Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, comprising 101 personnel, left for Turkey on Tuesday to help in rescue operations after a 7.8 magnitude quake killed thousands of people in the country.
The central contingency force is accompanied by two search dogs, four-wheeled vehicles, chipping hammers, cutting tools, first aid medicines and communication setup, PTI said in its report.
The personnel, drawn from teams based in Ghaziabad and Kolkata, boarded two Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 aircraft from the Hindon air base in Ghaziabad, an NDRF officer told PTI.
The Turkey-bound group includes five women rescuers, a doctor and paramedics.
The NDRF teams will land at the Adana airport in south Turkey where they will meet a link officer from the Indian Embassy and Turkish government authorities for further deployment at affected areas, he said.
“This is part of the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) measures announced by the Indian government on Monday for the earthquake-hit Turkey and neighbouring areas,” the officer said.
What is NDRF?
The NDRF is the National Disaster Response Force. After a string of natural disasters, including the Orissa Super Cyclone (1999), the Gujarat Earthquake (2001), and the Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004), among others, the relevant authorities took the necessary steps to develop a comprehensive disaster management plan. Thus, on December 26, 2005, the Disaster Management Act was passed.
The Disaster Management Act includes provisions for the establishment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) with the goal of providing specialised response to natural and man-made disasters. The practises of “proactive availability” of this force to the states and “pre-positioning” in hazardous disaster circumstances have greatly assisted in minimising the damage caused by natural disasters in the nation, say reports.
What function does the NDRF play in natural disasters?
NDRF conducts rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of natural disasters. Until now, the NDRF has conducted 73 operations in the country and rescued nearly 1,300,000 lives. In addition, the NDRF may respond to nuclear, biological, and chemical emergencies, the force states on its website.
Strength of NDRF?
The Disaster Management Act has statutory provisions for constitution of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for the purpose of specialized response to natural and man-made disasters. Accordingly, in 2006 NDRF was constituted with 8 Battalions.
In the beginning, the personnel of NDRF were deployed for routine law and order duties also. In a meeting of the NDMA with the Prime Minister on October 25, 2007, the need of NDRF being made a dedicated force was highlighted and accepted. This led to the notification of NDRF Rules on February 14th , 2008, making NDRF a dedicated force for disaster response related duties, under the unified command of DG NDRF.
Second @IAF_MCC C-17 with self-contained @NDRFHQ teams including dog squads, search & rescue equipment, extrication tools and vehicles leaves for Türkiye. India continues to support the people of Türkiye in their hour of need. pic.twitter.com/Pkfbwrg8FF
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) February 7, 2023
National Disaster Response Force is now comprised of fifteen battalions from the BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB, and Assam Rifles. Each battalion has 45 soldiers in 18 self-contained, specialised search and rescue teams, including engineers, technicians, electricians, dog squads, and medical/paramedics. The total number of personnel in each battalion is 1,149. All 15 battalions are equipped and trained to respond to both natural and man-made calamities. Additionally, battalions are trained and equipped for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) situations.
NDRF’s International Deployment
The NDRF has also been deployed internationally for natural disasters.
According to the body, when in April 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, the NDRF deployed its 16 USAR teams consisting of more than 700 rescuers and 18 dogs trained in USAR operations with the latest gadgets to various earthquake-stricken areas of Nepal.
One NDRF team was also deployed to assist in rescue operations during the 2011 Japan Tsunami.
The crew recovered seven bodies from the debris more than two weeks after the disaster happened. In addition to other valuables, the crew recovered and turned over 50 million yen in cash to the authorities, NDRF says.
In Turkey, the NDRF, dressed in their trademark orange dungarees, will help rescue people trapped under the collapsed structures and render all assistance as required by local authorities and rescuers from multiple other nations, officials said.
The government on Monday decided to rush NDRF teams along with medical aid and relief material to Turkey following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instructions to offer all possible assistance to the country.
The massive earthquake that struck Monday has killed more than 4,900 people and flattened thousands of buildings in Turkiye and neighbouring Syria. It was centred in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras and was felt as far away as Cairo.
With inputs from PTI
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