New Delhi, Dec 18 (NationPress) An official announced on Thursday that the national initiative aimed at enhancing community-based disaster risk reduction efforts within Panchayati Raj Institutions across 20 states has received an approval for an allocation of Rs 507.37 crore.

The project, which will be collaboratively executed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is set to encompass 81 districts that are prone to disasters, with each district including 20 Gram Panchayats.

Moreover, the project is designed to cultivate 20 Gram Panchayats that will focus on significant hazard-specific risks, serving as replicable models for local-level Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

In line with the innovative concept of Model Gram Panchayat, a model Gram Panchayat will be established for each of the 20 states.

Consequently, the states will identify 20 Model Gram Panchayats uniquely addressing six distinct hazards (one GP for each hazard), which will serve as themes for implementing a long-term mitigation strategy designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of sustainable mitigation measures for disaster resilience, as per the statement.

The insights gained from the selected 20 Gram Panchayats can be scaled by the states through their State Disaster Management Framework (SDMF) to replicate a disaster-resilient Gram Panchayat model in other areas.

The selection of districts was guided by the size of the state and the intensity of the disasters, ensuring that all Gram Panchayats and model Gram Panchayats are clustered closely together to ensure that the impact of the mitigation measures is clearly observable.

This initiative aspires to weave disaster risk reduction into local governance through a grassroots approach, positioning Panchayati Raj Institutions as the foundational element for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and resilience.

The National Project for Strengthening Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives builds upon the institutional groundwork established by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in community-based disaster management.

The Disaster Management Plan of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (DMP-MoPR) was unveiled on March 17, 2022.

The Plan aims to bolster disaster resilience at the grassroots level by aligning rural disaster management with the national framework while fostering community participation and ownership.

This initiative advocates for the development of Disaster Management Plans at the Panchayat and village levels, integrating them with local development processes, including Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs). It will reinforce the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and State Governments to empower Panchayati Raj Institutions and mainstream disaster risk reduction in local planning.