The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, today welcomed the second mountaineering expedition of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 'Vijay', in New Delhi, on its return from a successful climb to 21,625 feet high Mount Manirang.
Home Minister also witnessed Photo and Disaster Management Equipment Gallery. The exhibition showcased the state-of-the-art equipment and technologies used by NDRF rescuers during operation. A briefing was also given by the team leaders who were involved in various disaster response incidents in India and Turkey. Union Home Minister took keen interest in various operations conducted by NDRF in flood water rescue, landslides, collapsed structure search and rescue, chemical biological radiological nuclear response mechanism (CBRN), mountain rescue, borewell rescue, cyclone response etc. He was also shown various initiative taken in improvising equipment by the NDRF for better utilisation. Several dignitaries, including the Union Home Secretary and Director General, NDRF, were present on the occasion.
Shri Amit Shah hailed NDRF jawans for their successful expedition to 21,625 high Mount Manirang. He said that such strenuous operations by our jawans, who have decided to show indomitable courage to go to such heights, increase the efficiency of both the individual and the force. Home Minister said that such arduous campaigns inculcate the habit of accomplishing goals, conquering and overcoming unimaginable difficulties to reach the goal. Shri Shah said that it is the habit of victory that makes a person and force great and it is the biggest source of walking on the right path in a person's life, becoming victorious and increasing confidence.
The Union Home Minister said that some jawans have achieved success in this operation today, but in the true sense, this success belongs to the entire NDRF. He said that these jawans have not only conquered the heights of Mount Manirang but have worked to boost the morale of the entire force. He said that mountaineering is not just a skill but an art of living and mastering this art forms an education for the whole life. The Union Home Minister congratulated the 35 personnel who achieved success in Operation Vijay and the Director General, NDRF for the achievement as a symbol of the force. Shri Shah said that the unfurling of the Tricolour at a height of more than 21,600 feet by these jawans has been a matter of great achievement for the entire force. He said that if we have to reach the pinnacle of success, then we have to pursue a consistent goal throughout life, only then success is achieved.
Shri Amit Shah said that at one time, our approach to disaster in India was only relief-centric, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, now a zero casualty approach is being adopted for disaster management, not a relief-centric approach.
He said that this has been our great journey in terms of disaster management approach. Shri Shah added that in the last 10 years of Prime Minister Modi's tenure, the best practices from around the world have been put in place in India to deal with disasters. He said that in these 10 years of the Modi government, the work of creating a winning alliance of NDRF and NDMA through training, raising the morale of the force, forming the force, providing adequate numbers of the force, ensuring the availability of the force's personnel everywhere in such a large country and advance information for disaster assessment has been done. He said that today, if any disaster strikes anywhere in the country or the world, everyone looks up to the NDRF. Shri Shah also said that seeing the NDRF personnel increases the morale of the people trapped in the disaster manifold. He said that just as our 35 jawans have aligned themselves with the goal with moment-to-moment awareness to achieve success in this mountaineering expedition, our force must align itself with the goal of Zero Casualty. He said that achievement should never become a reason for satisfaction, but it should become a reason to set more difficult goals. Shri Shah said that whether it is Turkey or Syria, Biporjoy or Michaung, the ropeway incident or the rescue of climbers, the tunnel incident or the triple disaster in Japan or the earthquake in Nepal, wherever NDRF personnel have gone, they have returned with a good start and it is a matter of great pride for the entire country.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that in the future, due to climate change, dangers like avalanches, landslides, floods and storms are going to increase everywhere and keeping this in mind, we should move firmly towards the goal of Zero Casualty by resorting to science. He said that we still have to increase our efficiency in many areas and also bring results, such as forest fires. He said that saving human lives is not our only objective during forest fires, but we have to bring experiments happening all over the world on how to save forests and what we can do so that there is no fire on the ground. Shri Shah said that we need to prepare ourselves more for the floods caused by cloudbursts.
Shri Amit Shah said that the Modi government has left no stone unturned and never looked at the budget for the development of the NDRF, training and providing modern resources to the force. He said that we should create a force in India that is first in the field of disaster management in the entire country. Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi himself is very concerned and aware about disaster management and the success achieved by India in this field is the result of this. He said that in 10 years between 2004 and 2014, a total budget of Rs 66,000 crore was allocated to SDRF and NDRF for disaster relief, which increased to Rs 2 lakh crore in 10 years from 2014 to 2024. This, he said, shows how prepared the Indian government is for a disaster. Shri Shah said that the Modi government is providing scientific support to the NDRF in every way, be it Dial 112, Mausam, Damini, Meghdoot, such mobile applications or early warning systems.
The Union Home Minister said that there was a demand for Risk and Hardship Allowance for NDRF personnel for a long time and the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has accepted this demand yesterday. He said that now 16,000 personnel of NDRF will get Risk and Hardship Allowance at the rate of 40%. Shri Shah said that the Modi government has also decided that now a team of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) will participate in all outdoor and indoor games in national and international level sports competitions. He said that the entire roadmap for this has been prepared and soon the Government of India will come up with a model for its implementation. He said that the government wants to introduce and stabilize sports as a culture in CAPFs.
*****
