NDRF & CD fully prepared to fight floods

GUWAHATI, July 23 – Krishna
Chaudhary, IPS, Director General,
National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF), who is on a visit to the State
for flood assessment after assuming
the charge of DG NDRF and Civil
Defence, visited NDRF unit in
Guwahati on Tuesday and took stock
of the flood situation from Alok Kumar
Singh, Commandant of 1 BN NDRF.
The 1st BN NDRF has prepositioned
five search & rescue teams in different
districts of Assam to ensure prompt
response in an effective manner.
Apart from the pre-positioned teams
of NDRF, two teams located in
Changsari , Kamrup are ready to
intervene in the event of flood
situation in Kamrup Rural.
“The pre-positioned teams are
regularly visiting the vulnerable areas
in their respective districts of
deployment and carrying out mass
awareness programmes on flood
rescue techniques, development of
village-level warning systems, use of
improvised floating aids from unused
materials , marking of safe areas in
districts, prevention and
precautionary methods for snake &
insect bite etc,” said Chaudhary.
On the issue of current flood
situation, the DG NDRF said, “As per
the reports of forecasting agencies,
Assam has received lesser rainfall in
this monsoon season so far but as
river Brahmaputra and its tributaries
are flowing above danger level in
upper and lower Assam, the
possibility of flood cannot be ruled
out in the ongoing monsoon season.
NDRF is fully prepared with its
prepositioned and standby teams in
Guwahati.”
While elaborating on the need to
develop effective and accountable
disaster response structure at the
state level, Chaudhary said, “Every
State must develop disaster response
structure down from the village level.
It is the community who is always the
first responder. If they are trained and
grouped, the community people will
be ready to face the disasters, he
mentioned.
Chaudhary also witnessed the
demonstration of NDRF rescuers on
‘Mountain Rescue, operation in
Earthquake which was organized at
1st NDRF location at Patgaon. While
addressing the officers and rescuers,
Chaudhary stated that the intensive
training, conduct of regular mock drill
and simulation exercises on various
disasters develop confidence to solve
complex disaster situations.

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