An official notification said, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been designated to handle forest fires, as well as industrial and chemical disasters
The official notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. File Pic/AFP
To ensure effective disaster management, the Government of India has assigned specific ministries and departments the responsibility for monitoring, issuing early warnings, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and capacity building in relation to various types of disasters, reported the PTI.
An official notification said, while avalanche, oil spills will be handled by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Earth Sciences will provide early warning for the cold wave, cyclone, tornado, earthquake, heat wave, lightning, tsunami, hail storms and heavy rainfall and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will take care biological disasters, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The aim is to minimise casualties and public inconvenience in the event of such emergencies.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Defence will be tasked with handling avalanches and oil spills.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences will be responsible for early warning systems relating to cold waves, cyclones, tornadoes, earthquakes, heatwaves, lightning, tsunamis, hailstorms, and heavy rainfall, as per the PTI.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will manage biological disasters, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare will take charge of disasters including frost and cold waves, droughts, hailstorms, and pest infestations.
Flood-related responsibilities have been divided: the Ministry of Jal Shakti will oversee floods and glacial lake outburst floods, while urban flooding (excluding early warnings) will be managed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, according to the PTI.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been designated to handle forest fires, as well as industrial and chemical disasters. Meanwhile, landslides will come under the purview of the Ministry of Mines, and the Department of Atomic Energy will be responsible for dealing with nuclear and radiological emergencies.
The notification, issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, said, "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) read with clause (ha) of sub-section (2) of section 35 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (53 of 2005), the central government hereby notifies... the Ministries or Department of the government of India... which shall have the responsibility for monitoring, early warning, prevention, mitigation, preparedness and capacity building with regard to disaster arising from various hazards..."
(with PTI inputs)
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