The central government has approved ₹3,027.86 crore for disaster mitigation projects across multiple states, with a significant portion allocated to drought-affected regions. The High-Level Committee (HLC), chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, sanctioned these funds on Wednesday to strengthen disaster risk reduction systems and minimize losses. So far, ₹24,981 crore has already been disbursed to states in the current financial year.
Key Allocations
- ₹2,022.16 crore for 12 drought-affected states, with ₹1,200 crore contributed by the central government. The states benefiting from this funding include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
- ₹818.92 crore for forest fire management projects in 19 states covering 144 high-priority districts. Of this, ₹690.63 crore will come from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
- ₹186.78 crore to reduce lightning strike risks in 10 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Strengthening Disaster Resilience
The government aims to enhance disaster response strategies, particularly in drought-prone and forest fire-prone regions. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttarakhand will submit proposals for forest fire management initiatives.
