THE Union ministry of home affairs recently introduced the Disaster Management Bill (DMB) 2005 in the Rajya Sabha. The bill is being considered a major step in streamlining appropriate mitigation measures and better preparedness for disaster. The bill gives short shrift to issues relating to the participation of local bodies in disaster management, opting instead for a centralised system. This is despite the fact that field experiences of disaster management in India show that local governance institutions like panchayats (inrural areas) and municipalities (inurban areas) are the first to reach out with relief after a disaster.

The DMB proposed a three-tier structure