New Delhi, Dec 18 : The national project for strengthening community-based disaster risk reduction initiatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions in 20 states has been approved with an outlay of Rs 507.37 crore, said an official on Thursday.

The project, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), will cover 81 disaster-prone districts with 20 Gram Panchayats each, said an official statement.

Additionally, the project will develop 20 Gram Panchayats focused on major hazard-specific risks as replicable models for local-level Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

Under the innovative concept of Model Gram Panchayat, one model Gram Panchayat (GP) for each of the 20 states will be developed.

Therefore, 20 Model Gram Panchayats will be identified by states exclusively for six different hazards (one GP for each hazard), themes for implementation of a long-term mitigation strategy for an end-to-end model to showcase the effectiveness of long-lasting mitigation measures on disaster proofing, said the statement.

The learnings in the identified 20 Gram Panchayats can be scaled up by the states through their SDMF for replicating as a disaster-resilient Gram Panchayat model for other Gram Panchayats.

Depending on the size of the State and intensity of the disasters, the number of Districts has been taken. All these Gram Panchayats and model Gram Panchayats have to be located in a close cluster, so that the impact of the mitigation measures is visible.

The initiative seeks to integrate disaster risk reduction into local governance through a bottom-up approach, positioning Panchayati Raj Institutions as the backbone of disaster preparedness, mitigation and resilience at the grassroots level.

The National Project for Strengthening Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives builds upon the institutional foundation laid by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in the area of community-based disaster management, said the statement.

The Disaster Management Plan of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (DMP-MoPR) was released on March 17, 2022.

The Plan aims to strengthen disaster resilience at the grassroots by aligning rural disaster management with the national framework, while promoting peopleâ??s participation and community ownership.

It calls for the preparation of Panchayat- and village-level Disaster Management Plans and their integration with local development processes, including Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs). This initiative will reinforce ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and State Governments to empower Panchayati Raj Institutions and mainstream disaster risk reduction in local planning, said the statement.

/IANS