GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3029
TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2005

NATIONAL DISASTER

3029. SHRI GURUDAS KAMAT:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

be pleased to state:

(a) whether Indian Sub-Continent is seen to be most vulnerable to national disasters;

(b) if so, the reasons therefor; and

(c) the remedial steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OCEAN DEVELOPMENT

(SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. The Indian sub-continent by virtue of its unique geographical configuraiton and associated climatic regime is most vulnerable to natural disasters like earthquakes, landslides, cyclones, floods, droughts and Tsunamis etc. According to the concept of plate tectonics, the Indian plate is moving in north-north-east direction and colliding with Eurasian plate causing earthquakes and landslides in the Himalayan region. Bay of Bengal & Arabian sea witness development of cyclones which strike both the east & west coasts making the Indian sub-continent vulnerable to cyclones during monsoon season. The inter-annual and intra-seasonal variability of monsoon rainfall results in disasters like floods and droughts. Tsunamis are generally associated with large magnitude earthquakes in the Indian Ocean along the border of Indian plate boundary.

(c) Ministry of Home Affairs, the nodal agency for disaster management has initiated efforts to strengthen the preparedness for effective handling of the disaster situation arising from natural calamities in the country by taking up the training and equipping of specialists response teams of National Disaster Response Force. These specialist teams are being trained in "medical first response" and "collapsed structures search and rescue" and will be available to supplement efforts by the State Governments concerned in the event of a major disaster situation. The State Governments have also been advised to set up specialist response teams. GOI-UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme has also been taken up in 169 districts in 17 multi-hazard prone states.