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The DM Act has made the 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 08 Bns (02 Bn each from BSF, CRPF, ITBP and CISF). As on date NDRF is having strength of 10 Bns.
Two national calamities in quick succession in the form of Odisha Super Cyclone (1999) and Gujarat Earthquake (2001) brought about the realization of the need of having a specialist response mechanism at National Level to effectively respond to disasters. This realization led to the enactment of the DM Act on 26 Dec., 2005. The NDMA was constituted to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management.
Each NDRF Bn consists of 1149 personnel. Union cabinet has also approved the conversion/up-gradation of 02 Bns from SSB. The force is gradually emerging as the most visible and vibrant multi-disciplinary, multi- skilled, high-tech, stand alone force capable of dealing with all types of natural and man- made disasters.
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The DM Act, 2005 envisages a paradigm shift from the erstwhile response centric syndrome to a proactive, holistic and integrated management of disasters with emphasis on prevention, mitigation and preparedness. This national vision inter alia, aims at inculcating a culture of preparedness among all stakeholders.
NDRF has proved its importance in achieving this vision by highly skilled rescue and relief operations, regular and intensive training and re-training, capacity building and familiarization exercises within the area of responsibility of respective NDRF Bns, carrying out mock drills and joint exercises with the various stakeholders.
Vision of NDRF is to emerge as the most visible and vibrant multi-disciplinary, multi-skilled, high-tech force capable to deal with all types of natural as well as man-made disasters and to mitigate the effects of disasters.
Role and Mandate of NDRF:
1. Specialized response during disasters
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2. Proactive deployment during impending disaster situations
3. Acquire and continually upgrade its own training and skills
4. Liaison, Reconnaissance, Rehearsals and Mock Drills
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5. Impart basic and operational level training to State Response Forces (Police, Civil Defence and Home Guards)
6. Vis-a-vis Community- All NDRF Bns are actively engaged in various:
a. Community Capacity Building Programme
b. Public Awareness Campaign
c. Exhibitions: Posters, Pamphlets, literatures
Unique Force:
The only dedicated disaster response force of the world. The only agency with comprehensive response capabilities having multi-disciplinary and multi-skilled, high-tech, stand-alone nature. Experienced paramilitary personnel specially trained and equipped for disaster response. Capabilities for undertaking disaster response, prevention, mitigation and capacity building.
Organisation:
At present, National Disaster Response Force consist of ten battalions, three each from the BSF and CRPF and two each from CISF and ITBP. Each battalion have 18 self-contained specialist search and rescue teams of 45 personnel each including engineers, technicians, electricians, dog squads and medical/paramedics.
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The total strength of each battalion is 1,149. Union cabinet has also approved the conversion/up-gradation of 02 Bns from SSB. All the ten battalions have been equipped and trained to respond natural as well as man-made disasters. Four battalions of them are also trained and equipped for response during chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies.
Locations of NDRF Bns:
These NDRF battalions are located at ten different locations in the country based on the vulnerability profile of country and to cut down the response time for their deployment at disaster site. Map showing NDRF Bns locations and their respective area of responsibility.
Reforms by Govt. of India for Disaster Management:
1. National Disaster Mitigation Fund has been administered by NDMA. States and districts will administer mitigation funds.
2. A National Disaster Response Fund has been administered by NDMA through the National Executive Committee. States and Districts will administer state Disaster Response Fund and Disaster Response Fund respectively.
3. 10 Battalions of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are being trained and deployed with CSSR and MFR equipment and tools in 10 strategic locations.
4. A National Disaster Management Policy and National Disaster Response Plan has also be drawn up.
Areas of Concern for Disaster Management:
1. Activating an Early Warning System network and its close monitoring.
2. Mechanisms for integrating the scientific, technological and administrative agencies for effective disaster management.
3. Terrestrial communication links which collapse in the event of a rapid onset disaster.
4. Vulnerability of critical infrastructures (power supply, communication, water supply, transport, etc.) to disaster events.
5. Funding: Primacy of relief as disaster response.
6. Preparedness and Mitigation very often ignored.
7. Lack of integrated efforts to collect and compile data, information and local knowledge on disaster history and traditional response patterns.
8. Need for standardised efforts in compiling and interpreting geo-spatial data, satellite imagery and early warning signals.
9. Weak areas continue to be forecasting, modelling, risk prediction, simulation and scenario analysis, etc.
10. Absence of a national level, state level, and district level directory of experts and inventory of resources.
11. Absence of a National Disaster Management Plan, and State level and district level disaster management plans.
12. Sustainability of efforts.
13. Effective Inter Agency Co-ordination and Standard Operating Procedures for stakeholder groups, especially critical first responder agencies.
14. Emergency medicine, critical care medicine, triage, first aid.
India’s Vulnerability to Disasters:
1. 57% land is vulnerable to earthquakes. Of these, 12% is vulnerable to severe earthquakes.
2. 68% land is vulnerable to drought.
3. 12% land is vulnerable to floods.
4. 8% land is vulnerable to cyclones.
5. Apart from natural disasters, some cities in India are also vulnerable to chemical and industrial disasters and man-made disasters.
Planning Ahead:
Although disaster management may not be directly associated with planned financing, but number of schemes are in operation, such as for drought proofing, afforestation, drinking water, etc., which deal with the prevention and mitigation of the impact of natural disasters.
Extra assistance for post-disaster reconstruction and streamlining of management structures also is a major consideration of the Plan. A specific, centrally sponsored scheme on disaster management also exists. The Plan thus already has a defined role in dealing with the subject.
There have been an increasing number of natural disaster over the past years, and with it, increasing losses on account of urbanization and population growth, as a result of which the impact of natural disasters is now felt to a larger extent. According to the United Nations, in 2001 alone, natural disasters of medium to high range caused at least 25,000 deaths around the world, more than double the previous year, and economic losses of around US$ 36 billion.
Devastations in the aftermath of powerful earthquakes that struck Gujarat, El Salvador and Peru; floods that ravaged many countries in Africa, Asia and elsewhere; droughts that plagued Central Asia including Afghanistan, Africa and Central America; the cyclone in Madagascar and Orissa; and floods in Bolivia are global events in recent memory.
However, what is disturbing is the knowledge that these trends of destruction and devastation are on the rise instead of being kept in check. Natural disasters know no political boundaries and have no social or economic considerations. They are borderless as they affect both developing and developed countries.
They are also merciless, and as such the vulnerable tend to suffer more at the impact of natural disasters. For example, the developing countries are much more seriously affected in terms of the loss of lives, hardship borne by population and the percentage of their GNP lost. Since number of the most vulnerable regions is in India, natural disaster management has emerged as a high priority for the country.
Going beyond the historical focus on relief and rehabilitation after the event, we now have to look ahead and plan for disaster preparedness and mitigation, in order that the periodic shocks to our development efforts are minimized. Physical vulnerabilities have a direct impact on the population their proximity to the hazard zone and standards of safety maintained to counter the effects.
For instance, some people are vulnerable to flood only because they live in a flood prone area. Physical vulnerability also relates to the technical capacity of buildings and structures to resist the forces acting upon them during a hazard event. However, physical calamities is not the only criteria, there are prevailing social and economic conditions and its consequential effect on human activities within a given society.
Parts of the Indian sub-continent are susceptible to different types of disasters owing to the unique topographic and climatic characteristics. About 54 per cent of the sub-continent’s landmass is vulnerable to earthquakes while about 4 crore hectares is vulnerable to periodic floods.
The decade 1990-2000, has been one of very high disaster losses within the country, losses in the Orissa Cyclone in 1999, and later, the Gujarat Earthquake in 2001 alone amount to several thousand crore of Rupees, while the total expenditure incurred on relief and reconstruction in Gujarat alone has been to the tune of Rs.11,500 crore.
Disasters often result in enormous economic losses that are both immediate as well as long term in nature and demand additional revenues. Also, as an immediate fall-out, disasters reduce revenues from the affected region due to lower levels of economic activity leading to loss of direct and indirect taxes.
In addition, unplanned budgetary allocation to disaster recovery can hamper development interventions and lead to unmet developmental targets. Disasters may also reduce availability of new investment, further constricting the growth of the region. Besides, additional pressures may be imposed on finances of the government through investments in relief and rehabilitation work.