The Hindu Business Line : Finance panel to focus on disaster preparedness

Relief measures
National Calamity Contingency Fund was unlikely to be invoked for the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh floods.
The Commission may consider laying stress on earthquake-resistant structures

A. Srinivas

Bangalore, Oct. 15 The 13th Finance Commission is expected to go beyond the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF), which is used for post-disaster relief measures, and recommend that the Centre and States set aside an “equal” sum for pre-disaster mitigation measures.

The Tenth Plan (2005-10) outlay of Rs 21,333 crore has been used to provide post-disaster relief support, officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs said. “Every year, at least two per cent of the revenue receipts of the Union Government is spent on relief, restoration and reconstruction expenditure to various State governments. This knee-jerk approach has got to change in favour of preparedness,” they said.

Careful examination

They also said the National Calamity Contingency Fund was unlikely to be invoked for the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh floods. “Considering that the damage caused by the tsunami was put at just under Rs 10,000 crore, the estimates put out by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka should be examined carefully,” Home Affairs officials argued.

Unlike in the case of CRF, where the Centre and States contribute 75 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, the Centre coughs up the entire sum in the case of NCCF.

“As a result, States push for the declaration of a national calamity. We have to be careful about this,” they said, while acknowledging the losses caused by the floods were of a tall order.

As part of a “preparedness” exercise, the 13th Finance Commission may, for instance, consider laying stress on earthquake-resistant structures as well as buildings that can handle fire better. The Commission could emphasise “capacity building” in this regard, as engineers are educationally ill-equipped to meet the needs arising out of an agenda of preparedness, they said.

Mainstream activity

“The idea is make disaster management part of the mainstream activity of all ministries,” the officials said.

“The casualties resulting from cyclones in Andhra Pradesh have come down as a result of mitigation efforts. These need to be replicated elsewhere,” they said. As part of such an approach, a team from the Indian Institute of Technology is studying floods on the Brahmaputra.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — an inter-ministerial body which co-ordinates disaster management activities — had earlier suggested the creation of river basin organisations to deal with floods that affect more than one State, as well as a National Flood Management Institute.

It estimates that “40 million hectares out of a total geographical area of 3,290 lakh hectares is prone to floods”. Its document on floods says: “On an average every year, 75 lakh hectares are affected, 1,600 lives are lost and the damage caused to crops, houses and public utilities is Rs 1,805 crore...”

On earthquakes, the NDMA has observed: “The large number of fatalities due to earthquakes in rural areas during 1990-2006 also makes it imperative to pay special attention to the earthquake safety of buildings being constructed in these areas.”

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