Sections 1 and 2 of the Disaster Management Act 2005

(1) This Act may be called the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

(2) It extends to the whole of India.

(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. Different dates may be appointed for different provisions and for different States, and a reference to commencement in relation to a State is construed accordingly.

(a) Affected area: an area or part of the country affected by a disaster.

(b) Capacity-building: includes identification of existing and required resources, acquisition or creation of identified resources, and organisation, training and coordination of personnel for effective disaster management.

(c) Central Government: the Ministry or Department of the Government of India having administrative control of disaster management.

(d) Disaster: a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence arising from natural or man-made causes, accident or negligence, resulting in substantial loss of life, human suffering, property damage or destruction, or environmental damage or degradation, and of a nature or magnitude beyond the coping capacity of the affected community.

Explanation: For removal of doubts, "man made causes" do not include a law and order related matter or situation, or a situation arising from a law and order related matter or situation.

(da) Disaster database: a database including disaster assessment, fund allocation details, expenditure, preparedness and mitigation plans, risk registers according to type and severity of risk, and other relevant matters in accordance with Central Government policy.

(e) Disaster management: a continuous and integrated process of planning, organising, coordinating and implementing measures necessary or expedient for prevention, mitigation, capacity-building, preparedness, prompt response, assessment of effects, evacuation, rescue and relief, and rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction.

Disaster risk reduction: The amended provision clarifies that disaster management includes disaster risk reduction through systematic efforts to reduce exposure and vulnerability and to improve preparedness, resilience and capacity to manage and respond to adverse events.

(ea) Disaster risk: potential loss of life, injury, damage to property, infrastructure and assets, economic and social disruption and environmental degradation that may occur within a specified period, determined as a function of hazard, exposure, vulnerability and capacity.

(f) District Authority: the District Disaster Management Authority constituted under Section 25(1).

(g) District Plan: the district disaster management plan prepared under Section 31.

(ga) Evacuation: temporarily moving people or assets to safer places before, during or after a hazardous event.

(gb) Exposure: the situation of people, buildings, infrastructure, production capacities, other tangible human assets, environment and natural resources located in hazard-prone areas.

(gc) Hazard: a process or phenomenon relating to a disaster that may cause loss of life, injury or health impacts, property or infrastructure damage, social or economic disruption, or environmental degradation.

(gd) High Level Committee: the committee constituted under Section 8B.

(h) Local authority: includes Panchayati Raj institutions, municipalities, district boards, cantonment boards, town planning authorities, Zila Parishads, Autonomous District Councils and other bodies or authorities invested by law with essential or civic services within a specified local area.

(i) Mitigation: measures aimed at reducing the risk, impact or effects of a disaster or threatening disaster situation, including provision of disaster-resilient infrastructure.

(j) National Authority: the National Disaster Management Authority established under Section 3(1).

(ja) National Crisis Management Committee: the committee constituted under Section 8A.

(k) National Executive Committee: the Executive Committee of the National Authority constituted under Section 8(1).

(l) National Plan: the national disaster management plan prepared under Section 11.

(la) National Policy: guiding principles and broad courses of action adopted at national and State level to reduce disaster risk and loss, improve preparedness and ensure resilient recovery.

(m) Preparedness: the knowledge and capacity of Government, response and recovery organisations, communities and individuals to anticipate, respond to and recover from a threatening disaster situation or disaster.

(n) Prescribed: prescribed by rules made under the Act.

(na) Prevention: activity and measures to avoid the potential adverse impact of disaster.

(o) Reconstruction: rebuilding and restoration of infrastructure, services, buildings and facilities required for the functioning of a community affected by a disaster.

(oa) Recovery: restoration or improvement of economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets, systems and activities of a disaster-affected community.

(ob) Rehabilitation: restoration of basic services, facilities and capacity for the functioning of a disaster-affected community.

(oc) Resilience: the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, respond to and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner.

(p) Resources: includes manpower, services, materials and provisions.

(pa) Response: action taken directly before, during or after a disaster to save lives, reduce injury and health impacts, ensure public safety and meet basic subsistence needs of affected people.

(q) State Authority: the State Disaster Management Authority established under Section 14(1), including the Disaster Management Authority for a Union territory constituted under that section.

(r) State Executive Committee: the Executive Committee of a State Authority constituted under Section 20(1).

(s) State Government: the State Government department having administrative control of disaster management and, for a Union territory, includes the Administrator appointed under Article 239 of the Constitution.

(t) State Plan: the disaster management plan for the State prepared under Section 23.

(u) Urban Authority: the Urban Disaster Management Authority constituted under Section 41A(1).

(v) Urban Plan: the disaster management plan prepared by the Urban Authority under Section 41A(4).

(w) Vulnerability: physical, social, economic and environmental conditions or processes that increase susceptibility of an individual, community, asset, infrastructure or system to the impact of a hazard.