The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has rejected a proposal of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to have its own dedicated aviation wing.
Sources in NDRF said that the proposal was dropped by the Home Ministry. “We are now first focusing on raising four more battalion,” the sources said. The proposal to this effect was sent to Home Ministry last year.
In a move to make NDRF more effective pan-India force capable of responding even before a calamity strikes, it has proposed to have its own dedicated air wing so it will not depend on any other agencies and it will also help to reduce the response time for carrying out disaster rescue and relief operations.
In the beginning, the personnel of NDRF were deployed for routine law and order duties also. later, on February 14, 2008, NDRF became a dedicated force for disaster response related duties. On Saturday, train accident in Muzzaffarnagar in UP, two NDRF teams, comprising 45 personnel each, and two canines mobilised to the Muzaffarnagar accident site from their base in Ghaziabad.
At present, the NDRF consist of 12 battalions, three each from the Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force and two each from Central Industrial Security Force, Indo Tibetan Border Police and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Each battalion have 18 self-contained specialist search and rescue teams of 45 personnel each including engineers, technicians, electricians, dog squads and medical and paramedics. The total strength of each battalion is 1,149.
All the 12 battalions have been equipped and trained to respond natural as well as man-made disasters. Battalions are also trained and equipped for response during chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies. These NDRF battalions are located at 12 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.
The NDRF is currently involved in flood rescue and relief operations in worst flood affected areas of Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. In addition to flood response, NDRF teams also responded to other eventualities arises due to floods and boat capsize incidents, landslides and building collapses. In these floods, the force has to rescue 2,863 persons, evacuating 66724 persons and 233 livestock. NDRF also provided medical assistance to 5,669 persons during this monsoon season.
The force is increasingly involved in disaster rescue and relief operations alongside Indian Army and it had planned to set up their own air wing. In this regard they had sent a detailed proposal last year to the Ministry. The MHA did not find feasibility into the proposal and cited that when Air Force and Indian Army is already at "disposal" then there is no urgency to set up air wing.
In mid nineties and the subsequent decade, India faced some of its most severe natural calamities like Orissa Super Cyclone in 1999, Gujarat Earthquake in 2001 and Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. This succession of events brought to fore, the need of comprehensive disaster management plan. This led to the enactment of the Disaster Management Act on December 26th, 2005. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was constituted to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management. The Disaster Management Act has statutory provisions for constitution of NDRF for the purpose of specialised response to natural and man-made disasters. Accordingly, in 2006 NDRF was constituted with eight battalions.