Why in the News?

• Recently, a High-Level Committee chaired by the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation has approved Rs 1,115.67 crore for disaster mitigation and capacity-building projects in various states.

Key Points:

About the Committee:

=> The committee reviewed proposals to mitigate landslide risks in 15 states under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).

=> It also approved funding from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for training and capacity-building initiatives for Civil Defense volunteers across all states and union territories.

=> The National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project was approved for 15 states at a total cost of Rs 1,000 crore.

=> State-wise allocations:

• Uttarakhand: Rs 139 crore
• Himachal Pradesh: Rs 139 crore
• Eight North-East States: Rs 378 crore
• Maharashtra: Rs 100 crore
• Karnataka: Rs 72 crore
• Kerala: Rs 72 crore
• Tamil Nadu: Rs 50 crore
• West Bengal: Rs 50 crore

=> Training and Capacity Building of Civil Defense Volunteers was approved for all states and union territories with a total outlay of Rs 115.67 crore.

Previous Approvals by the Committee:

=> Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Projects: Urban flood risk management projects were approved for seven cities with a total outlay of Rs 3,075.65 crore.

=> GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) Risk Management Projects: GLOF was approved for four states at a total cost of Rs 150 crore under NDMF.

National Disaster Relief Fund:

• National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) was renamed as National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) with the enactment of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• It is defined in Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• It is managed by the Central Government to meet the expenses for emergency response, relief and rehabilitation due to any threatening disaster situation or disaster.
• It supplements the SDRF in case of a disaster of a severe nature, provided adequate funds are not available in the SDRF.

Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF):

• A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a type of catastrophic flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails, releasing a large volume of water.
• This type of flood is typically caused by rapid melting of glaciers or the buildup of water in the lake due to heavy precipitation or the inflow of meltwater.
• In February 2021, Chamoli district in Uttarakhand witnessed flash floods which are suspected to have been caused by GLOFs.