Why in news
Kerala government has requested the Centre to declare the landslides that devastated at least three villages in Wayanad a national disaster
National disaster
As per Disaster Management Act, 2005, national disaster is a catastrophic event (natural or man-made) that impacts the entire country or a significant part of it, overwhelming local and state resources
Characteristics:
Affects a large portion of the population.
Causes substantial damage to life, property, and the environment.
Requires national-level intervention and support
Benefits of ‘national disaster declaration’
National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF): Provides additional funding to the affected state for immediate relief and rehabilitation efforts.
National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF): Offers extra financial assistance if the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) is insufficient, fully funded by the central government.
CRF is set up, with the corpus shared 3:1 between Centre and state
Access to national-level resources, including specialized teams and equipment, to aid in disaster response and recovery.
Opportunities for concessional loans or relief in repayment of existing loans for affected individuals and businesses
Deployment of national-level experts and specialized agencies to support disaster management efforts.
Accelerated policy interventions and planning tailored to the scale of the disaster, facilitating more effective recovery and rebuilding.
Higher public and media attention, leading to greater awareness and potentially more support and resources from various sectors
COMMENTS