Amit Shah calls for district disaster management plan within 90 days

Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the disaster management plans for districts would be made within 90 days.

Addressing an annual conference of Relief Commissioners of States, Union Territories and Disaster Response Forces, Shah urged for a state-level action plan against lightning and thunderstorms and called upon states to share it with the Centre within a period of 90 days.

“We will complete the work of making district disaster management plans for each district in their respective states within 90 days. Unless there is a district disaster management plan, it is not possible to fight disaster management with speed…I request everyone to make a state-level action plan against lightning and thunderstorms. All the states and UTs should share it with the Centre within 90 days," Shah said.

He further mentioned that there was a need to make inter-state mock drill an annual programme for natural disasters like cyclones.

“We want to make interstate mock drill an annual programme. I believe it is not possible without the help of states. There are many cyclones, many disasters that require interstate mock drills, and we cannot do this without the help of the states. We want to move forward on this in the coming days,” Shah further said.

The union Home Minister also stated that there was a need to link Start-up India with development of disaster relief technology, and asserted that states should start brainstorming on the concept.

“We want to move forward on this in the coming days. We also want to link Start-up India with the development of disaster relief technology. I am telling you in advance that states should also start brainstorming for this…” he added.

Shah applauded the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Forces (NDRF) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) for bringing India closer to becoming a global leader in disaster management.

Addressing the conference, Shah said, “It is a matter of joy for all of us that within 10 years, these three institutions, NDMA, NDRF and CDRI, have brought India closer to becoming a global leader in the field of disaster management. NDMA has done a great job in structuring policy matters, doing research work, delivering articles of various types of studies to the people, making many apps and overall coordination of policy matters…NDRF has created its image in the entire country, has also earned fame and respect."

India