States should focus on disaster mitigation plan: PM's PS

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, PK Mishra, on Tuesday highlighted a 10-point action plan to strengthen India's position in disaster management in the long run. Mishra chaired the two-day Annual Conference of Relief Commissioners and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of States and UTs-2025, organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Among the measures suggested were preparedness and awareness for tackling uncertainty on disaster occurrence. The hazard and vulnerability landscape is changing and hence the preparedness level of the states should be enhanced. "States need to institutionalise the lessons learnt for better transition from a relief and response approach to a preparedness and mitigation approach," he said.

On disaster risk reduction (DRR), he said India's DRR financing model has been acknowledged at the global platform in Geneva on June 4-6, 2025. He said states should ensure proper utilisation of recovery and mitigation funds. "Disaster preparedness is not a matter of hours but a matter of minutes, as every minute taken in mobilisation and starting relief operation counts."