New Delhi : Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review the country’s preparedness for floods, heat waves, and other climate-related disasters.
During the meeting, Shri Shah stressed the need for a comprehensive and coordinated disaster management strategy, emphasizing the vision of “Zero Casualty Disaster Management” under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The Home Minister directed authorities to expand the plan for developing early warning systems for high-risk glacial lakes in Himalayan regions. He said that at least 60 lakes should be brought under monitoring and early warning mechanisms in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim with support from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Shri Amit Shah also called for the establishment of an integrated flood forecasting system at both the Centre and State levels to strengthen preparedness and response mechanisms. He instructed all states to constitute and activate Flood Crisis Management Teams (FCMTs) to ensure timely action during emergencies.
Highlighting the importance of coordinated governance, the Home Minister said the guidelines issued by the NDMA have improved awareness and encouraged a “Whole of Government” approach toward disaster management. However, he noted that regular review of compliance at state, district, and municipal levels would further improve implementation.
He also directed the NDMA to conduct a nationwide assessment on how effectively states are implementing the Ministry of Home Affairs’ directions and NDMA guidelines related to forest fires, floods, and heat waves.
Focusing on climate change and shifting weather patterns, Shri Shah emphasized the need for a long-term master plan to tackle increasing disaster-related challenges through a “Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society” approach. He advised ministries and departments to strengthen and integrate existing disaster management apps and portals instead of creating multiple new platforms.
The Home Minister further stressed the importance of improving dissemination of weather forecasts and warning systems to ensure information reaches people quickly and effectively. He also called for a detailed assessment of monsoon-related casualties, forecast accuracy, and agricultural damage to strengthen future preparedness.
Shri Shah underlined the importance of water conservation and environmental sustainability, suggesting wider use of water storage projects and check dams to improve groundwater levels and reduce the impact of heat waves. He also advocated multi-dimensional use of the CAMPA Fund for maintaining ecological balance.
Appreciating the coordination among various ministries and agencies, the Home Minister said that weather-related preparedness plans must now reach the grassroots level to ensure maximum effectiveness.
The meeting reviewed several initiatives undertaken under the guidance of Shri Amit Shah to reduce the impact of floods and natural disasters. These include extending the advance period for rainfall and flood forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Central Water Commission (CWC) from three days to seven days, along with improvements in heat wave forecasting systems.
The meeting was attended by Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri C. R. Patil, the Union Home Secretary, senior officials from various ministries, members of the NDMA, Director Generals of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and IMD, Chairpersons of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Central Water Commission (CWC), along with officials from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) and other departments.