NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE FORCE (NDRF) RAISING DAY 2025
- Press Note -
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was raised on 19th January 2006 after the enactment of Disaster Management Act, 2005. Since its raising, it has grown from initial 8 Battalions to 16 Battalions today. Presently, it has presence at 68 locations including 28 Regional Response Centres (RRCs) and 24 Tactical pre-positioning locations (TPLs). Each battalion of NDRF has 18 specialized Search and Rescue (SAR) Teams which are self-contained and have specialists like engineers, technicians, electricians, dog squads and medical/para-medical personnel. The sanctioned strength of the Force is 18,556. NDRF Academy was formed after the merger of National Civil Defence College (NCDC) in 2018 and a new campus is coming up at Nagpur shortly. Shri Piyush Anand, IPS, is the current Director General of NDRF. The Force has 4 Zones with Hq at New Delhi.
2. NDRF has been mandated to attend all natural and man-made disasters in the country except fires. This includes Collapsed Structure Search & Rescue (CSSR) during earthquakes, building collapse and landslides; Flood Water Rescue (FWR) including drowning, boat capsize; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Contingencies, Mountain & Rope Rescue, Medical First Response (MFR) and Animal Rescue. Forest fire is a new mandate assigned to the Force in 2022 with the formation of 3 teams on a pilot basis and placed one each in Uttarakhand, Assam and Andhra Pradesh.
3. Since its raising NDRF has conducted more than 12,000 operations, rescued more than 1,58,000 persons and evacuated more than 8.5 lakhs persons during various disasters. It has also conducted more than 13,000 Community Awareness Programs (CAPs) and about 8000 School Safety Programs (SSPs) benefitting more than 93 lakhs students and adults.
4. During the year 2024, NDRF conducted a record 1038 operations in different parts of the country in which the NDRF Rescuers saved more than 4000 lives and evacuated more than 63,000 persons to safety. The prominent operations in 2024 include –
• Five major Flood Ops in Manipur, Tripura, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh
• Cloudburst and landslides in Himachal and Kedarnath (UKD)
• Cyclones Remal, Dana and Fengal
• Wayanad landslide in Kerala in which NDRF rescued 14 victims, evacuated 352 persons and retrieved 111 deceased persons and 38 livestock
• Major building collapses in Rupnagar (Punjab), Deoghar (Jharkhand), Varanasi (UP), Karol Bagh (Delhi) and Billboard Collapse (Ghatkopar, Mumbai) in which 23 valuable lives were saved
• Train accident in Darjeeling (WB)
• 14 Borewell Ops in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and other states.
• NDRF also deployed extensively during Shri Amarnathji Yatra and Chardham Yatra. NDRF was also deployed in Tirupati (AP) in Oct ’24 and is present in the ongoing Sabrimala pilgrimage in Kerala.
• Twenty NDRF Teams have been deployed for the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj to cater to various contingencies for a duration of 45 days.
• 107 NDRF teams were earmarked for pre-positioning deployment during Monsoon-2024 across the country in coordination with the States to create required operational thrust.
• 23 Teams were airlifted from various NDRF locations in the country during contingencies primarily arising out of floods and cyclones in coordination with Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and IAF.
5. NDRF has a rich experience of international response to disasters having responded to Japan Triple Disaster in 2011, Nepal Earthquake in 2015 and “OP Dost” during Turkiye earthquake in 2023. Presently, one Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) Heavy Team is being mentored by Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC) for International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Certification. This will enable the team to work in close cohesion with other classified USAR Teams of the world in a standardized response system.
6. On the directives of the PMO and the MEA, as a gesture of goodwill from India, NDRF has provided International Humanitarian Assistance from National Disaster Response Reserve (NDRR) in the form of relief materials including tents, blankets, dignity kits, medicines etc. to various countries in 2024 including Kenya, Papua New Guinea, El Salvador, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Nigeria and Nepal.
7. Considering the increasing significance of CBRN and the need to undertake capacity building of the responders, awareness generation among masses, upgradation of equipment profile and effective coordination with stakeholders for preparedness and response, NDRF had declared 2024 as the “Year of CBRN” and undertook a series of actions –
• Conducted National level Workshop involving various stakeholders including NDMA, Ministry of Health, MoEF&CC, NACWC, DAE, DRDO, INMAS, DMI Bhopal and some States
• Conducted trg programs for Rescuers, Medical Officers, Radiological Safety Officers (RSOs)
• Conducted CBRN Emergency Management Course at NDRF Academy for Army, CAPFs and SDRF
• Framed CBRN SOP for Rescuers
• Conducted Familiarization Exercises with Major Accident Hazard (MAH) Units.
8. Training is the forte of NDRF. Besides, conducting training for its own Rescuers, the Force conducts capacity building of the stakeholders. During 2024, 1823 Community Awareness Programs (CAPs) and 1994 School Safety Programs (SSPs) were conducted in different parts of the country and 691 Mock exercises on various disaster scenarios including State level, District level, Railways, Ropeways, Airports, Seaports, NPPs etc. NDRF has declared 2025 as the “Year of Training” with the overall aim of improving professional acumen and fitness of the NDRF Rescuers and also to undertake capacity building of the stakeholders in a focused environment.
9. NDRF has taken various initiatives on operational, training and administrative front including
• Conduct of Training Needs Analysis (TNA) and revision of Trg Manual & Regime to meet operational needs
• Implementation of a Fitness regime in the Force with focus on maintenance of BMI and conduct of Fittest Rescuer Competition, Ironman Competitions etc.
• NDRF Rescuers have successfully scaled Mt Bhagirathi II in UKD in 2023 and Mt Manirang in HP in 2024.
• Taking a lesson from Wayanad landslides where search of dead bodies was a challenge, NDRF has initiated cadaver training of canine.
• NDRF Rescuers have taken initiative to create various innovative tools and equipment to enhance operational efficiency in the field.
• NDRF Rescuers are also contributing significantly to making a better environment by undertaking massive plantation including synergizing the concept of “Ek Ped, Maa Ke Naam”, bee-keeping and introduction of millets for better nutrition.
10. As the Force celebrates its 20th Raising Day on 19th January 2025, NDRF will further strengthen its resolve to ensure zero casualty in disasters in close and focused coordination with the States & UTs.
