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The Central Government recently approved nine proposals, including six urban flood management projects in five states.

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The High-Level Committee (HLC) overall considered nine proposals for funding from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to combat urban flooding in six cities, to mitigate Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in 4 hill states and to strengthen fire services in 3 states.

Key Highlights of the Committee Decisions

• The High-Level Committee (HLC) has approved six urban flood management projects in Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Maharashtra at a total cost of ₹2,514.36 crore. 
• These funds will be allocated for flood management in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Pune metro cities.
• Committee also approved three projects of Rs. 810.64 crore under “Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the states” for Assam, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

Proposals for Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Mitigation

• The committee has approved ₹150 crore worth of proposals for GLOF risk mitigation in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. 
• These measures aim to address GLOF risks in these four hill states.

Approval of Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme (YAMS)

• The HLC has also approved the Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme (YAMS) with an outlay of ₹470.50 crore from the NDRF.

Financial Support for Disaster Management

• During the current financial year, the Centre has released ₹6,348 crore to 14 states under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and ₹672 crore to six states under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF). 

What is Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)?

• Glacial lakes are large water bodies situated in front of, on top of, or beneath melting glaciers. As these lakes expand, they pose increasing risks because they are typically dammed by unstable ice or loose sediment and debris. 
• If the boundaries of these lakes break, massive volumes of water can surge down the mountainsides, leading to downstream flooding. 
• This phenomenon is known as a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).

High-Level Committee (HLC)

• The HLC chaired by the Union home minister includes the Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister, and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog as members. 
• It considered nine proposals for funding from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

About the NDMA

• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), led by the Prime Minister, is India's apex body for disaster management. 
• Established under the Disaster Management Act (2005), the NDMA creates policies, plans, and guidelines to promote a culture of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response at national, state, and district levels.

 Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme (YAMS)

• It is a central sector scheme, launched in 2016, and implemented by the NDMA, that trains community volunteers in disaster response.
• These volunteers are trained to perform basic relief and rescue tasks during emergencies like floods and urban flooding, flash floods.

National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) 

• It was constituted under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, managed by the Ministry of Home, and supplements the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) in case of a disaster of a severe nature, provided adequate funds are not available in the SDRF.

State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)

• The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is the primary fund available to State Governments for responses to notified disasters (Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, etc.)
• The allocation of funds under SDRF and NDRF is based on the recommendations of the successive Financial Commissions.

National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) & State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF)

• Based on the 15th Finance Commission's recommendations, the central government established the NDRF in 2021 and advised all state governments to set up State Disaster Mitigation Funds (SDMF).