Disaster preparedness or management is a core responsibility of all countries across the world. In the Indian context, the Central Government in coordination with the State Governments handles the responsibility of disaster management. To increase resilience, the government is concentrating on fortifying India's framework for disaster risk reduction in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for 2047.
Under PM Modi's direction, disaster management is taking a more humanitarian turn and emphasising public readiness. The way India responds to disasters has been transformed by PM Modi, from disaster preparedness to enhanced fund allocation and close collaboration with personnel at the grassroots level has altogether ushered in a new era of disaster handling in India. Throughout the last decade, the government's altruistic and proactive response to disaster relief efforts, be it floods or pandemics like COVID-19, or the evacuation of stranded citizens abroad amply demonstrated India's strong footing in disaster management. The recent successful rescue mission from the Silkyara tunnel served as a testament to this dedication.
Disaster management relies on a comprehensive and well-executed policy framework. Since 2014, the government has been continuously working towards structuring disaster management scenarios in India. For the years 2021–2022 to 2025–2026, the Fifteenth Finance Commission suggested establishing the State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF) and National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF). On February 5, 2021, the Union Government established the NDMF. So far 21 States have mentioned establishing an SDMF thus far.
To bring coordination in disaster management, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) formulated the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) in 2016, with revisions made in 2019 to expedite financial assistance to states after natural disasters. Additionally, NDMA launched the Aapda Mitra scheme to train 6,000 community volunteers in flood-prone districts, with over 5,500 volunteers trained so far. Furthermore, the Government of India initiated the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) to address cyclone risks in coastal states and union territories. In June 2023, a new Rs. A 2,500-crore project was introduced to mitigate urban flooding risks in seven major cities: Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Pune.
To guarantee that people are ready for natural disasters, PM Modi-led government has put in place several safeguards. The NDMA has issued 26 guidelines on various calamities, strengthened State and District Disaster Management systems, built multipurpose cyclone shelters, trained coastal people, and more. Furthermore, the "Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the States" was unveiled in June 2023 with a budget of Rs. 5,000 crore.
A larger portion of disaster management response is comprised of weather forecasting. While IMD has extended its rainfall and flood estimate from three to five days, giving rescue attempts more time, ISRO has discovered 271 wetlands in the Northeast to help with flood management. Meghdoot and Mausam, two smartphone apps for farmers, are among the initiatives under the "Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)" programme that are improving weather monitoring and forecasting capacities. More than one lakh new records have been added to the India Disaster Resource Network, and Rs. 354 crore has been set aside for the Common Alerting Protocol's SMS implementation. Initiatives such as the Disaster Management Information System Portal and the 112 Emergency Response Support System serve as valuable, multifaceted measures. As a result, a remarkable shift was noticed in preparing people against natural calamities.
The swift and humane approach towards disaster management has saved many lives in the last decade. Some key instances that show the effectiveness of the PM Modi-led government in handling natural calamities are listed below-
• In the case of the 2014 floods in Jammu and Kashmir, PM Modi promptly visited the state and declared it a "national level disaster," pledging Rs. 1000 crores for relief efforts.
• Similarly, during the Chennai floods in 2015, PM Modi monitored the situation firsthand and dispatched aid via the Navy's INS Airavat.
• In 2015, India swiftly extended assistance to Nepal after a devastating earthquake, showcasing exemplary disaster diplomacy. This demonstrates Prime Minister Modi's compassionate and supportive stance in addressing disasters, extending assistance even to other countries across the globe.
• Floods in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur in mid-2017 caused irreplaceable loss of lives and damage to property and livestock. The central agencies and government departments were put into action, with PM Modi personally monitoring disaster response.
• Kerala's catastrophic floods in 2018 prompted the government to announce additional aid amounting to 600 crore.
• Cyclone Fani's impact in 2019 saw rapid deployment of NDRF teams and financial assistance to Odisha amounting to Rs. 340.87 crore.
• Similarly, in the case of Cyclone Amphan of 2020, the government deployed 36 NDRF teams across the six districts of West Bengal. NDRF teams and substantial financial aid for West Bengal and Odisha.
• Cyclone Biporjoy in 2023 witnessed coordinated efforts between central and state governments to enhance preparedness.
• While the catastrophic flood hit Sikkim in 2023, the government under PM Modi has granted early approval for releasing its allocated portion of SRDF.
We can state that PM Modi's involvement in the Paradigmatic shift of the nation's disaster management plan—which includes preparedness, resilience, capacity building, community involvement, and disaster risk reduction—has ensured that everyone has a more stable and secure life, even in the face of natural disasters. PM Modi-led government is excellent at responding to disasters; from early warnings of impending disasters to quick rescue operations and quick payment of financial aid for recovery.
