India’s preparedness continues to fall short of international benchmarks. With summer already showing signs of strain and systemic failure, the urgent need for a proactive, coordinated, and accountable disaster management strategy has never been clearer

India because of its varied geography, location, geological and climatic conditions coupled with its ‘reactive approach’ in dealing with things is prone to natural and other disasters. Time and again the national disaster response has not been at all commensurate with the desired level of preparedness as well as, technology and swift action. Our administrative system takes action and rises from slumber only when disasters happen. Every year time and again seasonal disasters occur and several lives are lost as also huge loss of property and life-sustaining resources.

The governance for disaster management during the last few years has improved after the creation of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) but it falls short of the level of international standards. Take for example the recent Pahalgaon terrorist attack on 22nd April 2025 in which 26 innocent Hindu lives were brutally killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists by first asking about their religion. It was an attack on the soul of India but the administration there miserably failed to plan to prevent such attacks on tourist spots in Kashmir, even as in major tourist spots elsewhere in the country security arrangements are made to oversee law and order and all who matter in running security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir know full well that Kashmir is always on the radar of Pakistan sponsored terrorists. It was a well-known fact that last year more than 2.35 crore tourists visited Kashmir and the government opened all tourist places without making any arrangements for the security of people.

Whatever, the political rhetoric about peace returning in Kashmir after the aftermath of abrogating Article........

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