NDRF patrols with ITBP to train for hill rescue ops

With aim to train NDRF personnel for undertaking rescue operations during disasters like avalanches, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods, the national disaster contingency force troopers are undertaking long-range patrols with ITBP troops along the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC) to prepare themselves before getting stationed at highaltitude locations in the Himalayas.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is in discussion with borderguarding forces that have a presence in these forward areas and a small team of rescuers that can be co-located at the outposts of forces, such as the BSF and SSB, in the four states of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim, director-general of the force Atul Karwal said.

“We want to keep some of our small teams functional at higher altitudes at all times. Four areas have been chosen for permanently stationing these teams and they are in J&K, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Once these teams are available at high altitudes, they can be rushed immediately,” he added.

The NDRF prepared an action plan last year to train its saviours in tackling natural and manmade catastrophes in these fragile mountain ranges on India's north and northeast which, according to experts, may see a rise in disasters leading to loss of lives due to a variety of reasons, including climate change and increased human activity.

“Even if my rescuers are based in a place like Srinagar (in J&K), they cannot be airlifted immediately in case of a disaster that strikes in the higher reaches as they are not acclimatised. They need to be pre-acclimatised throughout the year,” the NDFR D-G said.

“We are coordinating with border forces like the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) with a request to accommodate a team of five-six NDRF rescuers at their high-altitude border posts ranging between a height of about 9,000 and 10,000 feet. It will be difficult for us to deploy independent teams as logistics will be an issue,” he added.