The Himachal Pradesh government has taken steps to deal with natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, avalanches and landslides which have been playing havoc with the lives and property in the hill state year after year. The topography and climatic conditions make the state more prone to natural disasters caused by avalanches, floods, flash floods and cloudbursts, etc. The state also falls in zone V of the seismic prone area and has been the epicentre of several earthquakes causing huge loss to the lives and property.