Concerns related to the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024

Source: The post concerns related to the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 has been created, based on the article “The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill is knotty” published in “The Hindu” on 3rd August 2024 

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3- Disaster Management 

Context: The article discusses the centralization concerns in the proposed Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024. It criticizes the restricted definition of “disaster,” excluding heatwaves, and highlights the need for better financial preparedness and cooperative federalism in disaster management. 

For detailed information on Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 read this article here 

What Does the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 Propose? 

1. The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was introduced on August 1, 2024, in the Lok Sabha.
2. The Bill aims to centralize disaster management further, building on the existing Disaster Management Act, 2005.
3. It gives statutory status to pre-existing bodies like the National Crisis Management Committee and a High-Level Committee.
4. The Bill complicates disaster response chains by adding more centralized layers, which could delay action.
5. It introduces an Urban Disaster Management Authority for state capitals and cities with municipal corporations.
6. However, the Bill lacks provisions for adequate financial support to these new authorities, creating potential issues.
7. The amendment also removes specific purposes for using the National Disaster Response Fund, which could delay funding in severe disasters, as seen in past delays with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

What are the concerns related to the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024? 

Increased Centralization: The Bill further centralizes disaster management by giving statutory status to pre-existing committees like the National Crisis Management Committee, complicating response procedures.Centralized decision-making can delay disaster relief, as seen when Tamil Nadu faced delays in receiving funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). 

Restricted Definition of Disaster: The Bill does not include heatwaves as a recognized disaster, despite India experiencing 536 heatwave days, the highest in 14 years, and 10,635 heat-related deaths from 2013 to 2022. 

Financial Imbalances: The Bill lacks provisions for financial devolution, forcing states to depend on the central government for disaster relief funds, undermining the spirit of cooperative federalism. 

Question for practice: 

Evaluate the impact of the restricted definition of “disaster” in the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, particularly regarding the exclusion of heatwaves.