High-level committee approves disaster mitigation and capacity building projects

NEW DELHI: A High-Level Committee (HLC) chaired by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, has approved several disaster mitigation and capacity building projects for various states. The committee, which includes the Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister, and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, convened in New Delhi on Thursday to consider nine proposals for funding from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

The approved projects aim to combat urban flooding in six cities, mitigate Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in four hill states, and strengthen fire services in three states. Additionally, the committee considered a proposal to implement the Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme in all 28 states.

During today’s meeting, the HLC approved six project proposals for urban flood management in Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Maharashtra, at a total cost of Rs 2514.36 crore. The projects will be implemented in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Pune. Previously, on November

27, 2023, the HLC approved a flood management project for Chennai, Tamil Nadu, costing Rs 561.29 crore.

The committee also sanctioned three projects under the “Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services” scheme for Assam, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, with a total outlay of Rs 810.64 crore. The central government has allocated Rs 5000 crore under the NDRF for this scheme, having already approved proposals from 11 states totaling Rs 1691.43 crore.

Moreover, the HLC approved a GLOF risk mitigation project for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, with a total outlay of Rs. 150 crore. This project aims to support these states in taking necessary measures to address GLOF risks.

The Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme (YAMS) was also approved at an outlay of Rs. 470.50 crore from the NDRF. This scheme will be implemented in 315 disaster-prone districts, training 1300 Aapda Mitra Volunteers as Master Trainers and 2.37 lakh volunteers from NCC, NSS, NYKS, and Bharat Scouts & Guides in disaster preparedness and response. This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of preparing communities to be first responders during disasters. Previously, the government trained around 1 lakh community volunteers under the “Aapda Mitra” scheme in 350 disaster-prone districts.

In the current financial year, the central government has released Rs 6348 crore to 14 states under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and Rs. 672 crore to six states under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF). Additionally, Rs 4265 crore has been disbursed to 10 states under the NDRF.