Amit Shah calls for zero casualty disaster management across India

The Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review the country’s preparedness for floods, heatwaves and other climate-related disasters, stressing the need to implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Zero Casualty Disaster Management” across the country.During the meeting, Shah directed all states to constitute and activate Flood Crisis Management Teams (FCMTs) ahead of the monsoon season to strengthen disaster response mechanisms and improve coordination during emergencies.
Shah also called for a comprehensive review of compliance with disaster management guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority at the state, district and municipal levels.Highlighting the increasing impact of climate change and changing weather patterns, Shah emphasised the need for a “Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society” approach to disaster management.He stressed the importance of developing an integrated flood forecasting system at both central and state levels to improve preparedness and response capabilities.
Focusing on vulnerable Himalayan regions, Shah directed officials to expand plans for early warning systems for high-risk glacial lakes. He said at least 60 glacial lakes across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim should be brought under the early warning mechanism with support from the NDMA.The Home Minister also emphasised improving dissemination of weather forecasts and warnings at the grassroots level so local communities can respond more effectively to extreme weather events.
On the impact of heatwaves on agriculture, Shah directed officials to take steps to minimise crop losses and strengthen weather-related planning for the farming sector. He also asked authorities to study monsoon-related casualties, forecast accuracy and agricultural damage to further improve preparedness measures.Emphasising water conservation, Shah urged greater use of water storage structures and check dams to improve groundwater levels and reduce the effects of heatwaves.He also said the CAMPA Fund should be utilised in a multidimensional manner to maintain ecological balance and support sustainable environmental measures.Shah advised ministries and departments to focus on improving and integrating existing disaster-related digital platforms and mobile applications instead of creating multiple new systems.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said several initiatives had already been undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi to strengthen disaster preparedness, including extending rainfall and flood forecast lead time from three days to seven days through the India Meteorological Department and the Central Water Commission.The meeting was attended by Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil, senior officials from the Home Ministry, members of the NDMA, officials from the National Disaster Response Force, IMD, National Highways Authority of India, Central Water Commission and the National Remote Sensing Centre, among others.