Introduction
In March 2025, Parliament enacted the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025, introducing transformative changes to the 2005 Act as India coped with escalating disasters such as cyclones, landslides, and floods. While enhancing institutional clarity and risk planning, critical features like statutory loan relief provisions have been removed—prompting acute concerns in states facing storm-related crises.
Key Amendments in the 2025 Act
As of April 9, 2025, the amendment officially came into force Hindustan Times. Key changes include:
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Statutory status for bodies: The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and High-Level Committee (HLC) were formalized, enhancing strategic disaster oversight Political Science Solution+5Legality Simplified+5The Times of India+5The Times of India+3Manorama Yearbook+3Vision IAS+3.
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Disaster database: Mandate for national and state-level disaster databases to record risk registers, fund allocations, expenditures, preparedness and mitigation plans ForumIAS+2Legality Simplified+2The Hindu+2.
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Expanded NDMA/SDMA roles: These bodies now set minimum relief standards, coordinate plan approvals (including Urban and District Disaster Plans), conduct periodic risk reviews, and offer technical support Wikipedia+12Legality Simplified+12Vision IAS+12.
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Mandatory State Disaster Response Forces (SDRFs) and Urban DM Authorities in municipal cities and capitals to improve preparedness and response capacity Vision IAS+5Chronicle India+5The Times of India+5.
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Legal clarity: “Man-made disasters” from law-and-order events like riots are excluded from the Act’s purview ForumIAS+2Legality Simplified+2Chronicle India+2.
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Directive authority & penalties: Section 60A empowers Centre and states to instruct actions during disasters and penalize non-compliance up to ₹10,000 Vision IAS+10The Hindu+10Legality Simplified+10.
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Expanded disaster scope: Emerging risks—including industrial hazards, pandemics, and cybersecurity threats—are included in the definition of "disaster" Political Science Solution.
Concerns & Consequences Post Cyclones
Legal Rollback of Loan Relief Provisions
Sections 12 and 13—empowering NDMA to recommend loan waivers and concessional credit for disaster victims—were omitted in March 2025 The Times of India+1The Times of India+1. Kerala’s CM Kerala and the High Court have raised strong objections, noting the deletion undermines aid for victims of the July 2024 landslides in Wayanad, particularly since that provision existed when their PDNA and disaster request was submitted in 2024 The Times of India+1The Times of India+1.
Inadequate Relief Norms for Terrain-Intensive Disasters
Himachal Pradesh’s CM similarly argued that current central guidelines—including capping relief grants at 10% of SDRF vs NDRF—are ill-suited for difficult mountainous terrain. He requested the ceiling be raised to 30% to expedite effective restoration The Times of India.
Implementation Strengths & Emerging Practices
Integrated Planning & Risk Mapping
Post-amendment, NDMA and SDMAs gained formal responsibility for national/state disaster plans, including urban and district sub-plans. The inclusion of hazard databases supports data-driven risk reduction, especially for cyclone-prone coastal and hill states Chronicle IndiaThe Times of IndiaIndian Kanoon.
Growing Preparedness Initiatives
The NDMA-led Exercise AIKYA, conducted in September 2024, brought together diverse stakeholders—from Railways to GIS experts and the Army—to improve multi-sector coordination, early warning, and disaster simulations—a model particularly relevant to cyclone readiness Manorama Yearbook+15Reddit+15The Times of India+15. Many states like Odisha have pioneered Cyclone Preparedness Units, extensive shelter networks, and dedicated Rapid Action Forces, yielding substantial survival gains during events like Cyclone Fani and Amphan Reddit+1Wikipedia+1.
Digital Tools & Early Warning Systems
The Sachet app, launched by NDMA in 2023, delivers real-time, geo-tagged alerts on cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and landslides in 12 regional languages—enhancing public awareness and response capability Wikipedia.
Gaps in the Post‑Cyclone Policy Landscape
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Relief remains non‑justiciable: Despite mandated minimum standards via NDMA or SDMA guidelines, relief isn’t legally enforceable—leaving distribution uneven and discretionary The Times of India.
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Centralization concerns: Critics argue amendments increase NDMA/HLC’s control over disbursement, potentially undermining federalism, particularly in timing and criteria for declaring “nationally significant” disasters The Times of India+3Friends of the Earth India+3Legality Simplified+3.
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Equity deficits: Vulnerable groups—fishworkers, informal economy laborers, tribal and marginalized communities—are insufficiently covered by relief mandates, despite being disproportionately affected by cyclones and coastal storms Friends of the Earth India.
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Inconsistent standards across states: Uniform relief designations and credit relief provisions were unevenly implemented, with significant regional variation even before amendments.
Recommendations for Strengthening Post‑Cyclone Response
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Restore loan relief authority: Reinstate Section 13 in law so NDMA/SDMA can authorise credit relief post-disaster, avoiding denial due to retroactive change.
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Legal backing for minimum relief entitlements: Make guaranteed standards enforceable for basic emergency aid including housing, livelihood, and loss compensation.
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Decentralised autonomy in relief norms: Increase SDRF flexibility—especially for hilly and coastal states—while retaining central coordination through inter-ministerial teams.
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Integrate climate vulnerability planning: Institutionalise climate risk assessments in every disaster plan, aligning with the Sendai Framework and national adaptation goals.
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Mandate public disclosure & database access: Use database systems for transparent publication of loss assessments, funding allocations, and PDNA findings accessible to citizens—supporting accountability The Times of India+1The Times of India+1Down To EarthThe Times of IndiaWikipedia.
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Focus on inclusion and sustainability: Ensure relief policies target marginalized communities and integrate livelihood restoration with disaster mitigation.
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Scale multi-sector preparedness drills: Replicate AIKYA in coastal and Himalayan states; institutionalise early warning exercises, community preparedness, and technology integration (e.g. drones, GIS) across agencies.
Conclusion
The Disaster Management Amendment Act, 2025 significantly modernised India’s disaster legal architecture—empowering NDMA and SDMA with planning authority, data systems, and institutional clarity. However, the simultaneous removal of Sections 12–13 critically undercuts loan-relief pathways and underscores a broader failure to guarantee relief as a legal right.
In cyclone‑affected states like Kerala and Himachal, where terrain and frequency of disasters strain response frameworks, these gaps highlight urgent reform needs. Resilience should be built not just in physical infrastructure but also in legal design: embedding rights-based relief, decentralised planning, transparency, and inclusive recovery.
Aligning law with climate reality demands restoration of compassionate provisions, procedural fairness for states, and legal mechanisms to support affected communities—not just in theory but in enforceable practice.