Disaster management in India

DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

India, due to its geographical locations and geological formations, is a highly disaster prone country. Its long coastline, snow-clad high peaks, high mountain ranges, the perennial rivers in the north all combine to add to this problem. India, which has only two per cent the total geographical area, has to support 16 per cent of total world population. Naturally, there is a tremendous pressure on the natural resources, which directly or indirectly lead to the occurrence of disasters, namely floods, droughts, landslides, earthquakes, etc.

India has faced a number of disasters, ranging from flood, earthquakes, cyclones, tsunami, drought, landslides. A few recent disasters faced by India include Uttar Kasha earthquake in UP in 1991, Later earthquake in Maharashtra in 1993, Chama earthquake in Gujarat, super cyclone in Orissa in 1999, Buhl earthquake in Gujarat in 2001, Tsunami in 2004 and Mumbai-Gujarat flood in 2005. Besides, India has a bad experience of technology-related tragedy in the form of gas tragedy in Bhopal in 1984. India also faced the problem of Plague in Gujarat.

India has set-up a disaster management unit in the centre called the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA - http://www.ndmindia.nic.in/) under the ministry of home affairs, where several disasters are handled by different units. The website lists a central contact for information regarding any disaster in the country.