Centre forms High-Level Committee for disaster management oversight

NEW DELHI: The Central government on Wednesday constituted a High-Level Committee under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and three others as its members to oversee matters related to the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The committee includes Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery as its members.

The committee has been constituted exercising the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 8B of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (53 of 2005), a Ministry of Home Affairs notification mentions.

The constitution of the committee aims at strengthening national preparedness and response under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

This committee plays a critical role in guiding policy decisions and ensuring coordinated efforts among various ministries and agencies during times of disaster. Its formation is aimed at enhancing the country’s resilience to both natural and man-made disasters, including floods, earthquakes, pandemics, and industrial accidents.

By bringing together key figures from finance, agriculture, and planning, the committee ensures a multi-sectoral approach to disaster management. This is particularly significant given the increasing frequency and impact of extreme weather events and other emergencies, which require timely resource allocation, robust planning, and effective mitigation strategies.

Officials say the panel will also oversee the implementation of long-term risk reduction measures and review the readiness of states and Union Territories, reinforcing India’s national disaster response mechanism. (ANI)