Delhi ill-equipped in disaster mgmt, DDMA says in meeting with CM, L-G

New Delhi: Delhi is “ill-equipped” in disaster management infrastructure and lacks a state disaster response force to deal with exigencies, the DDMA said in a meeting Wednesday.

The meeting also flagged the structural safety of four- to five-storeyed houses on extremely small plot sizes in unauthorised colonies that come under earthquake-prone areas.

The meeting held at Raj Niwas was chaired by Lt Governor VK Saxena and attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who is vice chairman of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

The L-G and the CM directed officers to present a comprehensive plan regarding flood management

and summer heat action within a month.

The issues discussed in the meeting were hazard vulnerability and risk assessment of Delhi. Earthquake preparedness plan, urban flooding, extreme heat events and a related state heat action plan 2025, said a Raj Niwas statement.

It was underlined that the DDMA was extremely ill-equipped in terms of infrastructure, manpower and technology, and Delhi was one of the few states in the country to not have a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of its own, the statement said.

Delhi also lacked a Command and Control Centre, making a unified and integrated response at the time of disaster impossible, it said. The L-G directed officials to make land or buildings available at the earliest and requested the chief minister, Raj Niwas said.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) agreed to provide all necessary technological support in the renovation and restructuring of DDMA and setting up of the CCC, it said. Delhi’s vulnerability to earthquakes due to its location in Seismic Zone IV and the earthquake on February 18, 2025, makes a comprehensive mitigation and prevention strategy imperative, the L-G office said.

Most of the densely populated colonies along the Yamuna, North, North-West and South-West Delhi fall in highly quake-prone areas, with the presence of most unauthorised colonies of the city there.

The flooding faced by the city during the monsoon season was also discussed in the meeting.

The meeting deliberated measures concerning the availability and distribution of water, desilting of drains and sewer lines, drainage management, and installation of requisite equipment, read the statement.

Retro-fitting of buildings, including hospitals, schools identified for immediate relief, fire stations, gas, water, power supply lines and Metro were discussed.