Rajnath Singh to launch plan scheme of mainstreaming civil defence in disaster risk reduction

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will launch the plan scheme of mainstreaming civil defence in disaster risk reduction here tomorrow.

The scheme has been sanctioned by the Centre in furtherance of its stated policy of strengthening the civil defence organization in the country.

It will be implemented in 32 States and Union Territories across the Country during the 12th Five Year Plan period at an outlay of Rs. 291 Crore, an official statement of the ministry said.

The scheme aims to enhance the community's capability to face disasters, minimize losses of life and property and avoid disruption of normal life after any disaster, whether natural or manmade, and shall give a fillip to the government's efforts towards raising public awareness towards disasters and creating a Disaster Resilient Community.

The scheme aims to tap the potential of the Civil Defence Organisation and utilize its resources to create a sizeable trained volunteer force of emergency workers to provide an efficient and effective Response Mechanism in all vulnerable urban/ rural areas of the country.

This shall also be a major step towards recognising the stellar role played by the Civil Defence Corps in Disaster Management activities and structuring the roadmap to spread the operational preparedness capacity of Civil Defence across 140 additional districts with an objective of establishing a Response System based on minimum permanent staff backed by skilled volunteers in all 240 districts identified as Multi-Hazard Prone/ Most Vulnerable Districts.

The scheme shall be implemented and monitored by the Director General Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India at the National Level while at the State level the implementation shall be done through the Director Civil Defence of the State who, in turn, shall deliver the project through the Civil Defence authorities at district level.