Despite not having a dedicated fleet of aircraft, the NDRF is one of the fastest responding disaster management forces in the country — be it a natural calamity or an accident
Last year in November, the country witnessed one of the worst disasters of recent times. At 3.10am, 14 bogies of Patna-Indore Express train derailed nearly 60 km from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh (UP) at a deserted location known as Pukhrayan, resulting in over 140 deaths. Within five hours, 35 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel were on the spot, carrying out a difficult rescue operation.
The NDRF men had been rushed to the accident site from its Regional Response Centre in (RRC) Lucknow. In another 3 hours, two more teams with 79 responders arrived at the scene, equipped with state-of-the-art disaster management gadgets. The force managed to rescue 55 people and retrieved 74 bodies trapped under the debris of derailed bogies.
Despite not having a dedicated fleet of aircraft, the NDRF is one of the fastest responding disaster management forces in the country — be it a natural calamity or an accident, such as last week's Tughlakabad Inland Container Depot gas leak in Delhi.
Senior officers of the force maintain that, with advanced equipment and continuous efforts for round-the-clock alertness, they are well-equipped to tackle any untoward calamity or accident. They also said that at times, locals can contribute a lot in reducing the impact of accidents.
"At the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the news of radioactive leakage spread panic two times, leading to rushing in of all the authorities concerned, be it DDMA, NDMA, or NDRF. Later, it was realised that there was no such leakage. Mere panic had led to the situation. In last week's gas leak incident, the situation was well under control and the authorities managed to contain the leak. No serious injury or critical exposure was reported," a senior officer said.
Talking about the measures that a person must take in such a situation, the officer said one must not run around or panic.
"The first step is to fight the fear. If you're affected by a radioactive or gas leak, you can be a carrier. Therefore, appear for a check. One should avoid any kind of direct contact with the source of leak and must duck down behind a wall or any solid structure. All affected mammals or cattle also need to be scanned and must not be allowed to move freely. In case of chemical exposure, one must visit medical experts. Fear of exposure is not so severe in such a case," the officer added.
Recent cases
January, 2017: At 11pm, engine and eight coaches of Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express went off the track near the Kuneru railway station in district Vjaynagaram in Andhra Pradesh. NDRF rescuers saved 13 lives.
December, 2016: During cyclone Vardah, NDRF responders rescued and evacuated 6 persons, retrieved 2 bodies, and removed 2,500 fallen or uprooted trees, and cleared 214 km of road.
November, 2016: At 3am, Patna-Indore Express train derailed near Kanpur in UP and a large number of passengers were trapped under the debris. NDRF rescued 55 passengers.
May, 2016: Around 11.30am, a boiler at a chemical manufacturing unit of Acharya Chemicals Herbert Brown Pharmaceuticals and Research Laboratories in Thane exploded. The impact was felt up to an area of 4-5 km. NDRF retrieved 5 bodies and assisted in shifting 23 barrels of Propargyl Alcohol, 11 barrels of Thyonil Chloride, 9 barrels of Zyline, and 4 cans of HCL, to safety unit.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "NDRF")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}