North News
New Delhi, January 30
The High-Level Committee (HLC) chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved ₹3,027.86 crore for disaster mitigation projects across various states, the Ministry of Home Affairs said. The committee includes the Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister, and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog as members. The projects include ₹2,022.16 crore for drought mitigation in 49 districts across 12 states, with ₹1,200 crore as the central share. These states are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Additionally, ₹186.78 crore has been allocated for a Lightning Safety Mitigation Project in 50 high-risk districts across 10 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. A Mitigation Scheme for Forest Fire Risk Management has also been approved, with ₹818.92 crore earmarked for 144 high-priority districts in 19 states. The scheme aims to enhance forest fire prevention and response. The central government will contribute ₹690.63 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
The decision aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a disaster-resilient India, focusing on reducing loss of life and property through improved disaster risk reduction mechanisms. Earlier, the HLC had sanctioned ₹3,075.65 crore for urban flood risk mitigation in seven major cities, ₹150 crore for Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk management in four states, and ₹1,000 crore for landslide risk mitigation in 15 states. In the current financial year, the government has released over ₹24,981 crore to states for disaster management, including ₹17,479.60 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for 27 states and ₹4,808.30 crore from the NDRF for 18 states.
