---DMA 2005 was passed for the effective management of disasters and for effective

supervision of the resultant rehabilitation measures

---National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was formed according to the Disaster
management act, 2005. It was basically constituted to provide specific guidelines to disaster
management and to start a responsive force, specialized to evacuate and provide relief
material to affected people.
---During its nine years of existence, DMA seems to have done little to equip the country in
disaster preparedness. While the nodal disaster management authority claims that most
state governments do not comply with its recommendations and the guidelines are binding
on states, it is significant that none of its members has any expertise in dealing with natural
calamities.
---While the states that have suffered natural calamities such as earthquakes and floods in
the last decade Gujarat, Odisha, Bihar, and Jammu and Kashmir are better prepared
for disasters, other states continue to lag behind with little training of manpower. The
recommendations made by NDMA in 2009 on all hilly states, including Uttarakhand, which
are in high-seismic zones, have not been implemented by the state governments. NDMAs
national executive committee, which was constituted in October 2008, has not met even
once since then.
---CAG has also found some loopholes, including inappropriate usage of funds and irregular
meetings of the authorities, which act as a drag on its working.
---However, we cannot ignore the progress made on disaster management front, while
seeing the preparedness of the government during Phailin cyclone. NDMA should act strong
and ensure that all its guidelines are implemented in all states upto district level.
---The DMA should ensure that it formulates feasible and effective policies for disaster
management and they are implemented by all authorities right upto the district level.
Community outreach programs must be organized for building capacity and trust with the
community.