INDIA GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED RS 23,000 CRORE FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT

INDIA GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED RS 23,000 CRORE FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT
 

With an aim to effectively manage disasters in the country, the Government has alloted Rs 23,000 crore for developing disaster management infrastructure at state, district and panchayat levels across the country.The National Disaster Management Authority Vice Chairman M. Shasidhar Reddy said the 13th Finance Commission has allocated the huge amount for developing infrastructure across the country to help manage disasters in a better way. "Out of the Rs 23,000 crore, Rs 15,000 crore will be given to the states and local bodies as direct grant and Rs 8,000 crore will be performance grant," he said, after releasing guidelines for scaling, type of equipment and training of fire services.

The guidelines recommend the need for revamping of fire services like the emergent needs, improvement of outreach of fire services to rural areas, achieving and restricting the response time in urban areas between 3 to 5 minutes and preparation of fire hazard response and mitigation plan. Reddy said since the country's population is increasing, its vulnerability to fire is also on the rise and said fire services have a major role to play in emergency services. Admitting that there are "deficiencies" in managing disasters, Reddy said over the years the country will reach certain amount of efficiency. Reddy also released the handbook for training and capacity building of civil defence and sister organisation.

                                   

                                                              Prof. John Kurakar