The Disaster Management Act, 2005

(1) This Act may be called the Disaster ManagementAct, 2005. (2) It extends to the whole of India. (3) It shall come into force on such date1as the Central Government may, by notification in theOfficial Gazette appoint; and different dates* may be appointed for different provisions of this Act andfor different States, and any reference to commencement in any provision of this Act in relation to anyState shall be construed as a reference to the commencement of that provision in that State.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, (a) “affected area” means an area or part of the country affected by a disaster; (b) “capacity-building” includes (i) identification of existing resources and resources to be acquired or created; (ii) acquiring or creating resources identified under sub-clause (i); (iii) organisation and training of personnel and coordination of such training for effectivemanagement of disasters; (c) “Central Government” means the Ministry or Department of the Government of India havingadministrative control of disaster management; (d) “disaster” means a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising fromnatural or man made causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life orhuman suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of,environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of thecommunity of the affected area; (e) “disaster management” means a continuous and integrated process of planning, organising, coordinating and implementing measures which are necessary or expedient for (i) prevention of danger or threat of any disaster; (ii) mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or consequences; (iii) capacity-building; (iv) preparedness to deal with any disaster; (v) prompt response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster; (vi) assessing the severity or magnitude of effects of any disaster; (vii) evacuation, rescue and relief; (viii) rehabilitation and reconstruction; (f) “District Authority” means the District Disaster Management Authority constituted under subsection(1) of section 25; (g) “District Plan” means the plan for disaster management for the district prepared under section31; (h) “local authority” includes panchayati raj institutions, municipalities, a district board,cantonment board, town planning authority or Zila Parishad or any other body or authority, bywhatever name called, for the time being invested by law, for rendering essential services or, with thecontrol and management of civic services, within a specified local area; (i) “mitigation” means measures aimed at reducing the risk, impact or effects of a disaster orthreatening disaster situation; (j) “National Authority” means the National Disaster Management Authority established undersub-section (1) of section 3; (k) “National Executive Committee” means the Executive Committee of the National Authorityconstituted under sub-section (1) of section 8; (l) “National Plan” means the plan for disaster management for the whole of the country preparedunder section 11; (m) “preparedness” means the state of readiness to deal with a threatening disaster situation ordisaster and the effects thereof; (n) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (o) “reconstruction” means construction or restoration of any property after a disaster; (p) “resources” includes manpower, services, materials and provisions; (q) “State Authority” means the State Disaster Management Authority established under subsection(1) of section 14 and includes the Disaster Management Authority for the Union territoryconstituted under that section; (r) “State Executive Committee” means the Executive Committee of a State Authority constitutedunder sub-section (1) of section 20; (s) “State Government” means the Department of Government of the State having administrativecontrol of disaster management and includes Administrator of the Union territory appointed by thePresident under article 239 of the Constitution; (t)“State Plan” means the plan for disaster management for the whole of the State prepared undersection 23.

(1) With effect from such date asthe Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette appoint in this behalf, there shall beestablished for the purposes of this Act, an authority to be known as the National Disaster ManagementAuthority. (2) The National Authority shall consist of the Chairperson and such number of other members, notexceeding nine, as may be prescribed by the Central Government and, unless the rules otherwise provide,the National Authority shall consist of the following: (a) the Prime Minister of India, who shall be the Chairperson of the National Authority,ex officio; (b) other members, not exceeding nine, to be nominated by the Chairperson of the NationalAuthority. (3) The Chairperson of the National Authority may designate one of the members nominated underclause (b) of sub-section (2) to be the Vice-Chairperson of the National Authority. (4) The term of office and conditions of service of members of the National Authority shall be such asmay be prescribed.

(1) The National Authority shall meet as and when necessaryand at such time and place as the Chairperson of the National Authority may think fit. (2) The Chairperson of the National Authority shall preside over the meetings of the NationalAuthority. (3) If for any reason the Chairperson of the National Authority is unable to attend any meeting of theNational Authority, the Vice-Chairperson of the National Authority shall preside over the meeting.

The CentralGovernment shall provide the National Authority with such officers, consultants and employees, as itconsiders necessary for carrying out the functions of the National Authority.