**Executive Summary**
This document responds to Unstarred Question No. 1397 in the Lok Sabha, scheduled for December 9, 2025, concerning the government's actions regarding natural disaster preparedness in urban areas. The response outlines the institutional mechanisms, plans, and initiatives implemented to strengthen disaster management across the country. It also mentions the inauguration of the Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response (ICR-ER) on June 16th, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Institutional Framework:**
* Well-established disaster management mechanisms exist at the National, State, and District levels.
* The Disaster Management Act 2005 mainstreams disaster management in development plans.
* The National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM) designates State Governments as primarily responsible for disaster management, including relief assistance.
* **Planning and Responsibilities:**
* State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) prepares the State Disaster Management Plan after consulting local and district authorities, considering the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP).
* District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) prepares the District Plan after consulting local authorities and considering the National Plan (NDMP) and the State Plan.
* **National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP):**
* The first NDMP was launched in June 2016 and revised in 2019, bringing together all sectors and departments at various levels.
* The NDMP defines roles and responsibilities in disaster risk reduction.
* **Early Warning and Alert Systems:**
* The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) based Integrated Alert System (SACHET) disseminates warnings/alerts in vernacular languages via various media.
* The CAP platform integrates various alert generating agencies with State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs).
* **Capacity Building and Mitigation:**
* Various schemes like Emergency Response Support System, AapdaMitra Scheme, and YuvaApadaMitra Scheme (YAMS) are implemented.
* The YAMS program trains volunteers for disaster response.
* The National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) mitigates hazards like landslides, earthquakes, etc.
* **Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response (ICR-ER):**
* ICR-ER serves as a state-of-the-art disaster management control room.
* It enables real-time information reception, strategic-level monitoring, situational awareness, and effective decision-making.
* ICR-ER monitors and coordinates responses with States/Central agencies 24/7.
* All state emergency operations centers and disaster response agencies are connected to ICR-ER.
* **Awareness and Coordination:**
* The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) focus on awareness generation, community outreach, and risk reduction.
* NDMA has issued 38 guidelines to standardize preparedness and response practices.
* State and Multi-State Level Mock Exercises are conducted.
* Regular social media campaigns are run to inform, educate, and sensitize the public.
* National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has conducted 3110 School Safety Programmes.
* MHA coordinates with NDMA, NDRF, Armed Forces, and States to mobilize resources for rescue and relief operations.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** Central Agencies
* **Impact:** The Central Agencies are responsible for integrating into the CAP Platform.
* **Action Required:** Central Agencies need to be prepared to disseminate warnings/alerts about impending hazards to geographically referenced population, in vernacular languages over various communication media.
**Stakeholder:** State Governments
* **Impact:** Responsible for disaster management and relief assistance at the ground level.
* **Action Required:** States need to prepare their Disaster Management Plan (SDMP) after consultation with local and district authorities.
**Stakeholder:** District Authorities
* **Impact:** Responsible for disaster management and relief assistance at the district level.
* **Action Required:** Districts need to prepare their Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) after consultation with local authorities.
**Stakeholder:** Citizens
* **Impact:** Need to be aware of disaster preparedness and safety protocols.
* **Action Required:** Citizens need to take appropriate actions during the pre-disaster, during-disaster, and post-disaster phases.
**Stakeholder:** School Children
* **Impact:** Need to be aware of disaster precautions to be taken, do's and don'ts during disaster.
* **Action Required:** To follow what they have been taught in the School Safety Programmes.
Key Entities Referenced
Disaster Management Act 2005: A law that articulates the mainstreaming of Disaster Management in development plans.
Ministry of Home Affairs: The ministry responsible for responding to the Lok Sabha question and coordinating disaster response efforts.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): Authority that strengthens disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.
National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP): The country's first national disaster management plan, revised in 2019.
Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) based Integrated Alert System (SACHET): Scheme to facilitate dissemination of warnings/alerts about impending hazards.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1397
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9TH DECEMBER, 2025/ AGRAHAYANA 18, 1947
(SAKA)
RESPONSE TO NATURAL DISASTERS
1397. SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE:
SMT. BHARTI PARDHI:
DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:
SHRI VISHALDADA PRAKASHBAPU PATIL:
SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR:
SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE:
Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has assessed the preparedness of urban local
bodies, police, and emergency services in responding to natural disasters
such as floods, cyclones, and heatwaves in cities across the country;
(b) the steps taken in the last three years to strengthen early warning
systems, emergency response infrastructure, and evacuation plans for
urban populations;
(c) whether the Government has implemented or plans to implement
technology-driven solutions, such as integrated command centres, real-
time monitoring, and mobile alert systems, to improve disaster response
in cities;
(d) the measures undertaken to train personnel and sensitize citizens
regarding disaster preparedness and safety protocols in urban areas;
(e) whether any gaps or challenges have been identified in coordination
between central agencies, State Governments and urban local bodies
during disaster response; and
(f) the long-term strategies planned to ensure that India’s urban centres
are resilient, safe and equipped to handle emergencies efficiently, if so,
the corrective steps proposed?-2-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1397 FOR 09.12.2025
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI NITYANAND RAI)
(a to f) There are well-established institutional mechanisms at the
National, State and District levels in the country to develop appropriate
preparedness and prompt response mechanisms for effective
management of natural disasters. Disaster Management Act 2005
articulates the mainstreaming of Disaster Management in development
plans. As per the National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM), the
primary responsibility for disaster management including disbursal of
relief assistance on ground level, rests with the State Government
concerned.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is responsible for the
preparation of Disaster Management Plan of its State, after consultation
with local authorities, district authorities and having regard to the
National Plan (NDMP) and guideline laid down by the National Authority.
The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is responsible for the
preparation of its District Plan, after consultation with local authorities,
and having regard to the National Plan (NDMP) and the State Plan, which
is to be approved by the State Authority.-3-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1397 FOR 09.12.2025
Hon’ble Prime Minister launched country’s first National Disaster
Management Plan (NDMP) in June 2016. The plan was revised in the year
2019 in consultation with all stakeholders. The revised NDMP brings
together all sectors, ministries and departments at the Central and State
level as well as district level functionaries and define their respective
roles and responsibilities in disaster risk reduction.
Government of India has launched a scheme namely, Common Alerting
Protocol (CAP) based Integrated Alert System (SACHET) to facilitate
dissemination of warnings/alerts about impending hazards to
geographically referenced population, in vernacular languages over
various communication media like SMS, TV/Radio broadcast, Railways,
Mobile application, social media, satellite terminals, etc.
CAP Platform integrates all alert generating agencies viz. India
Meteorological Department (IMD), Central Water Commission (CWC),
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Defence
Geo-informatics Research Establishment (DGRE), Geological Survey of
India (GSI) and Forest Survey of India (FSI) with all State Disaster
Management Authorities (SDMAs).-4-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1397 FOR 09.12.2025
This system has been successfully used in recent disasters with more
than 11,000 crore SMS alerts disseminated so far. This scheme is State of
the Art and a 'Make in India' initiative.
For preparedness and capacity building the Central Government has
implemented several programmes/schemes such as Emergency Response
Support System, Common Alerting Protocol, Up-scaling AapdaMitra
Scheme, YuvaApadaMitra Scheme etc. across all States and Union
Territories. Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme (YAMS) involves training of
volunteers from National Cadet Core (NCC), National Service Scheme
(NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and Bharat Scouts & Guides
(BS&G) in disaster response.
Various key disaster risk mitigation programmes, through the National
Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) for mitigating different hazards like
landslide, GLOF, Coastal and River Erosion, Forest fire, Lightening,
Earthquake etc., are also in different stages of implementation.
Ministry of Home Affairs has set up the Integrated Control Room for
Emergency Response (ICR-ER) as disaster management control room,
which is a state-of-the-art infrastructure, disaster-resilient facility. The
objective of ICR-ER is to enable near real-time information reception,-5-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1397 FOR 09.12.2025
strategic-level monitoring, situational awareness, and effective decision-
making related to preparedness and response activities. ICR-ER is
monitoring and coordinating response with States/Central agencies and
functions 24*7. ICR-ER was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Union Home
Minister on 16th June 2025. All states emergency operations center and
disaster response agencies are connected with ICR-ER.
Ministry of Home Affairs in coordination with National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) has undertaken several measures to
strengthen disaster preparedness and response mechanisms with a
strong emphasis on awareness generation, community outreach and risk
reduction.
NDMA has issued 38 guidelines on various thematic and cross-cutting
issues to standardise preparedness and response practices across the
country. NDMA also the conducts State and Multi-State Level Mock
Exercises on various hazards as per the vulnerability profile in close co-
ordination with States and UTs. Regular social-media campaigns are also
run to inform, educate and sensitise the public about preparedness
measures before disasters, necessary precautions during disasters and
appropriate actions in the post-disaster phase.-6-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 1397 FOR 09.12.2025
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has conducted 3110 School
Safety Programmes during this year to create awareness among the
school children about disaster precautions to be taken, do’s and don’ts
during disaster.
Ministry of Home Affairs coordinates with NDMA, NDRF, Armed Forces,
line ministries and States to mobilize teams, equipment and other
resources for quick rescue and relief operations in order to facilitate to
Inter Agency coordination.
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