New Delhi: Allaying apprehensions, government on Thursday said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is not being closed down but will be reconstituted.
"...NDMA has not been closed down. It will be reconstituted," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said in Rajya Sabha, replying to a short duration discussion on natural calamities in various parts of the country.
Some members had raised questions over the fate of the body after its members appointed by the previous government had been sacked by the present dispensation.
Initiating the debate, Tarun Vijay (BJP) said NDMA should not be made a parking place for retired officials and should be turned into a competent outfit to tackle natural calamities as more than 17 major disasters hit the nation after 2010.
Rijiju informed the House that dengue, flash floods and lightning were among a list of occurrences recommended by the Home Ministry to the 14th Finance Commission for inclusion in the list of calamities.
He said the Centre is always forthcoming in assisting the states in tackling natural disaster and has been releasing funds from them on the basis of proposals from them.
He said on the request of chief ministers of states like Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, funds have been given to them.
While the Centre has already released Rs 230 crore to UP to tackle the floods there, it has approved Rs 931.64 crore to Odisha in wake of cyclone Phailin which hit the state last year.
The Minister said 249 people died, 3280 cattle perished and 10,920 houses destroyed as of now due to natural calamities in various parts of the country while 0.37 lakh hectares of crops have been destroyed.
He said 10 states are facing floods at present, with Odisha government releasing 10.81 lakh cusec of water from Mahanadi this afternoon. The Home Minister has also spoken to the state Chief Minister about the floods in the state, he said.
Rijiju said that as per the present position, 16 out of the 36 meteorological sub-divisions received deficient rainfall.
Referring to the agreements that India has with neighbouring countries to tackle natural calamities, he said that such a system helped India quickly alert Nepal this monsoon to destroy some artificial dams created by a swelling Koshi and avert a possible disaster in Bihar.
