Declare floods in Tamil Nadu districts as national disaster: Stalin

• The Chief Minister of Tamil nadu has urged the Union Government to declare the extensive damage caused by unprecedented rainfall in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts as a 'National Disaster.'

National Disaster

• The Disaster Management Act, 2005, defined “disaster” as:
  • A catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area
  • It arises from natural or man-made causes, or by accident or negligence
  • It results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property
  • It is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area.
• A natural disaster includes earthquakes, flood, landslide, cyclone, tsunami, urban flood.
• A man-made disaster can be nuclear, biological and chemical.

National Disaster Response Force

• The Disaster Management Act has statutory provisions for the constitution of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

Objective:

• It is aimed at a specialised response to natural and man-made disasters.
• NDRF carries out rescue and relief operations during natural disasters.
• In addition, NDRF has the capability to respond to nuclear, biological and chemical disasters.

Chairman

• The apex body of disaster management is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
• NDRF functions under NDMA.
• Chairman of NDMA is the Prime Minister

Prelims Takeaway

• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
• Disaster Management Act