New Delhi, 19 Oct

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the advance release of Rs 1,950.80 crore as the second instalment of the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to Karnataka and Maharashtra for the year 2025–26.

According to an official statement, Rs 384.40 crore has been allocated to Karnataka and Rs 1,566.40 crore to Maharashtra to support immediate relief and rehabilitation for people affected by heavy rainfall and floods during this year’s southwest monsoon. The funds are expected to aid the restoration of damaged infrastructure, housing, and essential services in severely hit districts.

The statement said the Central Government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and Shah’s guidance, remains fully committed to assisting states affected by floods, landslides, and cloudbursts, ensuring timely financial and logistical support for emergency response.

So far this year, the government has released Rs 13,603.20 crore under the SDRF to 27 states and Rs 2,189.28 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to 15 states. Additionally, Rs 4,571.30 crore has been disbursed from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 21 states and Rs 372.09 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to nine states.

The Centre has also extended logistical support, including deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army, and Air Force for rescue, relief, and evacuation operations. This monsoon saw the highest-ever deployment of 199 NDRF teams across 30 states and Union Territories, reflecting the scale of preparedness and response efforts.