Coordination meetings ignored despite repeated disasters
*Provisions of DMA of 2005 being violated blatantly
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 31: Despite clear provisions under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and repeated instructions from the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR), several districts have failed to update their Disaster Management Plans (DMPs) on a regular basis and coordination and preparedness meetings mandated to be held at periodic intervals are not being convened in many parts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is highly vulnerable to earthquakes, floods, landslides, avalanches and cloudbursts.
The Section 31 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 mandates that every district must have a Disaster Management Plan. Sub-Section 4 specifies that the District Plan shall be reviewed and updated annually. Similarly, under Sub-Section 5, copies of the District Plan are required to be made available to all Government departments functioning within the district.
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Further, Sub-Section 7 of Section 31 states: “The District Authority shall review, from time to time, the implementation of the Plan and issue such instructions to different departments in the district as it may deem necessary for its effective implementation”.
However, in several districts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Disaster Management Plans have not been updated annually. EXCELSIOR analyzed the websites of J&K Disaster Management Authority, websites of the districts and the Department of Disaster Management, Relief Rehabilitation and Reconstruction and found that the Disaster Management Plans of several districts have not been updated during period ranging from one to four years.
“The outdated plans of several districts don’t reflect current risks or resources and it seems that concerned authorities have not learnt any lesson from the previous disasters, which caused unprecedented destruction”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, “if Disaster Management Plans are not kept updated, the response will always be ad-hoc leading to avoidable loss of life and property”.
The Section 32 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 mandates that every office at the district level as well as local authorities shall, subject to the supervision of the District Authority, prepare a Disaster Management Plan. The Plan is required to include provisions for prevention and mitigation measures as outlined in the District Plan and assigned to the respective department or agency; measures for capacity-building and preparedness and detailed response plans and procedures in the event of any threatening disaster situation. Additionally, authorities are required to coordinate the preparation and implementation of their plans with other organizations at the district level, including local authorities, communities and other stakeholders and to regularly review and update the plan.
“However, this statutory provision is reportedly not being taken seriously in almost all districts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir”, sources informed.
Meanwhile, in accordance with the provisions of the Disaster Management Act as laid down under Sections 18 and 22, the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction vide Circular No.04 dated December 23, 2024 enjoined upon all at the UT level, Divisional and District Disaster Management Authorities to convene regular monthly (1st week of every month) Coordination-cum-Preparedness meeting involving all stakeholders, line departments, emergency support function departments, Armed Forces, Police, NDRF, SDRF, Civil Defense, Civil Society, NGOs etc and furnish Action Taken Report every month.
“However, in many districts these instructions are not being taken seriously thereby defeating the objective of fostering effective coordination”, sources revealed, adding “ignoring legally mandated responsibilities leaves districts ill-prepared to handle recurring disasters such as floods, landslides, avalanches and cloudbursts, which have repeatedly struck the UT”.
“This is not just a lapse in administration; it is a violation of statutory provisions. Without updated plans and regular coordination, the response to disasters will continue to be reactive rather than preventive,” they further said, adding “the issue lies not in lack of guidelines but in lack of accountability and UT Government must introduce stricter monitoring mechanisms”.
“Independent audits of District Disaster Plans, penalties for non-compliance and incentives for districts showing proactive preparedness could help bridge the gap”, they said.
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