VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam is likely to become the first city in Andhra Pradesh and only the second in the country to establish an Urban Disaster Management Authority (UDMA), pending approval from the State government.
The authority, mandated under the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025, will be responsible for preparing and implementing disaster management plans specifically for urban areas. As per the Act, the Municipal Commissioner will serve as the Chairperson of the authority, while the District Collector will also be a part of the authority.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner Ketan Garg said, “Till now, there have been national, state, and district-level disaster management authorities. Now, with the new amendment, an Urban Disaster Management Authority has also been included. As per the Act, it will apply to million-plus cities, where the Commissioner will be the Chairperson.”
He further said that GVMC is proposing a state notification for setting up the authority in Visakhapatnam. “Currently, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada are the two cities with a population of over one million.
With the recent sanctioning of Rs 200 crore from the NDMA under the Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Programme (UFRMP), we are proposing the UDMA for the proper implementation of this project,” he added.
The UDMA will focus on planning, coordination, and execution of disaster management initiatives in urban areas, addressing challenges that are often more complex than those at the district level.
The creation of such authorities was introduced through the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and later incorporated into the 2025 Act, to ensure that disaster management practices are better integrated into urban planning and governance systems.
‘UDMA helps implement Flood Risk Mitigation Programme effectively’
This proposal comes at a time when Visakhapatnam has been selected for Phase II of the Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Programme (UFRMP) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), with a sanctioned allocation of Rs 200 crore by the Central Finance Commission. The initiative aims to strengthen the city’s resilience to flood-related disasters through both structural and non-structural measures, to be implemented by GVMC.
Under this programme, Rs 140 crore has been earmarked for structural solutions and Rs 60 crore for non-structural interventions. The structural measures include the development and upgradation of stormwater management systems (Rs 80 crore), rejuvenation of water bodies and cascading of lakes (Rs 24 crore), construction of walkways and road curbs with permeable materials (Rs 10 crore), development of sponge parks and sponge zones Rs 6 crore), rainwater harvesting initiatives (Rs 5 crore), and pilot bioswale projects combining structural and non-structural elements (Rs 15 crore).
The non-structural interventions will include creating green spaces, green roofs, and urban forests (Rs 20 crore), developing GIS and IT-based flood monitoring and early warning systems (Rs 20 crore), conducting training programmes for officials and staff (Rs 5 crore), implementing community-based disaster risk management in flood-prone areas (Rs 5 crore), and conducting hazard and vulnerability assessments (Rs 2 crore). Additionally, the project includes the preparation of city and ward-level disaster management plans (Rs 2.5 crore) and the establishment of an urban flood management cell (Rs 5.5 crore).
The proposal also includes measures to revise building bylaws to improve flood resilience. “Once UDMA is notified in the state, it will enhance coordination among departments, thereby ensuring efficient execution of the Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Programme,” Garg added.
