Page 2 - Disaster Management

US judge rules Trump admin cannot reallocate disaster relief funds

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from reallocating USD 4 billion meant to help communities protect against natural disasters. US District Judge Richard G Stearns in Boston granted a preliminary injunction sought by 20 Democrat-led states while their lawsuit over the funding moves ahead. The states argue the Federal Emergency Management Agency lacks the authority to end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities programme and redirect more than USD 4 billion of its funding. The programme aims to harden infrastructure around the country against potential storm damage. FEMA initially announced it was ending the programme, but later said in a court filing that it was evaluating it. "Although the Government equivocates about whether it has, in fact, ended the BRIC programme, the States' evidence of steps taken by FEMA to implement the announced termination portend the conclusion that a determination has in fact been made and that FEMA is inching ...

Disaster management mock drill carried out at 55 locations across Delhi

A field-level, multi-agency disaster management mock drill was carried out at 55 locations across the national capital on Friday morning, according to officials. The exercise began with the triggering of a simulated earthquake scenario followed by chemical leaks in industrial and transport zones in all the 11 districts of the city. The exercise is being conducted simultaneously in Delhi as well UP and Haryana districts in the National Capital Region, the officials said. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with the Indian Army and the governments of Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, is organizing 'Exercise Suraksha Chakra' that culminated with a field-level mock drill. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is the lead agency for coordinating the mock drill to test the preparedness of Delhi-NCR in case of earthquake and industrial chemical hazards scenarios, said a statement from the Authority.

Establishments near Delhi airport asked to ready disaster-management plans

Establishments, including hotels, in the Aerocity area around the IGI airport here have been instructed by the DDMA to prepare disaster-management plans to handle emergency situations, officials said on Wednesday. In the aftermath of an armed conflict between India and Pakistan following the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) held a meeting to strengthen disaster preparedness and response protocols, focussing on the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport and the Aerocity area, they said. The preparation of a disaster-management plan and preventive measures to handle any kind of disaster were discussed at the meeting. The strategic significance of the Aerocity area located near the airport was highlighted, with high-risk scenarios like natural disasters, accidents or terrorist activities, the officials said. It was noted at the meeting that most of the establishments in the Aerocity area do not comply with ...

Himachal death toll rises to 80; 52 rain-related, 28 due to road accidents

Rain-related deaths included 14 due to cloudbursts, 8 in flash floods, 1 from landslides, and others from electrocution, drowning, and falls caused by weather events

Debris from burning Singapore flagged cargo ship washes ashore in Kerala

A container and a lifeboat from the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the Kerala coast a week ago, washed ashore in Alappuzha district on Monday, raising concerns that more debris may reach the coast in the coming days. Officials said the container, believed to be empty, and the lifeboat were found near the Kakkazhom area. Alappuzha District Collector Alex Varghese, who visited the site, said the State Disaster Management Authority and the shipping company had been informed. The items will be removed by a salvage team. Customs authorities have been alerted and will carry out the necessary formalities, officials added. The development has sparked fears that additional containers could drift ashore along the Alappuzha and Ernakulam coasts on June 17 and 18. Meanwhile, defence sources said that the cargo vessel is currently being towed by professional salvors appointed by the ship's owner. The MV Wan Hai 503 is now about 45 nautical miles off the coa

NDMA to incorporate 3Ms into action plan for landslide management

This comes against the backdrop of changing rainfall patterns causing floods and landslides

SIS Group signs MoU with govt to upskill officers in civil defence

Security and business support services provider SIS Group Enterprises on Wednesday said it has signed an MoU with the government to upskill its personnel and include Civil Defence and Disaster Relief in the training curriculum. The strategic partnership with the civil defence wing of the Home Affairs Ministry intends to improve internal security preparedness by supporting the upskilling of SIS frontline security officers deployed in 244 districts across India, the group said in a statement. This collaboration will involve the active participation of SIS teams in Civil Defence drills and the inclusion of Civil Defence and Disaster Relief modules in SIS's training curriculum. The objective is to enhance response mechanisms and ensure business continuity for SIS clients in the event of emergencies, disasters, or war-like situations. Rituraj Sinha, Group Managing Director, SIS Group Enterprises, said: By integrating Civil Defence training into our regular modules, we are equipping our

Mock drills held at Sriharikota Space Centre and Tirupati airport

Mock drills were carried out at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) in Sriharikota and Tirupati Airport in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, in view of the India-Pakistan military conflict. From 9:30 am to 11:30 am, multiple security teams undertook the mock drill at SHAR, an ISRO rocket-launching facility in Andhra Pradesh. The exercise was aimed at evaluating the preparedness, coordination, and response time of security forces in the event of a potential threat, said an official press release. Under the supervision of CISF DIG Sanjay Kumar, various security and emergency units such as the CISF Quick Response Team (70 personnel), CISF Bomb Disposal Team, CISF Fire Department, and medical staff participated in the drill. A three-member Intelligence Bureau (IB) team, two-member marine police team and local police also partook in the drill, which demonstrated effective communication and swift action for the success of the exercise. Similarly, a comprehensive mock drill was conducted at Tiru

India trains 1,700 Aapda Mitras for civil defence amid border tension

Amid rising tensions with Pakistan, India trains 1,700 Aapda Mitra volunteers to support civil defence forces with emergency skills like evacuation, first aid, and firefighting

Maharashtra govt launches disaster management training for students at ITIs

In light of the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, Maharashtra Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Thursday announced the introduction of disaster management training across all industrial training institutes (ITIs) in the state. The state skill development minister, in a statement, said a special programme will begin on Thursday to equip students with essential knowledge in civil defence and disaster preparedness. The aim is to strengthen resilience and readiness among youth in response to potential emergencies, the statement said. The programme will be launched at the Rajamata Jijau Government ITI in Kopri, Thane, and will be expanded to other ITIs in the state later. Former Director General of Police Praveen Dixit will guide the sessions, while training will be conducted in collaboration with Aniruddha's Academy of Disaster Management. The curriculum will cover various aspects of civil defence and emergency response techniques. Lodha said the move is a proactive step to

Civil defence mock drill in Delhi on May 7: Here are the dos and don'ts

Delhi's big emergency drill, "Operation Abhyaas," will be held on Wednesday to prepare residents for air-raid warnings, blackouts, and more

Mock drill in Delhi: Schools to conduct exercise for disaster response

The Delhi govt will conduct mock drills under 'Operation Abhyaas' for disaster response training and safety preparedness in schools

Isro takes lead role of 'International Charter Space and Major Disasters'

India, through ISRO, once again demonstrated its initiative in space-based disaster management by assuming the lead role of the "International Charter Space and Major Disasters" for six months from April 2025, the space agency said on Saturday. The lead role tenure started with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)/ISRO organising the 53rd meeting of the Charter in Hyderabad during April 14-17, it said. According to ISRO, it witnessed the participation of major global space agencies (with 22 foreign delegates attending in person) engaged in space-based disaster management activities. "India is signatory to the Charter which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025, with ISRO being a founder member. The Charter functions as a collaborative framework involving 17 member organisations, who voluntarily provide Earth observation data and value-added products for managing disasters occurring globally," the space agency said in a statement. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan addressed the board

Centre, NDMA can ask banks to waive loans of Wayanad landslide victims: HC

The Kerala High Court on Thursday said that while the RBI cannot ask banks to waive the loans of Wayanad landslides victims, the Union government and the National Disaster Management Authority can do so. A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Easwaran S said it will pass orders "nudging" the Centre and the NDMA to ask the banks to waive off the loans. The bench pointed out that the Kerala Bank had waived off the disaster victims' loans and it had an exposure of around Rs five crore. The High Court observed that if the Kerala Bank can do it, then the other banks, which have lesser exposure, can also do the same. "It only requires a bit of goading from the NDMA and the Union government," it said. The observations came in the wake of the central government filing an affidavit earlier in the week stating that according to the RBI's Master Directions on Natural Calamities, the loans of the Wayanad landslides victims can only be restructured or rescheduled. The bench also dir

India's disaster response experience makes it key to Myanmar quake aid: UN

India has emerged as a key player in the humanitarian response to the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, providing swift and substantial aid that has significantly bolstered relief efforts, a UN official has said. In an interview with PTI Videos, Sajjad Mohammad Sajid, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Myanmar, praised India's rapid deployment of resources under Operation Rama, delivering over 1,000 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies, and field hospital support, within days of the disaster. Myanmar was hit by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28. "The early deployment of resources and facilities helped a lot of people, particularly in urban areas of Mandalay," Sajid said, noting that India also sent a 200-strong search and rescue team and medical personnel to assist the worst-hit regions. The establishment of a field hospital in Mandalay has been particularly critical, Sajid added, as many local hospitals

Parliament passes new bill to improve disaster response across states

Parliament on Tuesday passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 to strengthen the efficient working of the national and state disaster management authorities. The government also stressed that the legislation will help states in handling all disasters in a better way. The Rajya Sabha cleared the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024 to amend the Disaster Management Act of 2005 by a voice vote. Several amendments moved by Opposition members were negated by the House. The government said states faced difficulties in implementing the Disaster Management Act of 2005. The proposed amendments are based on the difficulties flagged by states and suggestions given by them. The Bill seeks to specify the roles and responsibilities of various organisations involved in disaster management and ensure synergy and uniformity in response. The discussion also saw a significant focus on the government's response to the disaster in Wayanad, with several opposition members accusing the

News updates: Nadda launches weeklong Jan Aushadhi Diwas celebrations

Latest news updates: Catch all the latest news developments from around the world here

Avalanche buries BRO camp in Uttarakhand: 33 workers rescued, 22 trapped

Thirty-three of a total of 55 BRO workers trapped under an avalanche in the high-altitude village of Mana in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district have been rescued, with concerns over the safety of the remaining 22 mounting as night fell on the snowbound slopes and the rescue efforts came to a temporary halt. Updating the information on the rescue operations here, Uttarakhand's Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said 33 trapped labourers have been rescued and 22 remain to be traced amid adverse weather conditions. Correcting the information shared earlier, Suman said it was subsequently found out that two of the 57 labourers feared trapped in the avalanche at the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp were on leave and the actual number of workers trapped was 55. While 33 of them have been rescued, 22 are yet to be traced, he added. Suman agreed that the task is challenging as there is seven feet of snow near the avalanche site. However, more than 65 personnel are engaged in t

Centre sanctions Rs 1554.99 cr to five states hit by natural calamities

A committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved Rs 1554.99 crore of additional central assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to five states affected by floods, flash floods, landslides and cyclonic storms during 2024. Out of the total amount of Rs 1554.99 crore, Rs 608.08 crore has been approved for Andhra Pradesh, Rs 170.99 crore for Nagaland, Rs 255.24 crore for Odisha, Rs 231.75 crore for Telangana and Rs 288.93 crore for Tripura, according to an official statement. In a post on X, Shah said, "The Modi government stands like a rock in support of the disaster-affected people. Today, the MHA approved an additional central assistance of Rs 1554.99 crore to Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Odisha, Telangana, and Tripura under the NDR fund. This is in addition to the Rs. 18,322.80 crore released by the Centre to 27 states under the SDR fund". The high level committee approved central assistance of Rs 1554.99 crore to five states from the NDRF, subject t

Can Delhi withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake? What needs to be done?

Delhi's vulnerability to seismic risks is growing. Experts urge urgent retrofitting and structural audits to safeguard buildings against higher-magnitude earthquakes