The hill towns of India are prone to disasters, both natural and man-made. To mitigate the impact of such disasters, several provisions for disaster management have been put in place. Here are some of them:

• Establishment of Disaster Management Committees at the local level to identify potential hazards and plan accordingly.
• Identification of sensitive areas prone to landslides, floods, and earthquakes, followed by measures to address them.
• Preparation of disaster management plans that include evacuation routes, stockpiling of essential supplies, and establishing temporary shelters.
• Providing training to locals to respond to disasters, including first aid, search and rescue, and crowd control.
• Procuring equipment required for emergency response, such as fire extinguishers, rescue vehicles, and communication equipment.
• Conducting mock drills to test the effectiveness of disaster management plans and identify gaps that need to be addressed.
• Ensuring that buildings and infrastructure are designed and constructed to withstand natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides.

These provisions will be critical for the safe and sustainable development of hill towns in India that are prone to disasters. Through adequate planning and preparation, the impacts of disasters can be minimised and communities can continue to thrive.