NEW DELHI: A High-Level Committee (HLC), chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Tuesday approved ₹507.37 crore for a national project aimed at strengthening community-based disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives. The funding is specifically allocated to integrate disaster management practices into the governance structure of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across 20 states.
The initiative, titled the “National Project for Strengthening Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions,” focuses on a bottom-up approach. It will cover 81 disaster-prone districts and develop 20 Gram Panchayats as “replicable models” for local disaster mitigation, focusing on major regional hazards.
The project is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The financial outlay includes, Central Share: ₹273.38 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF). State Contribution: Commensurate shares totaling ₹30.37 crore. Ministry Support: ₹151.47 crore from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, supplemented by ₹52.15 crore in state shares.
This assistance is independent of the funds already released under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). During the current financial year, the Centre has already distributed ₹16,118 crore to 28 states under the SDRF.
The Home Ministry noted that the project aims to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a disaster-resilient India by moving beyond relief-centric methods to proactive community preparation.
