Context: Recently, the Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj released the Disaster Management Plan of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (DMP-MoPR).
Background

• India has been vulnerable, in varying degrees, to many natural as well as human-made disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic and socio-economic conditions. 
• Different parts of the country are highly vulnerable to cyclones, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, etc. 
• Considering the important role that local communities can play in reducing vulnerabilities and early recovery, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has prepared this Disaster Management Plan (DMP) so that all Panchayati Raj Institutions along with communities can be prepared for any disaster. 

Key Highlights

• It aims to develop disaster resilience at the grassroots level among the Panchayats and establish a framework to align the disaster management measures in rural areas to that of the National Disaster Management Authority.
• It will contribute to the efforts of the Government in bringing convergence in disaster management and planning in rural areas.
• All stakeholders including elected representatives, functionaries of Panchayats, etc. would participate in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the plan.

It comprehensively covers areas such as

• institutional arrangement for Disaster Management;
• Hazard Risk, Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis;
• Coherence of Disaster Risk Management across Resilient Development and Climate Change Action;
• Disaster Specific Preventive and Mitigation Measures-Responsibility Framework;
• Mainstreaming of Community Based Disaster Management Plan of Villages and Panchayats and so on.

India's Efforts in Managing Disaster

• India developed disaster management (DM) as a holistic approach, not just reacting after a disaster but also integrating disaster preparedness, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) into plans and policies.
• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was set up.
• It is an apex body for disaster management, headed by the Prime Minister of India.
• The creation of an enabling environment for institutional mechanisms at the State and District levels is mandated by the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• It established National Disaster Reaction Force.
• It is the world’s largest rapid reaction force dedicated to disaster response.
• India is an emerging donor that has provided a substantial amount of foreign disaster relief, as well as foreign development assistance, to other countries.
• Its foreign humanitarian assistance has increasingly included its military assets, primarily deploying naval ships or aircraft to deliver relief.
• India also contributes to regional disaster preparedness and capacity-building efforts.