The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) is a government agency in the Indian state of Kerala. Established in 2007, the agency is responsible for disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery in the state. It is a statutory body constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and functions under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister of Kerala.
History The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) was constituted on 4 May 2007 through S.R.O. No. 395/2007 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The present composition of the authority was notified through S.R.O. No. 583/2013 dated 17 July 2013.
Functions and responsibilities The KSDMA functions under the Distaster Management Department of the Government of Kerala.
Composition SDMA is constituted of a chairperson and ten members: Constituent RoleIncumbent Chief Minister of Kerala ChairpersonV.D Satheesan Minister for Revenue Vice Chairperson A.P Anil KumarMinister for Agriculture MemberT. SiddiqueMinister for HomeMember Ramesh Chennithala Chief Secretary of KeralaChief Executive Officer Biswanath Sinha IAS Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department Member Minhaj Alam IAS Secretary to Government, Disaster ManagementConvenor Jeevan Babu IAS Head of Kerala State Emergency Operations CentreMember Secretary Dr. Sekhar L Kuriakose.
State Executive Committee (SEC) The State Executive Committee of KSDMA handles the day-to-day disaster management activities in Kerala under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Kerala State Disaster Management Rules, 2007.
Chief Secretary of Kerala - CEO (Ex-officio) Additional Chief Secretary (Home) - member Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) - member Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) - member Principal Secretary (Revenue/Disaster Management) - Convenor (Ex-officio)
Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) is the research, technical, and emergency coordination wing of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. It functions under the direct control of the Secretary to Government (Revenue and Distaster Management), and headed by Member Secretary & Head of SEOC. The SEOC is tasked with disaster preparedness, planning, and response activities across Kerala, and it is the technical wing of the KSDMA.
The responsibilities of the SEOC are as follows: Updating hazard and vulnerability assessments Preparing State and District Disaster Management Plans Supporting early warning systems Coordinating emergency response activities Monitoring drought situations Carrying out disaster risk reduction studies Conducting training in disaster management The State Emergency Operations Centre has the following specialised divisions; Fusion Centre Drought Monitoring Cell GIS and Risk Lab IT & Communication Centre Planning Group Capacity Building and Projects Group Administration Division
District Disaster Management Authorities There are District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) in each of the 14 districts of Kerala under the chairmanship of the respective District Collectors. These authorities coordinate and oversee disaster management activities at the district level. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was formed by the Government of Kerala through GO (Ms) No. 262/2012/Home dated 17 October 2012 and GO (Rt) No. 2421/2013/Home dated 31 August 2013. The Rapid Response and Rescue Force (RRRF) based at Pandikkad in Malappuram district, the force has a strength of 100 personnel. It is headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP) and functions under the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), who is a member of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. SDRF units are deployed in the Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kannur police ranges, and personnel receive training from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
See also National Disaster Management Authority (India) References