Weeks after the governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka moved the Supreme Court seeking relief funds for calamities such as Cyclone Michaung, floods, and drought last year.
The Union government on Friday ordered the release of ₹3,730.32 crore towards “relief assistance for natural calamity” from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
An order by the Finance Ministry said that the amount is being released to the State governments based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs on April 24.
The MHA had approved ₹3,498.82 crore for Karnataka in view of the drought faced by the State in 2023.
However, the net assistance to be released stood at ₹3,454.22 crore.
What is disaster relief fund- Why it is given
Disaster relief funds are essentially pools of money set aside to help people affected by natural disasters.
There are two main reasons why they are given:
Immediate Relief: Disasters can cause widespread damage and leave people in need of basic necessities like food, water, shelter, and medical care.
Disaster relief funds provide resources to quickly get these essentials to those who have been affected.
Long-Term Recovery: Disasters can have a lasting impact on communities, damaging infrastructure, disrupting livelihoods.
Affecting people's mental and emotional well-being.
Disaster relief funds can also be used to help communities rebuild and recover in the long term.
There are different types of disaster relief funds, depending on the source of the money.
Here in India, you might come across the following:
State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF): This fund is primarily funded by the central government and used by state governments for immediate disaster response.
National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF): This supplements the SDRF in case of large-scale disasters.
Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF): This fund relies on public donations to provide relief to victims of natural disasters
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