Response measures are those taken
immediately after receiving early warning, anticipating an impending disaster,
or post-disaster in cases where an event occurs without warning. The primary
goal of response to a disaster is saving lives, protecting property,
environment, and meeting basic needs of human and other living beings after the
disaster. The immediate focus will be on search and rescue of those affected
and to evacuate those likely to be affected by the disaster or secondary disaster that is likely to happen. In the
section on response, roles, function and responsibilities of ministries and
agencies that have a key role to play are described. Since contexts, knowledge
base, and technologies change, DM plans must be updated periodically to reflect
any changes in the key roles envisaged to particular ministries or agencies. At
the national level, the central government has assigned nodal responsibilities
to specific ministries for coordinating disaster-specific responses. The NDMA
will be coordinating with relevant nodal ministry. The disaster-specific nodal
ministry will ensure liaison with the state government where the disaster has
occurred and coordination among various relevant ministries and departments to
provide quick and efficient response. The state government will activate the
Incident Response Teams (IRT) at state,
district, or the block level as required. The IRTs will coordinate with the state
EOC. The SDMA1 (or its equivalent, CoR, or Dept. of Revenue) will provide
technical support to the response.
Different central ministries and
departments will provide emergency support to the response effort as per
request from the State Government. It may be noted that the SDMA, Department of
Revenue or Commissioner of Relief (as applicable) is the nodal agency for
coordination of disaster response. The various agencies whose responsibilities are defined in detailed DM
plans for the state and district will be responsible specific response
measures. The DDMA is the nodal agency for coordination of response at district
level supported by other district level agencies. The department wise specific
activities at central ministries and state government are summarised in matrix
providing clarity to the roles and responsibilities of various agencies.