Disaster Management

Darjeeling District, located at the northern most edge of West Bengal with the amalgamation of hills and plains is marked with numerous hazardous incidences of the past. The hills of the district are vulnerable to monsoonal landslides while the plain subdivision is prone to water logging and flood like situation.

The District Disaster Management Authority (D.D.M.A) headquartered at Darjeeling is engaged in providing help in co-ordination with other line departments to the disaster stricken people like providing shelter, food, medical assistance, drinking water and sanitary facilities including trauma care. Thereafter government aid them to rebuild their houses, occupation etc. Damaged infrastructures are built through different agencies. The department undertakes the following functions:

1. Preparation and upgradation of the annual District Disaster Management Plan
2. Directs the concerned departments and stakeholders on calamity preparedness measures
3. The relief assistance are usually extended through the schemes below :

• Special GR- Food grains to the victims @12 kg/person/month.
• Ex Gratia Grant : Benefit to the next-of-kin in case of death of a family member to the tune of Rs.2,00,000/-
• B. Grant- House Building Grant for the BPL families having income not more than Rs.2,500/-. Rates for kutcha and pucca houses damaged fully or partially are different.
• There are some other benefit given by the Disaster Management Department namely

1. Normal GR
2. E R Grant
3. Cash GR.
4. M. Kit.
5. Conducts training & awareness programme on Disaster Risk Reduction measures
6. Participatory Mock Drills on Rescue and Evacuation
7. Operation of Control Rooms