Disasters Ineligible for Disaster Risk Funding: A Political–Economic Discourse Between States and the Center for Inclusion of Region-specific Disasters

Abstract

Disaster risk funding is a well-established mechanism in India. It includes funds such as the National Disaster and Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), the State Disaster and Risk Management Fund (SDRMF), etc. These funds provide funding for listed disasters only, such as floods, droughts, landslides, and so on. However, states find this list very limited in its scope as many state/region-specific disasters are not covered in it. Hence, there are constant demands from the states to revise this list by including state-specific disasters such as snakebites, lightning, sea and riverbank erosion, bamboo flowering, and the like. However, these demands are rejected by the Finance Commission, a nodal agency of the central government for disaster risk funding, on many accounts. The present article analyzes the rationale for states’ demands to add certain region-specific disasters to the eligible list of disasters for funding and the Finance Commission’s response to them. The article utilizes primary sources such as Finance Commission reports and government orders, recommendations, and reports of the Ministry of Home Affairs and related agencies. It is supplanted with secondary sources as well.