Draft Policy for Displaced Communities from Coastal Erosion | 25 Feb 2023

Prelims: NDMA, NDRF, Coastal Erosion, 15th Finance Commission’s Report.

Mains: Draft Policy for Displaced Communities from Coastal Erosion.

Why in News?

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) received the inputs from disaster management officials and researchers on the draft of India’s first national policy for the mitigation and rehabilitation of the people affected by river and Coastal Erosion.

  • The Ministry of Home Affairs had directed NDMA to draft a policy based on the 15th Finance Commission’s report for 2021.
  • Until now, most policies in the country only address displacement after sudden rapid-onset disasters such as floods and cyclones.

What are the Recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission Report?

  • It had for the first time emphasised on rehabilitation and resettlement for people displaced by the river and coastal erosion, in view of the increasing threat due to climate change.
  • It introduced mitigation measures to prevent erosion under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF), with an allocation of Rs 1,500 crore for 2021-26.
  • For the resettlement of displaced people affected by erosion, it allocates Rs 1,000 crore for the same period under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF).
  • It emphasized that states must follow timelines for mitigation and rehabilitation projects without delays, projects under NDRF and NDMF should be sanctioned in such a manner that they can be completed within the award period of the Commission.

What are the Key Features of Draft Policy?

  • Fund Allocation:
    • For both funds (NDRF and NDMF), state governments will have to avail resources on a cost-sharing basis, contributing 25% to the costs of mitigation and resettlement associated with coastal and river erosion.
    • However, northeastern states have to only pool 10% of state funds.
    • NDMA will coordinate the allocations and expenses under NDRF and NDMF at the national level for mitigation and rehabilitation.
  • Nodal Agency:
    • District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA) would be the nodal agency to implement the measures, aided by other district agencies and a specific panchayat-level committee.
    • The DDMA will prepare mitigation and rehabilitation plans and submit them to the SDMAs, from where the proposed measures will be appraised by NDMA and finally submitted to the home ministry.
    • A high-level committee of the ministry will then approve the disbursal of funds.
  • Detailed Hazard Assessments:
    • Detailed hazard assessments carried out by central agencies such as the National Centre for Coast Research, Central Water Commission etc., and high-resolution LiDAR data available with National Remote Sensing Centre should be made available to the SDMAs.
    • These should be made available in easy-to-access geographic information systems (GIS) formats by the NDMA.
  • Mapping Coastal and River Erosion:
    • The policy insists on mapping coastal and river erosion impacts and coming up with a database of diverse challenges confronted by the affected and vulnerable habitations.
  • Impact and Vulnerability Assessments:
    • The draft policy also recommends impact and vulnerability assessments of regions threatened by coastal and river erosion to be undertaken periodically, which will be spearheaded by SDMAs in coordination with the state departments and DDMAs.

What is NDMA?

  • NDMA is India’s apex statutory body for disaster management.
  • The NDMA was formally constituted on 27th September 2006, by the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The Prime Minister is its chairperson, and it has nine other members. One of the nine members is designated as Vice-Chairperson.
  • The primary responsibility for the management of disaster rests with the State Government concerned. However, the National Policy on Disaster Management puts in place an enabling environment for all i.e., the Centre, state and district.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach. (2020)

Q. With reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines, discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of the recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand. (2016)

Q. Drought has been recognized as a disaster in view of its spatial expanse, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effects on vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 guidelines from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), discuss the mechanisms for preparedness to deal with likely El Nino and La Nina fallouts in India. (2014)

Source: DTE