A High-Level Committee (HLC) under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister has recently approved ₹ 3027.86 crore for three disasters from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).

• Previously, financial assistance from NDMF was approved for other projects like Urban Flood Risk Mitigation, GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) Risk Management, Landslide Risk Mitigation, etc.

Key Highlights of the Initiatives launched

• Project for catalytic assistance to 12 most drought prone states including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.  
• Mitigation Project on Lightning Safety in 50 heavy lightning prone districts in 10 states including Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, etc.
• Mitigation Scheme for Forest Fire Risk Management for implementation in 144 high-priority districts in 19 states including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, etc.
  • Objective: To transform the forest fire management approach in the country to strengthen and support vital forest fire prevention and mitigation activities. 
  • Mechanism: States will submit proposals for activities focused on forest fire mitigation, response preparedness, and post-fire assessment and recovery.