ROLE OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND COOPERATION IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC) in the Agriculture Ministry is the nodal department for all matters concerning natural calamities relief at the Centre. In the DAC, the Relief Commissioner functions at the nodal officer to coordinate relief operations for all natural calamities.

For ensuring appropriate policy and administrative response to natural calamities, a clear identification of the nodal organization and the pattern of inter-action between the different Government functionaries would be necessary.

Natural Calamities - Inter Action Pattern.

Relief Commissioner The Relief Commissioner will be assisted

in the discharge of his duties by the Additional Relief Commissioner and an Emergency Operations Centre (Control Room) in the DAC. The Control room will function full scale round the clock after receipt of first information about the occurrence of a major natural calamity for the period specified by the Relief Commissioner for dealing effectively with the crisis arising out of a natural calamity.

Control Room

The present arrangements in the DAC for receiving messages outside office hours are by way of a Night Duty Cell and a telex facility, once a major natural calamity occurs, a Control Room with full complement of staff for round the clock functioning will be brought into operation. The Control Room is intended to be the nerve centre of all emergencies and will, therefore, be adequately equipped and optimally located. Immediately on the occurrence of a major natural calamity, the members of the Crisis Management Group (CMG) and the Control Room first shift functionaries (duly identified in advance) required for full scale functioning of the Control Room. The Duty Officer of the Control Room will be an official of sufficient maturity to grasp the seriousness or otherwise of the information reports and convey to the Agriculture Secretary/Relief Commissioner/ Additional Relief Commissioner accordingly.

Duty officer's Functions

The charter of duties of the Duty Officer will clearly indicate the course of action that he is required to take on receipt of messages of a particular nature. The duty officer will have in his possession the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all members of the Crisis Management Group and the essential personnel of the Control Room. He will also have the particulars of their alternates and also the telephone numbers of the Control Rooms of all the State Governments with whom he may have to communicate.

Control Room Equipping

The personnel managing the full scale Control Room would be drawn from the DAC for emergency duties. The officers in charge of Night Duty and Telex facility and also Control room staff shall be given advance briefing and training in the tasks to be performed by them.

Control Room Responsibilities

The Control Room will: collect and transmit information concerning a

natural calamity and relief; keep close contact with the Govts. of the States

affected by a calamity; interact with other Central Ministries/Deptts. in

connection with natural calamities and relief; maintain records containing all relevant information

relating to action points and contact points in Central Ministries/Deptts./ State Governments; and

perform such other functions and duties as may be entrusted by the Relief Commissioner.

Dealing with first information

The Control Room on receipt of the first information with regard to occurrence of any major natural calamity will immediately transmit the information to the following:-

Secretary to the President, Secretary to the Prime Minister, P.S. to Agriculture Minister, P.S. to Minister of State(A&C), Cabinet Secretary, Secretary(A&C), Secretary, Rural Development, Secretary, Water Resources, Secretary, Power, Secretary, Civil Supplies,

Secretary, Health, Secretary, Communication, Secretary, Surface Transport, Secretary, Science & Technology, Home Secretary, Defense Secretary, Secretary, I&B, Secretary(Food), Relief Commissioner, Joint Secretary (Scarcity Relief), Joint Secretary (Policy Planning), Agriculture Commissioner, and Animal Husbandry Commissioner.

The first information report and the subsequent periodical reports generated by the Control Room will also be sent to the Officers indicated by the Relief Commissioner from time to time.

Designating Nodal Officers

Every Ministry/Department of Central Govt. dealing with the primary or the secondary relief functions referred to in 'National Policy' would designate an officer not below the rank of a Joint Secretary as the nodal Officer with an alternate for dealing with matters concerning natural calamities and relief. These nodal officers shall furnish information to the Relief Commissioner through the Control Room of the DAC on such periodicity as may be determined by relief Commissioner.