"Prevention is better than cure" is an old saying which makes sense in disaster management. India is a vast nation and has seen more than its share in its civilizational past with major natural disasters such as droughts, floods, earthquakes and cyclones. The nation has, of course, built its own activities and methods to cope with various natural disasters. India has established a countrywide relief administration since independence. There has been a sea change in the country's disaster management strategy. The new approach stems from the belief that unless disaster mitigation is integrated into the planning process, development will not be sustainable. The new approach also stems from the assumption that mitigation funding is much more cost-effective than relief and recovery spending