NDRF deploys 122 teams in country for flood, rain rescue works

New Delhi: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has positioned 122 teams across the country to tackle the flood and heavy rain situation during the ongoing monsoon season, a force spokesperson said on Tuesday.

He said 85 rescue and relief teams have been pre-positioned in "vulnerable" states and all its 12 battalions across the country have been alerted and asked to be prepared to tackle any flood situation caused by heavy rains.

He said these teams are positioned in 20 states with a maximum of 19 in Bihar, followed by 12 in Assam, the two states facing flood situation.

Nine teams have been deployed in Gujarat, seven in Maharashtra, six teams each in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, four in Karnataka and three each in Kerala, Punjab and Uttarakhand.

Besides, one team each has been deployed in Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Tripura; two each in Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

Apart from this, 37 teams are permanently stationed in 23 states at the regional response centers (RRCs) of the NDRF.

A total of 122 self-contained teams of NDRF comprising trained responders like doctors, divers, paramedics and engineers have been deployed for rains and flood rescue task."

"They are equipped with adequate boats and other flood rescue and life-saving equipment and they are on the alert to deal with any eventuality," the spokesperson said.

The composition of these teams is not uniform and the number of rescuers ranges from 25-45.

The force, the spokesperson said, is in constant touch with various state governments to chalk out combat strategies.

The NDRF was raised in 2006 as the federal disaster contingency force.