Particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorizations granted

No concessions, permits or authorizations are granted by this Authority. Details of the various programmes, studies and projects being undertaken by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) are given below:

13.1 Formation, Mandate and Institutional Framework

GSDMA was constituted on 8th February 2001 to undertake rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas affected by the massive 26th January 2001 Gujarat earthquake. The Gujarat State Disaster Management Policy (GSDMP) was declared in November 2002, and the Gujarat State Disaster Management Act was enacted in March 2003 to provide statutory authority for the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Policy. The Authority coordinates and monitors disaster prevention and mitigation activities, acts as the central planning, coordinating and monitoring body for post-disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation, and promotes awareness, preparedness, training and capacity building among stakeholders and communities.

The Hon'ble Chief Minister is the Chairperson of the Authority; day-to-day functions are carried out by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO-GSDMA), and decisions of the Governing Body have the status of Cabinet decisions, with annual state budget allocation for disaster mitigation and management programmes.

A four-tier institutional framework operates under the Disaster Management Act, 2005: GSDMA at the apex/state level; District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA), chaired by the District Collector with all line-department heads, at district level; Taluka Disaster Management Committees (TDMC), chaired by the Deputy Collector/Dy. District Development Officer, at taluka level; and Village Disaster Management Committees (VDMC), chaired by the Sarpanch, at village level.

13.2 Housing

The Government of Gujarat introduced a holistic Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Programme centred on owner-driven, participatory, multi-hazard-resistant house reconstruction, with Government assistance and facilitation. Under the programme, 9,08,751 houses were repaired and over 2,02,343 houses were reconstructed to hazard-resistant standards. Housing assistance to earthquake-affected tenants of Bhuj and Anjar has been extended to eligible beneficiaries identified in Kachchh district, with identification of further beneficiaries ongoing.

13.3 Emergency Response Infrastructure

GSDMA has established, and continues to strengthen, a network of emergency-response infrastructure across the State:

• State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Gandhinagar — the State's central control room, connected to all 33 districts through GSWAN telephone hotlines and 12 BSNL landline connections (helpline 51900), with a VSAT phone and a satellite phone, and equipped with NDRF/SDRF communication assets. The SEOC has been actively used during major events such as Cyclone Tauktae (2021) and Cyclone Biporjoy.
• District Emergency Operation Centres (DEOC) — established in all 33 districts.
• Emergency Response Centres (ERCs) — five ERCs are operational at Gandhidham, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara and Gandhinagar; proposals for additional ERC-linked facilities at Vapi and Jhagadiya GIDC are under process.
• Disaster Prevention & Mitigation Centres (DPMC) — approved at Jhagadiya (Rs. 48.55 crore) and Vapi (Rs. 48.48 crore) to strengthen response capacity in industrial/chemical clusters.
• Multi-Purpose Cyclone Shelters (MPCS) — 76 MPCS completed across coastal villages of 10 districts (Gir Somnath: 29, Junagadh: 25, Bharuch: 5, Kachchh: 4, Devbhumi Dwarka: 4, Porbandar: 4, Amreli: 2, Ahmedabad: 1, Jamnagar: 1, Navsari: 1); construction of MPCS at a further 63 coastal villages (Rs. 324 crore) is under approval.
• Emergency Response Support System (ERSS – Dial 112) — a pan-India single-number emergency response system for disaster emergencies, implemented under an MoU with NDMA; the control room is functional at SEOC and operational in 7 districts using GVK-EMRI infrastructure, with integration with the 1070 helpline under process through C-DAC.
• Siren-based early-warning system — sirens are being installed across all 33 districts (1,000 sirens sanctioned) for public warning in hazard-prone/coastal areas.

13.4 Baseline Socio-Economic and Livelihood Profile of Vulnerable Villages of Coastal Districts, Gujarat

About 30 cyclones have struck the Gujarat coast in the last 120 years. A GSDMA-commissioned study identified highly cyclone/storm-surge/flood-prone villages across 12 coastal districts, to identify major livelihood sources and inform line-department strategies.

13.5 Flood Mitigation Study for Dhadhar Basin

The Dhadhar River (146 km, catchment 3,990 sq. km) experiences flooding due to reduced channel capacity and tidal ingress. A GSDMA study assessed flood causes, hazards and risk, and recommended structural and non-structural measures; findings were shared with concerned line departments.

13.6 Flood & Seismic Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of Ahmedabad–Dholera SIR Area

The Ahmedabad–Dholera Special Investment Region (approx. 879 sq. km, 23 villages/towns) faces high flood potential (delta location near the Gulf of Cambay) and lies in Seismic Zone III. GSDMA initiated independent flood and seismic vulnerability studies to guide scientific urban planning and inform prospective investors.

13.7 Hospital Fire Safety Decision Support System

This decision-support system helps hospital authorities respond effectively to fire emergencies, using resource and manpower inventories, defined Standard Operating Procedures, floor plans and automated alerts. It is piloted at Gandhinagar Civil Hospital and Sola Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, with the respective fire departments involved.

13.8 Preparation and Updation of Disaster Management Plans

The Gujarat State Disaster Management Plan (SDMP) is reviewed and updated annually in line with the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), 2019. SDMP 2025-26 has been prepared in two volumes: Volume-I covers the State Profile, Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis (HRVA), Disaster Risk Governance, Disaster Risk Reduction for resilience, disaster preparedness and capacity building, disaster response and relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation for resilient recovery, and financial arrangements; Volume-II contains hazard-specific action plans covering ten hazards — Earthquake, Cyclone, Tsunami, Flood, Urban Flood, Industrial & Chemical Disaster, Biological & Public Health Emergency, Nuclear & Radiological Emergency, Fire, and Cyber Attack. A consultation workshop for the SDMP updation was held at the SEOC on 31 May 2025 with State Disaster Management Committee members and invitee organisations including UNICEF, ISR and IMD.

District Disaster Management Plans (DDMP) for all 33 districts and Mahanagar Palika Disaster Management Plans (MDMP) for all 8 Municipal Corporations have been updated for 2025-26 as per the model framework issued by NDMA, following a three-day video-conference with district stakeholders held during 23–25 April 2025. Disaster management plans at taluka, village and city level are likewise prepared and updated annually.

A State Heat Action Plan for 2025-26 has been prepared in line with NDMA's review, and all 33 districts and 8 Municipal Corporations have prepared/updated district- and city-level Heat Action Plans. With technical support from the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), city-specific Heat Action Plans have also been prepared for ten cities — Idar, Palanpur, Veraval-Patan, Bhavnagar, Surat, Valsad, Navsari, Radhanpur, Junagadh and Bhuj — following an orientation workshop at GIDM on 2 April 2025 and city-level launch events attended by Municipal Commissioners, District Collectors and other stakeholders.

13.9 Capacity Building and Community Preparedness

Under the Disaster Risk Management Programme (DRMP), GSDMA undertakes plan preparation, training and capacity building, mock drills, and awareness generation/media outreach. Physical achievements under DRMP for the last two financial years are given below:

A training module covering 16 hazards likely to affect the State is under development, targeted at over 18,000 villages and their Village Disaster Management Team/Committee members at the cluster level, with Rs. 1 crore allocated to each district for training and capacity building; First Aid and Health training programmes are conducted on a regular basis.

A statewide community capacity-building campaign, 'Sajj Samuday Surakshit Gam', is conducted through SATCOM (BISAG) for VDMC members across four zones covering all districts, addressing basic disaster management, the State hazard profile, search & rescue, first aid, Village Disaster Management Plans and communication; over 3 lakh villagers have been covered under the campaign to date.

State-level mock drills are conducted periodically for various hazard scenarios — including Tsunami (Kachchh & Devbhumi Dwarka), Chemical Disaster (Bharuch, Surat, Kachchh, Morbi, Jamnagar and Devbhumi Dwarka), Earthquake (Ahmedabad Airport) and Nuclear/Radiological Emergency (KAPS, Surat and Tapi) — to test preparedness under the State and hazard-specific plans, including the Chemical and Industrial Disaster Management Plan (see para 13.12).

Under the Gujarat School Safety Programme (GSSP, 2017-18 to 2025-26), a School Safety Week is celebrated annually across the State to build student awareness of hazard-specific dos and don'ts.

13.10 Aapda Mitra and Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme

Under the ‘Aapda Mitra’ scheme — a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of NDMA — community volunteers are trained in First Aid and Search & Rescue by SDRF groups to assist local administration during disasters. Aapda Mitra teams have participated in several search-and-rescue operations, including flood rescue at Matroj village (Karjan taluka, Vadodara district), the Ahmedabad aircraft accident response, and continuous deployment of about 383 Aapda Mitras across 8 districts during Cyclone Biporjoy (2023).

The programme has since been scaled up under the Yuva Aapda Mitra Scheme (YAMS), which additionally engages NCC, NSS, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and Bharat Scouts & Guides (BS&G) volunteers, with a target of 11,850 trained volunteers across 17 districts. Sixty Master Trainers have been trained through SDRF, Vadodara, and phase-wise district-level training is underway (e.g., NCC volunteer training conducted in Valsad and Amreli). NDMA has arranged insurance cover through NICL for all Aapda Mitras trained under YAMS, and GSDMA is finalising insurance arrangements for the remaining volunteers on completion of training.

13.11 National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP)

Developed with the World Bank and NDMA to minimize cyclone risk and strengthen structural/non-structural mitigation, capacity building and coastal-ecosystem conservation, the project comprises:

• Component A – Early Warning Dissemination Systems: satellite phones and EWDS equipment/training (budget Rs. 20.5 crore).
• Component B1 – Multi-Purpose Cyclone Shelters: 76 MPCS completed across 10 coastal districts (see para 13.3); construction of a further 63 MPCS (Rs. 324 crore) is under approval.
• Component B2 – Missing Roads and Bridges: roads/bridges connecting coastal habitations to cyclone shelters and evacuation routes (budget Rs. 165 crore).
• Component B4 – Underground Cabling: underground cabling of Gandhidham city (budget Rs. 100 crore).
• Component C – Technical Assistance: implemented by NDMA, New Delhi.
• Component D – Project Management and Implementation Support (budget Rs. 28 crore).

List of MPSC in Gujarat

13.12 Chemical and Industrial Disaster Management Plan

Gujarat's 400-km 'Golden Corridor' (Ahmedabad to Vapi) hosts a large concentration of chemical industries, including Asia's largest chemical zone at Ankleshwar. GSDMA has prepared a comprehensive Chemical and Industrial Disaster Management Plan for the State, following a capability/gap analysis of the existing response mechanism, recommending measures for prevention, mitigation and improved response. Implementation of the plan is periodically tested through State-level mock drills for chemical/industrial disaster scenarios (see para 13.9), and is supported by dedicated Disaster Prevention & Mitigation Centres established at Vapi and Jhagadiya (para 13.3).

13.13 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and Strengthening of Backward Districts

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) scheme, which provides guidelines for disaster risk reduction with the aim of reducing mortality, the number of affected people, direct disaster losses, and disruption to basic services, was implemented in the State on 19 January 2023 for an initial period of three years, with a Senior Consultant appointed to oversee the project. A related scheme for Strengthening of District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA) — targeted at hazard-prone districts among the 115 backward districts identified nationally — was implemented on 1 August 2023 for an initial three years, and has been launched in Narmada and Morbi districts with two consultants appointed to oversee the project.

13.14 Smritivan and Veer Balak Smarak Memorials

GSDMA has established 'Smritivan' at Bhujiyo Hill, Bhuj, as a memorial and museum dedicated to the memory of the over 13,000 people who lost their lives in the 26th January 2001 earthquake, comprising a compound wall, reservoirs, a sunset point, restored fort walls, a museum building, plantation and allied visitor facilities. Development of Smritivan Phase-II, with an approved project cost of Rs. 600 crore, forms part of GSDMA's ongoing plans.

A complementary memorial and museum, the 'Veer Balak Smarak', is being developed at Anjar to commemorate the 185 schoolchildren who lost their lives in the 2001 earthquake, comprising a museum, memorial, auditorium, playground, and landscaped community spaces intended both for remembrance and for community/tourist engagement.

13.15 International Institute of Chemical Safety & Research (IICSR)

Following an international conference on chemical-industry disaster management and safety standards (organized with GNLU, the OPCW, GIEB and GIDM), a proposal emerged to establish an International Training Centre for Chemical Safety and Security, to serve as an apex institute for the management of hazardous chemicals. Consultancy for the blueprint has been assigned to GNLU, and GSDMA is finalizing the MoA and Rules and Regulations for the Institute.

13.16 State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) — Key Ongoing Proposals

The following projects have been approved by the State Executive Committee (SEC):

13.17 Key Challenges and Way Forward

GSDMA's way forward includes: construction of disaster-resilient infrastructure; development of Smritivan Phase-II (approved project cost Rs. 600 crore); enhanced focus on capacity-building programmes; technology-driven emergency response; updation of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Policy and its Operational Manual; and updation of the Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis (HRVA).