Key Disaster Management Institutions in the Maharashtra

The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)

At the district level, the DDMA is the nodal authority for planning, coordinating and implementing effective disaster management according to the NDMA and SDMA guidelines. It is headed by the District Collector, the Chairperson ex-officio, with the elected representative of the local authority as the Co-chairperson. However, in the case of Mumbai, due to its urban nature, in line with the Disaster Management rule of Maharashtra, the Brihanmumbai Disaster Management Authority for Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban districts are headed by the Commissioners of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) (GR. Dated 19/01/2011).

DDMA is also responsible for preparing the District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) and monitoring the implementation of the National and State Disaster Management Policies and the National, State, and District Disaster Management Plans.

The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC)

The Maharashtra SEOC Supports the SDMA in response and coordination during emergencies. It is located in Mumbai. A state-level emergency operation center is the nerve center of Disaster Management. It is equipped with state-of-the-art emergency communication, ICT infrastructure and Smart GIS based Decision Support System and is anticipated to integrate with 36 DEOCs, response forces and alert agencies for efficient coordination.

Dedicated Response Forces in the Maharashtra :

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was established in 2006 as per the provision of the Disaster Management Act 2005 with 8 Battalions, which has now expanded to 16 Battalions, each comprising 1149 personnel. NDRF is a specialized response force that carries out rescue and relief operations during disasters. NDRF’s expertise extends beyond traditional rescue operations to address Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear (CBRN) challenges. In addition to this, NDRF also conduct Table-Top and Mock exercises, training and capacity building and awareness generation programs for various stakeholders on regular basis.

5th Battalion of NDRF is currently stationed in its new campus at Sudambare in Maval Tehsil of Pune district of Maharashtra whose area of responsibility includes the state of Maharashtra and Goa. 5th Battalion of NDRF is composed of 6 companies consisting of 18 self-sufficient specialized search and rescue teams encompassing structural engineers, technicians, electricians, canine units, and medical/paramedic personnel. Currently, 3 teams of NDRF are stationed in Mumbai, 1 team each in Palghar and Nagpur district and rest of the teams are stationed in Pune Base.

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)

Section 44 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, provides for the establishment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Based on the structure of the NDRF, two companies of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were established in Dhule and Nagpur districts through a government resolution dated 30.08.2014, to respond to both naturally and human induced disasters in the state. With the increasing industrial sector in the state, the SDRF has proven its usefulness in handling various disasters such as chemical accidents, road traffic accidents, floods, droughts, earthquakes, cyclones, fires, and landslides, along with the NDRF.

Considering this usefulness, the government of Maharashtra has approved the establishment of two new companies of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) – one in Navi Mumbai (Konkan Division) and one in Daund (Pune Division) – through Government Resolution No. आव्यप्र-2021/प्र.क्र.304/आव्यप्र-1. Each SDRF company will have a total of four teams. Out of these, three teams will be dedicated to disaster response, while one will serve administrative purposes. Each of the three disaster response teams will consist of 45 officers/personnel, and the fourth administrative team will include 79 officers/personnel. Thus, each SDRF company will have a total of 214 officers/personnel.