Govt issues new guidelines for disaster warning

PMO and Cabinet Secretariat will have to be informed every three hours on developing situation of any disaster categorised as 'Red' and every 12 hours in case of disaster categorised as 'Orange'.

These were part of the latest guidelines issued by the Home Ministry, on disaster warning and response of the authorities, and circulated to all states.

According to the guidelines, Indian Meteorological Department has been designated as nodal agency for early warning for cyclone, Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre and Indian National Centre for Oceanic Information Services for Tsunami and Central Water Commission for floods.

The Geological Survey of India has been marked as nodal agency for issuing early warning for landslides, Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment for avalanches and Indian Meteorological Department for heat and cold waves.

"Alerts falling in Red stage will be communicated to Prime Minister's Office/ Cabinet Secretariat with 3 hourly updates or at more frequent intervals as warranted by the situation," the guidelines said.

Alerts falling in Orange stage will be communicated to PMO/ Cabinet Secretariat with 12 hourly updates or when it is upgraded to the Red Stage, whichever is earlier and alerts falling in Yellow stage will be communicated to PMO/ Cabinet Secretariat through SpeedPost.

While very severe type of disaster is categorised as Red, moderate type is categorised as Orange and low type is designated as Yellow.

Cabinet Secretary heads the National Crisis Management Committee, which takes care of all emergency arising out of any natural disaster in the country.

The revised norms on disaster management, approved by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, also focused on countering rumours and not taking complaints of missing persons lightly given the possibility of human trafficking.

All states are being asked to operationalise a special police task force immediately after any calamity to be "dedicated totally" to look for missing persons with regard to the human trafficking angle.

The norms also stress that corpses should not be allowed to rot after a disaster. Shopkeepers, chemists and PDS dealers have to be advised not to raise prices artificially or resort to hoarding.

Police personnel have to be deployed at areas deserted after a disaster to ensure safety of property. States have also been asked to supply adequate amounts of kerosene or diesel along with generators to mobile service providers, in case advance warnings have been received.