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Mint
08-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
India's disaster risk financing needs to evolve as new options emerge
Shishir Agarwal Successive Finance Commissions (FCs) have aided the cause, no doubt, but the country's vulnerabilities have also grown. Perhaps the 16th FC will look at some new models that could be adopted to ensure India doesn't scramble for funds if disaster strikes. In just the past five years, India has been battered by cyclones, floods, landslides and erratic monsoons. Gift this article It often begins with a tremor underfoot. Or the rising howl of wind over the coastline. Or the dull, ceaseless drum of rain on rooftops that quickly evokes panic once streets begin to fill. Disasters don't arrive with subtlety. They crash into lives, homes, cities and the economy with devastating regularity. In just the past five years, India has been battered by cyclones like Amphan and Tauktae, floods in Bengaluru, Assam and Chennai, landslides in Wayanad and erratic monsoons. The price tag? Assessed to be upwards of a staggering ₹ 50,000 crore annually in economic losses. It often begins with a tremor underfoot. Or the rising howl of wind over the coastline. Or the dull, ceaseless drum of rain on rooftops that quickly evokes panic once streets begin to fill. Disasters don't arrive with subtlety. They crash into lives, homes, cities and the economy with devastating regularity. In just the past five years, India has been battered by cyclones like Amphan and Tauktae, floods in Bengaluru, Assam and Chennai, landslides in Wayanad and erratic monsoons. The price tag? Assessed to be upwards of a staggering ₹ 50,000 crore annually in economic losses. And yet, when the waters recede and the headlines fade, a quiet cost must be borne: ex-post funding from public coffers and debt to patch things up. Past Finance Commissions addressed these by providing nuanced funding for pre-disaster activities aimed at reducing the risk and intensity of future disasters. The model of 'spend after loss' was not only inefficient but unsustainable for our developmental aspirations. While enormous strides have been made in risk assessment, early warning, mitigation and preparedness to reduce fatalities and infrastructure damage, a lot more remains to be done. Also Read: India's growth and urban planning: On different planets Let's rewind to the early days of India's disaster risk financing history. In the 1950s, the Second Finance Commission (FC) recommended ₹ 6 crore annually under 'Margin Money' to help states cope with natural calamities. It was largely a symbolic gesture, but the regularity and severity of disasters pushed successive FCs to raise allocations substantially. The 8th FC scaled it up to ₹ 240 crore annually. The 9th FC, recognizing a need for state-level autonomy, introduced the Calamity Relief Fund. This was a turning point. The new millennium brought new urgency. The Gujarat earthquake and 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami served as brutal wake-up calls. The 11th and 12th FCs upped allocations considerably, but the approach largely remained reactive—with funding in response to a calamity, rather than anticipating or preventing it and mitigating its impact. The Disaster Management Act of 2005 finally gave India a legal institutional framework with clear terms of reference to comprehensively tackle disasters. This legal scaffold paved the way for the 13th FC to institutionalize the National and State Disaster Response Funds (NDRF and SDRF). For the first time, the idea of structured, rule-based disaster financing took hold. And yet, one part stayed conspicuously underfunded: preparedness and mitigation—the silent work of preparing before the storm. The 15th FC, spanning 2020-21 to 2025-26, changed that. It not only recognized the scale of risks we face, but also proposed a financial architecture to match it. With ₹ 1.60 trillion allocated for states and ₹ 68,000 crore for the Centre—including ₹ 45,000 crore earmarked just for mitigation—this implied a shift to 'Build now or pay later.' Equally important was the adoption of a Disaster Risk Index (DRI), a data-driven formula to guide allocations based not on past expenditures but actual vulnerabilities. It marked the transition from a welfare mindset to a resilience mindset. For the first time, we were preparing for disasters. However, this evolving framework has its limits. Rapid urbanization has turned cities into flood traps. A single rainstorm can paralyse a metropolis. Climate change has escalated the severity of storms, making once-rare events routine. Livelihoods in villages and small towns can be destroyed by disasters if they don't get financial support. The cost of recovery is rising—and with it, a troubling trend. In the absence of pre-arranged risk financing, governments tended to lean on multilateral development banks (MDBs) for loans to fund recovery efforts. While this is a valid emergency option, it is no substitute for national financial resilience. Borrowing to rebuild after every flood or earthquake only shifts the burden onto future generations. As we await recommendations of the 16th FC, some interesting new ideas have emerged. Risk-retention models are making way for risk sharing via pre-arranged financing tools like contingency buffers, catastrophe risk pools and parametric models that can release funds swiftly without delay. We also need to consider support for household-level resilience and encourage communities to adopt personal risk coverage, not just for crops and property but also lives and livelihoods. We must foster a culture of self-protection. We must also focus on urban resilience through dedicated funds for climate-adaptive infrastructure and the retrofitting of critical but vulnerable assets. And finally, we need a strategy that ensures disaster funds aren't merely 'available' but accessible, flexible and aligned with the risk landscape. It is imperative to transform India's disaster risk management, as guided by the Prime Minister's 2016 Ten-Point Agenda for disaster relief and rehabilitation. In a disaster-prone world, India must become a nation where resilience is built-in, not bolted on; a country that does not scramble for funds after a disaster strikes, but is financially prepared. True independence is not just about sovereignty over land, but also about sovereignty over disaster recovery. The author is senior consultant (DRF) at the National Disaster Management Authority. Topics You May Be Interested In
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Business Standard
01-06-2025
- Climate
- Business Standard
IMD predicts light rainfall for Mumbai today, yellow alert issued in Delhi
Mumbai is likely to witness light rain on Sunday (June 1), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The forecast also indicates a generally cloudy sky with thunder, lightning, and gusty winds. Mumbai logs record May rainfall Last week, Mumbai saw its heaviest May rainfall since Cyclone Tauktae in 2021, signalling an early arrival of the southwest monsoon. Intense rain and waterlogging disrupted flights and train services across the city. Yellow alert in Delhi Delhi is set to see cloudy skies with moderate rainfall today. Thunderstorms and lightning are expected as well. The minimum temperature is likely to hover around 26 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for the day. Air quality in Delhi deteriorated to the 'poor' category on Sunday morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 208 at 7 am on June 1, compared to 197 at the same time a day earlier. According to the CPCB, AQI is categorised as follows: 0–50 (good), 51–100 (satisfactory), 101–200 (moderate), 201–300 (poor), 301–400 (very poor), and 401–500 (severe).
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Business Standard
31-05-2025
- Climate
- Business Standard
Light rainfall likely in Mumbai today, yellow alert issued in Delhi
Mumbai is likely to witness light rain on Saturday (31 May), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The forecast also indicates a generally cloudy sky with thunder, lightning and gusty winds. Daytime temperatures are expected to range between 27 and 34 degrees Celsius. The IMD has also warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Konkan and Goa from 27 May to 2 June. Mumbai logs record May rainfall Mumbai recorded its highest 24-hour rainfall for May since Cyclone Tauktae in 2021, marking the early onset of the southwest monsoon. On Tuesday, Santacruz's cumulative rainfall reached 324 mm, while Colaba broke its May record of 279.4 mm set in 1918, making it the wettest May day ever recorded there. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) fined four mini pumping station operators ₹10 lakh each for failing to install and activate pumps at key flood-prone junctions during the downpour. The BMC said penalties were imposed on operators at Hindmata, Gandhi Market, Yellow Gate and Chunabhatti for not ensuring the stations were operational before 25 May, as mandated in the pre-monsoon requirements. Yellow alert in Delhi Delhi is set to see cloudy skies with moderate rainfall today. Thunderstorms and lightning are expected as well. The minimum temperature is likely to hover around 27 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for the day. Air quality in Delhi remained in the 'moderate' category on Saturday morning. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 197 at 8 am on 31 May. According to the CPCB, AQI is categorised as follows: 0–50 (Good), 51–100 (Satisfactory), 101–200 (Moderate), 201–300 (Poor), 301–400 (Very Poor), and 401–500 (Severe).
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Business Standard
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Business Standard
IMD predicts light rain for Mumbai today, Delhi under orange alert
Mumbai is likely to witness light rain on Friday (May 30), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The forecast also indicates a generally cloudy sky with thunder, lightning and gusty winds. Daytime temperatures are expected to range between 25 and 32 degrees Celsius. The IMD has also warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Konkan and Goa from May 27 to June 2. Mumbai logs record May rainfall Mumbai recorded its highest 24-hour rainfall for May since Cyclone Tauktae in 2021, marking the early onset of the southwest monsoon. On Tuesday, Santacruz's cumulative rainfall reached 324 mm, while Colaba broke its May record of 279.4 mm set in 1918, making it the wettest May day ever recorded there. Heavy rain and waterlogging disrupted flights and train services. Airlines such as IndiGo and Air India issued travel advisories. On Wednesday, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) Managing Director Ashwini Bhide said water seepage at Acharya Atre Chowk station was due to sudden intense rainfall and assured there was no safety risk, with all protocols followed. The flooding affected both concourse and platform levels after Mumbai saw nearly 90 mm of rain in just 90 minutes. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) fined four mini pumping station operators ₹10 lakh each for failing to install and activate pumps at key flood-prone junctions during the downpour. The BMC said penalties were imposed on operators at Hindmata, Gandhi Market, Yellow Gate and Chunabhatti for not ensuring the stations were operational before May 25, as mandated in the pre-monsoon requirements. Orange alert in Delhi Delhi is set to see cloudy skies with moderate rainfall today. Thunderstorms and lightning are expected as well. The minimum temperature is likely to hover around 27 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius. The IMD has issued an orange alert for the day. Air quality in Delhi remained in the 'moderate' category on Friday morning. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 154 at 8 am on May 30. According to the CPCB, AQI is categorised as follows: 0–50 (Good), 51–100 (Satisfactory), 101–200 (Moderate), 201–300 (Poor), 301–400 (Very Poor), and 401–500 (Severe).
Mint
29-05-2025
- Climate
- Mint
Weather today: IMD warns of more showers ahead in Mumbai and Delhi; check predictions here
Mumbai is expected to continue experiencing heavy rainfall on Thursday according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). IMD has also issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri, for today, May 26. Rainfall alerts remain in place through May 30. Daytime temperatures are likely to range between 24°C and 31°C. The IMD has also issued warnings for isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall in central Maharashtra from May 27 to 29, and across Konkan and Goa from May 27 to June 2. The southwest monsoon officially arrived in Mumbai on Monday, May 26 — over two weeks ahead of schedule. According to IMD officials, this marks the earliest onset of the monsoon in the city in 75 years. Mumbai has logged record-breaking rainfall for May, marking the early arrival of the southwest monsoon. On Tuesday, Santacruz recorded 324 mm of rain, while Colaba surpassed its previous May record of 279.4 mm set in 1918, making it the wettest May day ever documented at the station since Cyclone Tauktae in 2021. IMD has predicted isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Marathwada on May 28 and over Gujarat during this period, while Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall, particularly from May 28 to 29. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast thunderstorms with rain on Thursday and Friday. The relative humidity was 63 per cent at 8.30 am. The maximum temperature is expected to settle at 39 degrees Celsius. Delhi has received 186.4 mm of rainfall so far this month — the highest ever recorded in May. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 143, which falls in the moderate category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
