigate risks nationwide.
