Union Panchayati Raj Minister releases the Disaster Management Plan of Ministry of Panchayati Raj

What is the News?

Union Minister of Panchayati Raj has released the “Disaster Management Plan of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj(DMP-MoPR)”.

What is the Disaster Management Plan of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj(DMP-MoPR)?

Prepared by: Ministry of Panchayati Raj 

Need for this plan: India has been vulnerable in varying degrees to many natural as well as human-made disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic and socio-economic conditions.

– Hence, considering the important role that local communities can play in reducing vulnerabilities and early recovery, Disaster Management Plan (DMP) has been prepared so that all Panchayati Raj Institutions and communities can be prepared for any disaster. 

Aim of the plan: To develop disaster resilience at the grassroots level among the Panchayats and establish a framework to align the disaster management measures in rural areas to that of the National Disaster Management Authority.

Areas covered under the Plan: The plan covers areas such as 1) Institutional arrangement for Disaster Management, 2) Hazard Risk, Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis, 3) Coherence of Disaster Risk Management across Resilient Development and Climate Change Action, 4) Disaster Specific Preventive and Mitigation Measures-Responsibility Framework and 5) Mainstreaming of Community Based Disaster Management Plan of Villages and Panchayats and so on.

Key Features of the Plan: The plan has been prepared with a larger perspective of community-based planning starting from Village to District Panchayat level.

– Under the Plan, every Indian village would have a “Village Disaster Management Plan” and every Panchayat would have their Disaster Management Plan.

Significance of the Plan: 1. The convergent and collective actions would be a game-changer in managing disasters comprehensively, 2. Moreover, the plan would be beneficial for ensuring a participatory planning process by integrating DMPs with Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP), 3. It will initiate a new era of community-based disaster management.

Source: This post is based on the article “Union Panchayati Raj Minister releases the Disaster Management Plan of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj” published in PIB on 21st Mar 2022.