Context: The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 has raised concerns regarding its effectiveness and inclusivity in improving disaster management in India.
Relevance : GS 3 (Disaster Management)
- Lack of Participatory Governance: The Bill uses top-down terminology like “monitor” and “guidelines,” which undermines community involvement, especially considering that local communities are often the first responders in disasters.
- Inadequate Recognition of Local Roles: The Bill defines terms like ‘hazard’ and ‘vulnerability,’ but it does not acknowledge the crucial roles of local communities, panchayats, and NGOs in disaster response.
- Failure to Address Intersectional Vulnerability: The Bill ignores intersectional discrimination affecting marginalized groups, such as women, the disabled, and LGBTQIA communities, weakening its claim to be inclusive.
- Omission of Accountability Measures: Key sections related to minimum relief standards, evaluation of district authorities’ performance, and provisions for vulnerable groups (widows, orphans, etc.) have been removed, eroding accountability.
- Exclusion of Law and Order Issues: The Bill excludes law and order from the definition of ‘man-made causes’ but still involves police officials in disaster management, raising questions about the role of law enforcement in such contexts.
- Neglect of Animal Welfare: The Bill does not address the deaths of animals in disasters, nor does it ensure that District Authorities follow the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, undermining disaster preparedness for animals.
- Urban Disaster Management Authority (UDMA): The proposed UDMA’s need is unclear, particularly as Municipal Corporations often contribute to urban flooding through poor urban planning and encroachment on water bodies and aquifers.
- Lack of Regional Collaboration: The Bill misses an opportunity to enhance regional collaboration on disaster management, particularly with South Asian groupings like SAARC and BIMSTEC, which are crucial for addressing cross-border disaster impacts.
- Global and Regional Cooperation: The Bill should have emphasized international collaboration and decentralization, referencing agreements like the 2011 SAARC Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural Disasters. The lack of focus on regional cooperation is a significant gap.
