Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, - a. “Affected area” means the area declared as such under clause

1. (2) of section 16 of this Act; b. “Authority” means the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority established under section 5 of this Act ; c. “Capacity building” means building of capacity to cope up with any disaster and includes : i. Identification of existing resources relevant to any disaster and to be acquired for the purpose of this Act; ii. Acquiring and creating resource, organization and training of groups in local community; and iii. Coordination of such training; d. “Commissioner” means Relief Commissioner for Disaster Management Department in the State; e. “District Collector (DC)” or “District Magistrate (DM)” means an Officer in charge of an Administrative District as notified under the provisions of Criminal Procedure Code 1973; f. “Disaster” means an actual or imminent event, whether natural or otherwise occurring in any part of state which causes, or threatens to cause, all or any of the following; i. Widespread loss or damage to property, both movable or immovable; or ii. Widespread loss of human life or injury or illness to human beings; or iii. Widespread loss of livestock or illness to livestock; or iv. Damage or degradation of environment; and any of the effects specified in sub- section
   • (a) to
   • (d) is such that it is be beyond the capacity of the affected community to cope up with using its own resources and which disrupts the normal functioning of the community; g. “Disaster Management” means a continuous and integrated process of planning and implementation of measures, with a view to: i. mitigating or reducing the risk of disaster; ii. mitigating the severity or consequence of disaster; iii. capacity building; iv. emergency preparedness; v. assessing the effects of disaster; vi. providing emergency relief and resource; and vii. post – disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction; h. “emergency preparedness” means the state of readiness which enables stakeholders to mobilize, organize and provide relief to deal with an impending or actual disaster or the effects of disaster; i. “Local Authority” means a municipal corporation, municipal council, urban local bodies, Zilla Parishad, Gram Panchayat, legally recognised traditional institutions or any other institution declared by State Government; j. “mitigation” means measures aimed at reducing the impact or effects of a disaster; k. magistrate means judicial magistrate. l. Prevention” means measures, the object of which is to avoid the occurrence of disaster: m. “reconstruction” means repair and reconstruction of a property undertaken after a disaster; n. “rehabilitation” means any activity the object of which is to restore normalcy in condition caused by a disaster; o. “relief” means measures taken during or immediately after a declaration of disaster to diminish, or alleviate any suffering, pain, injury or distress or hardship caused on account of disaster; p. “Secretary” means Secretary for disaster management Department in the State; q. “Stakeholder” includes- a. the State Government; b. any statutory functionary; c. voluntary agencies; d. any other person/ agency identified by the State Government; e. which participate in any manner in activities related to disaster management.