The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is an Indian specialized force constituted "for the purpose of special response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster" under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The "Apex Body for Disaster Management" in India is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The Chairman of the NDMA is the Prime Minister.
At approximately 11 pm local time, 13 April 2010, a severe storm struck parts of Bangladesh and eastern India. It lasted about 90 minutes, with the most intense portion spanning 30–40 minutes. As of 16 April, more than 140 deaths have been reported. At least 91 people died in the Indian state of Bihar, 44 in West Bengal, and 4 in Assam. In Bangladesh, five deaths and two hundred injuries were reported. Most of the deaths were women and children crushed when their huts were destroyed. Over 91,000 dwellings were destroyed in India and several thousand in Bangladesh; approximately 300,000 dwellings were at least partially damaged. Both mud and pucca housing was damaged by the storm. Nearly 500,000 people were left homeless or otherwise affected by the storm.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) consists of the immediate staff of the Prime Minister of India, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the Prime Minister. The PMO is headed by the Principal Secretary, currently Pramod Kumar Mishra. The PMO was originally called the Prime Minister's Secretariat until 1977, when it was renamed during the Morarji Desai ministry.
National Disaster Management Authority (India), abbreviated as NDMA, is an apex Body of Government of India, with a mandate to lay down policies for disaster management. NDMA was established through the Disaster Management Act enacted by the Government of India on 23 December 2005. NDMA is responsible for framing policies, laying down guidelines and best-practices for coordinating with the State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMA's) to ensure a holistic and distributed approach to disaster management.
In September 2014, the Kashmir region suffered disastrous floods across many of its districts caused by torrential rainfall. The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the Pakistani territories of Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the province of Punjab were affected by these floods. By 24 September 2014, nearly 277 people in India and about 280 people in Pakistan had died due to the floods.
The 2015 South India floods resulted from heavy rainfall generated by the annual northeast monsoon in November–December 2015. They affected the Coromandel Coast region of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. More than 500 people were killed and over 1.8 million people were displaced. With estimates of damages and losses ranging from nearly ₹200 billion (US$3 billion) to over ₹1 trillion (US$13 billion), the floods were the costliest to have occurred in 2015, and were among the costliest natural disasters of the year.
Disaster management in India — policies, laws, routines, and courses-of-action to aid in the conservation and recovery of lives and property during a natural or man-made disaster. Disaster management plans are multi-layered, and are planned to address issues such as floods, hurricanes/cyclones, fire, mass failure of utilities (blackouts) and the rapid spread of disease (pandemic).
From a meteorological standpoint, India is especially vulnerable to natural disasters due to its unique location below the Himalayas as well as its geo-climatic conditions and varied landscapes; monsoons, subsequent landslides and floods, droughts, famine, wildfires, cyclones, and earthquakes are all experienced to varying degrees on the Subcontinent, in addition to areas of dense overpopulation being at greater risk for disease outbreak and sanitation concerns, in the event of a natural disaster.
Due to this vastness of the country, different regions are vulnerable to different natural disasters. For example, during monsoon season, it is the peninsular regions of South India that are generally most affected, as well as by cyclone or tsunami; the more temperate to arid states of western India risk severe drought, famine and/or wildfire during summer. The more remote, mountainous regions of the North, especially the Himalayan states, can experience devastating avalanches in winter, spring flooding and major landslides during wet periods. This is in addition to earthquakes which, in the mountains, bring the potential for increased devastation due to falling rocks, mudslides, and flash floods.
The 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was one of the most active North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons since 1992, with the formation of fourteen depressions and seven cyclones. The North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with the two peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.
2017 Bihar floods affected 19 districts of North Bihar causing death of 514 people. 2,371 panchayats under 187 blocks of 19 districts of Northern Bihar have been affected in the flood. Around 1.71 crore people were hit by the floods. Over 8.5 lakhs of people have lost their homes, with Araria district alone accounting for 2.2 lakh homeless people. 2017 Flood has broken 9-Year record of deaths In Bihar. Bihar is India's most flood-prone State, with 76% of the population in the North Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood devastation. Devastating flood was caused due to excess heavy rainfall in monsoon season.
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Ockhi was a strong tropical cyclone that devastated parts of Sri Lanka and India in 2017, and was the most intense tropical cyclone in the Arabian Sea since Cyclone Megh in 2015. The ninth depression, and the third and strongest named storm of the 2017 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Ockhi originated from an area of low pressure that formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal on November 28. The storm organized into a Depression off southeast coast of Sri Lanka on November 29, causing damage to property and life in Sri Lanka while passing by. Due to high atmospheric moisture and warmer oceanic surface temperature between Sri Lanka and Kanyakumari in mainland India, Ockhi intensified into a cyclonic storm on November 30.
On 16 August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century. Over 483 people died, and 15 went missing. About a million people were evacuated, mainly from Chengannur, Pandanad, Edanad, Aranmula, Kozhencherry, Ayiroor, Ranni, Pandalam, Kuttanad, Malappuram, Aluva, Chalakudy, Thrissur, Thiruvalla, Eraviperoor, Vallamkulam, North Paravur, Chellanam, Vypin Island and Palakkad. All 14 districts of the state were placed on red alert. According to the Kerala government, one-sixth of the total population of Kerala had been directly affected by the floods and related incidents. The Indian government had declared it a Level 3 Calamity, or "calamity of a severe nature". It is the worst flood in Kerala after the great flood of 99 that took place in 1924.
Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in Eastern India, specifically in West Bengal and Odisha, and in Bangladesh, in May 2020. It was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Ganges Delta. It was also the fourth super cyclone that hit West Bengal and Kolkata since 2015 as well as being one of the strongest storms to impact the area. Causing over US$13 billion of damage, Amphan is also the costliest cyclone ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean, surpassing the record held by Cyclone Nargis of 2008.
Severe Cyclonic Storm Nisarga was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Indian state of Maharashtra in the month of June since 1891. It was also the first cyclone to impact Raigad & Mumbai since Phyan of 2009. The third depression and second named cyclone of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Nisarga originated as a depression in the Arabian Sea and moved generally northward. On 2 June, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded the system to a cyclonic storm, assigning the name Nisarga. On the next day, Nisarga further intensified to a severe cyclonic storm and turned to the northeast, ultimately making landfall approximately 95 km (60 mi) south of Mumbai. Nisarga rapidly weakened once inland and dissipated on 4 June.
The 2020 Hyderabad floods were a series of floods associated with Deep Depression BOB 02 that caused extensive damage and loss of life as a result of flash flooding in Hyderabad, India in October 2020. Among the most affected areas were Balapur, L. B. Nagar, parts of Old City such as Hafiz Baba Nagar, Al Jubail Colony, Omer colony, Osman Nagar, Nabeel Colony, Falaknuma, Chaderghat etc. The fourth tropical cyclone and third deep depression of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, BOB 02 formed on 11 October over the west-central Bay of Bengal and slowly drifted towards the east coast of India over the following three days.
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Titli was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage to Eastern India in October 2018. Titli was the twelfth depression and fifth named storm to form in the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Titli originated from a low pressure area in the Andaman Sea on October 7. With warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, the low developed into a depression on October 8 in the central Bay of Bengal. It was tracked and followed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which also issued warnings and notices for the public. Titli continued to intensify at it moved toward the southeast Indian coast, becoming a very severe cyclonic storm, equivalent to a minimal hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale. It attained the intensity at the same time Cyclone Luban in the Arabian Sea was at the same intensity, marking the first instance since 1977 of simultaneous storms. The IMD estimated peak winds of 150 km/h (95 mph), while the American-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated peak winds of 195 km/h (120 mph). Late on October 10, Titli made landfall in Andhra Pradesh, and it quickly weakened over land as it turned to the northeast. It degenerated into a remnant low on October 12.
The effects of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season in India was considered one of the worst in decades, largely due to Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan. Throughout most of the year, a series of cyclones impacted the country, with the worst damage occurring in May, from Cyclone Amphan. The season started with Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan, which affected East India with very severe damages. 98 total people died from the storm. Approximately 1,167 km (725 mi) of power lines of varying voltages, 126,540 transformers, and 448 electrical substations were affected, leaving 3.4 million without power. Damage to the power grid reached ₹3.2 billion. Four people died in Odisha, two from collapsed objects, one due to drowning, and one from head trauma. Across the ten affected districts in Odisha, 4.4 million people were impacted in some way by the cyclone. At least 500 homes were destroyed and a further 15,000 were damaged. Nearly 4,000 livestock, primarily poultry, died. The cyclone was strongest at its northeast section. The next storm was a depression that did not affect India. Then Severe Cyclonic Storm Nisarga hit Maharashtra, with high damages. Nisarga caused 6 deaths and 16 injuries in the state. Over 5,033 ha of land were damaged.
Cyclone Amphan was the costliest tropical cyclone ever recorded in India and the North Indian Ocean, and the strongest cyclone ever since the 1999 Odisha Cyclone. It was the first storm, and strongest of the historic 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, the costliest recorded cyclone season. It made landfall in West Bengal with 100 mph winds. Within India, the storm killed 98 people, and caused $13.8 billion. Amphan produced extremely high winds that ripped roofs off houses and uprooted trees, and storm surges of 15 ft (4.6 m) in areas like Digha, West Bengal.
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Tauktae was a powerful, deadly and damaging tropical cyclone in the Arabian Sea that became the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Indian state of Gujarat since the 1998 Gujarat cyclone and one of the strongest tropical cyclones to ever affect the west coast of India and above all It was the strongest storm of 2021 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. The second depression, first cyclonic storm, first severe cyclonic storm, first very severe cyclonic storm, and first extremely severe cyclonic storm of the 2021 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Tauktae originated from an area of low pressure in the Arabian Sea, which was first monitored by the India Meteorological Department on May 13. The low drifted eastward and organized into a deep depression by May 14. The storm soon took a northward turn, continuing to gradually intensify because of warm waters near the coast, and the system strengthened into a cyclonic storm and was named Tauktae later that same day. Tauktae continued intensifying into May 15, reaching severe cyclonic storm status later that day. Tauktae began to parallel the coast of the Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, before rapidly intensifying into a very severe cyclonic storm, early on May 16. Early on May 17, Tauktae intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm, reaching its peak intensity soon afterward. Later that same day, Tauktae underwent an eyewall replacement cycle and weakened, before restrengthening as it neared the coast of Gujarat, making landfall soon afterward.
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas was a relatively strong and very damaging tropical cyclone that made landfall in Odisha and brought significant impacts to West Bengal during late May 2021. The second cyclonic storm, second severe cyclonic storm, and second very severe cyclonic storm of the 2021 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Yaas formed from a tropical disturbance that the Indian Meteorological Department first monitored on May 23. Conditions in the basin favored development as the system became a deep depression later that day, before intensifying into a cyclonic storm on the next day, receiving the name Yaas. The system further intensified as it turned to the northeast, becoming a severe cyclonic storm on May 24 despite moderate wind shear. Marginally favorable conditions further continued as Yaas accelerated northeastward, strengthening to a Category 1-equivalent tropical cyclone and to a very severe cyclonic storm on May 25. Yaas crossed the northern Odisha coast around 20 km south of Balasore at its peak intensity as a very severe cyclonic storm on May 26. Upon landfall, the JTWC and IMD issued their final advisories as Yaas further weakened inland while turning north-northwestwards.
Severe Cyclonic Storm Michaung was a strong tropical cyclone which formed in the Bay of Bengal during the 2023 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Michuang originated as a low-pressure area in the Gulf of Thailand which crossed into the Bay of Bengal and became a deep depression on December 2. It developed into a cyclonic storm thereafter and was named Michaung. It was the ninth depression and the sixth named cyclonic storm of the season. The cyclone gradually moved north-west over the next few days towards the eastern coast of India. The storm peaked with sustained winds of 110 km/h (70 mph) causing heavy rainfall in north-eastern Tamil Nadu including Chennai and south-eastern Andhra Pradesh before making landfall near Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh on December 5.
