New Delhi: The government has formally assigned specific ministries and departments to manage different types of disasters, aiming to minimise disruption and casualties, according to a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Under the new framework, the Ministry of Defence will handle avalanches and oil spills, while the Ministry of Earth Sciences is tasked with providing early warnings for cold waves, cyclones, tornadoes, earthquakes, heat waves, lightning, tsunamis, hailstorms, and heavy rainfall. Biological disasters will fall under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare will monitor frost, cold waves, droughts, hailstorms, and pest attacks. Floods and glacial lake outburst floods will be managed by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, while urban floods—excluding early warnings—will be overseen by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change will address forest fires and industrial or chemical disasters. Landslides are assigned to the Ministry of Mines, and nuclear or radiological emergencies will be managed by the Department of Atomic Energy.
The notification cites powers under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, stating that the designated ministries and departments “shall have the responsibility for monitoring, early warning, prevention, mitigation, preparedness and capacity building with regard to disaster arising from various hazards.”
Officials say this structured approach is designed to ensure faster response and better coordination across government bodies, reducing risks and improving disaster preparedness nationwide.