NEW DELHI: The government has moved to overhaul India’s disaster management architecture, integrating AI-driven forecasting tools and enacting legislative amendments to strengthen response to natural calamities, the government said on Tuesday.
The disclosure was made by Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
Alert agencies, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), have integrated AI and machine learning models into their weather forecasting systems, enabling seven-day advance predictions. This includes AI-driven simulations for flood forecasting, up to seven days ahead, and real-time cyclone tracking, as part of the government’s Mission Mausam initiative.
The Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025, has introduced changes to the country’s emergency response framework. The amendment mandates the creation of a National Disaster Database, which will consolidate risk assessments, mitigation plans and real-time data on disasters into a single accessible platform.
The High-Level Committee (HLC), which approves financial assistance to states from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF), has been granted statutory status through the same amendment, recognising its role in disaster relief and recovery.
Rapid urbanisation has prompted the government to introduce a focused framework for cities. An enabling provision, Section 41A, has been inserted into the Disaster Management Act, 2005, empowering state governments to constitute Urban Disaster Management Authorities in state capitals and all cities with Municipal Corporations, excluding the NCT of Delhi and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
The Urban Disaster Management Authorities will be responsible for preparing urban plans that address city-specific vulnerabilities, including flooding and heatwaves, and for coordinating their implementation on the ground.
The committee has approved Rs 4,576.7 crore from the NDRF to various states during 2025–26 for relief and recovery from floods, flash floods and cyclones, as well as for the modernisation of fire services and reconstruction needs.