<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">India has significantly reduced the damage due to disasters in recent years. Addressing the 18th Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority in New Delhi today, Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai said, since 2014 the government has taken practical steps in disaster response. He said, the  Aapda Mitra scheme is being implemented which has helped in involving local people in disaster management. The Minister added that the scheme should become a movement.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Home, Ajay Kumar Mishra said that effective disaster management is needed for the development of the country as around 80 percent of country's area is affected by a disaster in some way or another. He said the country has taken a quantum leap towards holistic strengthening of disaster management and several schemes are being implemented in this direction.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>