Disaster Management

Nearly 50% of public infra unprepared for disaster management: CBRE

Nearly 50 per cent of public infrastructure in India is unprepared for disaster management, according to a survey by CBRE. The survey findings were released at a joint 'Infrastructure Management Conference 2024' organised by CBRE and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here. On Wednesday, real estate consultant CBRE said as per its survey on select large infrastructure assets on risk management parameters, "nearly 50 per cent of the public infrastructure in India is unprepared for disaster planning and management and needs greater attention". "India is grappling with a significant increase in both natural and man-made disasters, posing a threat to the economy, population and long-term sustainable development," the consultant said. The vulnerability to disasters is further exacerbated by a confluence of factors, including changing demographic and socio-economic conditions, unplanned urbanisation, development within high-risk zones, environmental degradation, climate change, and .

Central govt team arrives in Andhra Pradesh to assess flood damage

A Central government team arrived here on Wednesday to assess the flood damage in Andhra Pradesh due to the recent torrential downpours and deluge, affecting as many as seven districts. Local officials have prepared the preliminary report on the flood devastation and also readied a route map for the Central team's tour. "Officials (local) are explaining the flood situation and the damage it caused to the Central team at the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) office in Tadepalli," an official release said. The Central team is meeting with officials from various departments to learn about the havoc wreaked by the deluge, which affected West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla and Palnadu districts. The team was apprised of the devastation caused by the Budameru rivulet in Vijayawada, besides the various relief activities undertaken by the state government.

ASDMA signs MoU with GSI for early warning system for landslides in Assam

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has signed an MoU with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) for implementation of experimental regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) for combating the problem of landslides in the state. The MoU was signed by ASDMA CEO Gyanendra Dev Tripathi and Siladitya Sengupta, deputy director general, SU: Assam, GSI on Friday, an official statement said. The problem of landslides sometimes goes unnoticed or individual landslides are being dealt with ad-hoc response mechanisms, and the problem keeps on recurring every year. In addition to lives lost, large numbers of houses along with infrastructures destroyed in landslides in the hilly terrains of Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, Cachar, Karimganj and Kamrup Metropolitan districts. During recent times, one of the major thrust areas in landslide risk reduction is the development of a regional LEWS for a large area with inputs from static landslide susceptibility and hazard maps, dynamic .

Bill to create Urban Disaster Management Authority introduced in Lok Sabha

Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, also seeks to make provision for a State Disaster Response Force

Bill moots disaster management body for state capitals, big cities

Congress' Manish Tewari said the proposed legislation entrusted the rule-making powers upon the Centre and encroaches on the domain of the state governments

Assam floods: Home minister talks with CM Sarma, assures him of all help

The flood situation in Assam improved gradually even as over 5 lakh people in 17 districts are still reeling under the deluge, official sources said on Tuesday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah telephoned Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to enquire about the situation, reiterating assurance of all help from the Centre, while Sarma also received a call from his Odisha counterpart offering use of the eastern state's disaster management system to mitigate the challenges. Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Monday and apprised him of the flood situation, a Raj Bhavan source said here. The Prime Minister said that the Centre is with the state government to deal with the situation and empower the state in mitigating the impact of flood. Modi also assured the governor of his support and assistance in helping the state government in carrying out the rehabilitation work, the source added. They said over 5,11,000 people remained affe

Water level in Ganga rises amid heavy rainfall in Rishikesh, says SDRF

Currently, the situation is normal at the moment and all the travellers and citizens in the town are being alerted by the water police and SDRF teams

Assam floods top points: Red alert in state, death toll rises to 52

Assam floods: Brahmaputra river is expected to recede by 35-65 cm by Saturday night, authorities advise continued caution near the riverfront as the water levels remain dangerously high

PIL filed in Supreme Court over multiple bridge collapse incidents in Bihar

A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Bihar government to undertake a structural audit and set up an expert committee to identify bridges that can be either strengthened or demolished based on the findings. Ten incidents of bridge collapse have been reported in Bihar's Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts in over a fortnight. Many have claimed that heavy rainfall might have contributed to the incidents. The PIL, filed by advocate and petitioner Brajesh Singh, raised concerns about the safety and longevity of the bridges in the state that witnesses floods and heavy rains during monsoon. Besides setting up a high-level expert panel, it also sought real-time monitoring of the bridges as per the parameters of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. In the PIL, the petitioner said it was a matter of grave concern that Bihar is the most flood-prone state in India. The total flood-affected area in the state is ..

Telangana to expand disaster management wing of GHMC to offer various svces

The Telangana government has decided to expand the disaster management wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to offer various services, including protecting government assets like water bodies against the threat of encroachments. A preliminary decision has been taken at a meeting held by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to name the expanded wing as Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection (HYDRA), an official release said on Monday night. In view of the expansion of the geographical area of Hyderabad, the CM directed expanding the purview of the disaster management wing up to the city's Outer Ring Road (ORR). The wing would serve the GHMC and also the 27 municipal bodies, 33 Gram Panchayats neighbouring the city. CM Revanth Reddy directed Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari to prepare a draft on the reorganization, requirement of personnel, duties, allocation of funds and responsibilities of the wing. The CM decided that the disaster managemen

DDMA issues guidelines to minimise impact of heatwave; details here

As per IMD, the maximum temperature of 43.6 degrees Celsius was recorded in the national capital on Wednesday

DoT plans trials for drone & balloon-based 5G restoration during disasters

The Department of Telecommunications will likely conduct trials in the coming months to assess the effectiveness of this initiative

Hoarding collapse: DDMA orders removal of 8 oversized hoardings in Dadar

The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) for Mumbai on Friday directed the Government Railway Police (GRP) commissioner to remove eight oversized hoardings installed by Ego Media Private Limited in Dadar area as they "may endanger the lives of general public," an official said. A hoarding installed by Ego Media collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar on May 13, killing 16 people and injuring more than 75. The official said that DDMA chaired by additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi issued a notice to GRP commissioner and directed him to remove within three days eight hoardings on GRP premises. "It is noticed that, there are eight other oversized hoardings (i.e. more than (40ft x 40ft) erected on Government Railway Police premises within the Western Railway-jurisdiction of Railways, which are erected not in consonance with the policy of BMC i.e. (in terms of) location, size, type, structural audit etc," the notice read.

Asia world's most disaster-prone region in 2023, shows WMO report

Asia continued to bear the brunt of weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2023, making it the world's most disaster-hit region, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization. Floods and storms led to the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses, and the impact of heat waves intensified, said the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) State of the Climate in Asia - 2023 report. According to the report, sea-surface temperatures in the northwest Pacific Ocean hit record highs, and even the Arctic Ocean experienced a marine heat wave. "Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage of extreme conditions, from droughts and heat waves to floods and storms. Climate change exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events, profoundly impacting societies, economies, and, most importantly, human lives and the environment that we live in," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. Citing

Boat capsizes in Jhelum River, Srinagar: Six drowned, several missing

Adverse weather conditions, heightened by heavy rains over the past few days, caused landslides in the region, complicating rescue efforts

UN praises Odisha govt's disaster management, food security, millet mission

UN resident coordinator in India Shombi Sharp has commended the Odisha government's initiatives in disaster management, food security, 5T governance, Human Development Indicators (HDI) indicators, and the Millet Mission during a meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Niwas here. Sharp, visiting Odisha, discussed the state's development trajectory and its collaboration with UN agencies, noting their fruitful partnership. He lauded Odisha's progress in enhancing HDI indicators and its disaster management efforts, particularly under Patnaik's leadership, which prioritised community-led systems following the Super Cyclone in 1999. Sharp highlighted Odisha's recognition as a leading state in disaster management, citing international accolades for its handling of Cyclone Phailin and Cyclone Fani. "Today, Odisha is recognised as a leading state in managing disasters. The UN felicitated Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2013 for handling the Cyclone Phailin in 2019 with the Ne

5 dead, over 100 injured in Jalpaiguri cyclone; WB CM Mamata meets victims

Four people died and over 100 were injured as a sudden storm wreaked havoc in parts of Jalpaiguri district in northern West Bengal on Sunday, officials said. Several hutments and houses were damaged, trees uprooted and electric poles came crashing down as strong winds accompanied by hail struck most parts of the district headquarters town and many areas of neighbouring Mainaguri, they said. Among the most affected areas were Rajarhat, Barnish, Bakali, Jorpakdi, Madhabdanga and Saptibari, the officials said, adding that several acres of agricultural land and crops suffered damages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the storm, and said he had spoken with officials and asked them to ensure proper assistance to those affected by it. "My thoughts are with those affected by the storms in Jalpaiguri-Mainaguri areas of West Bengal. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones," Modi said on X. "I would also urge all @BJP4Bengal Karyakartas to assist those .

Kolkata building collapse leaves 5 dead, CM Mamata assures stern action

At least 10 people were rescued after an under-construction building collapsed here late on Sunday night, officials said. The five-storey building collapsed in Hazari Mollah Bagan in the Garden Reach area. A search operation is underway to find survivors who may be trapped under the rubble, they said. "An under-construction building collapsed in the Garden Reach area late on Sunday night. We have rescued a few people. The recuse operation is still going on," a police official said. Ambulances were stationed at the spot. In a post on X, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said, "I urge @chief_west, Secretary @HomeBengal, @CPKolkata to immediately involve West Bengal State Disaster Management Team for immediate Rescue & Relief." "I am receiving frantic calls regarding probable casualties. Please dispatch any team which can help in rescuing the victims, be it Fire Servicemen, Police or any other team," he said. Adhikari also shared pictures from the ...

Govt developed early disaster warning systems, saved many lives: Amit Shah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced a multi-dimensional disaster management plan and under this vision, the government raised prompt response forces and developed early warning systems that helped save millions of lives, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday. Shah also said that to build a disaster-resilient country, the prime minister has adopted a zero-casualty approach in India's response to calamities and the disaster response teams now operate as fully professional forces driven by the goal of securing every life. "PM @narendramodi Ji introduced a multi-dimensional Disaster Management Plan. Under this vision, the Modi govt raised prompt response forces and developed vigilant early warning systems leading to saving millions of lives," he posted on 'X' with the hashtag "Disaster Resilient Bharat". The home minister said that powered by the visionary leadership of Modi, the country today can tackle any disaster and due to the government's 'Mission Zero Casualty', ev

Colombia declares disaster over wildfires, asks for international help

Colombia's government declared a disaster on Thursday and asked for international help to combat raging wildfires that are expected to worsen in coming days due to warm, dry conditions associated with the El Nio weather phenomenon. Officials raised the number of fires from 25 to 31, and said nine of them were under control. They did not order mandatory evacuations despite some fires burning in the mountains that surround some municipalities. President Gustavo Petro said Chile, the United States, Peru and Canada have already responded to the call for help, without specifying when the assistance will arrive to the South American country. The government also asked for aid from the United Nations and European Union. To the extent that we know that in the coming days and weeks crisis events are going to increase, we want to make sure that we have the physical capacity to address and mitigate them, Petro said. Colombia's Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies repo