New Delhi: It is another example of shattering of the proverbial glass ceiling. The first batch of over 100 women disaster combatants and rescuers has been inducted in the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). This is the first time that the NDRF has a fully operational team of women disaster combatants.
An all-woman team of freshly trained NDRF personnel was recently deployed for contingency duties on the banks of the Ganga river in Uttar Pradesh’s Garh Mukteshwar town, a senior force officer said.
“The first women rescuers’ team is already on ground. Recently, the UP government requisitioned an NDRF team and they (women) went there (Garh Mukteshwar). The team handled the rescue boats and related equipment,” NDRF director general SN Pradhan told this agency Tuesday. “These personnel have all the skills to be called complete rescuers,” he added.
The move to include women personnel in the NDRF combat ranks was in the works for some time. The force, since it was raised over a decade ago, was till now an all-male affair.
More than 100 women personnel have joined the NDRF over the last few months. They are being deputed with its battalions across India as soon as they finish their pre-induction course and training, the DG said. He said the numbers are expected to go over 200 women personnel in the near future. The female personnel who are joining are in the constabulary and sub-officer (sub-inspector and inspector) ranks.
As per authorisation, each NDRF battalion of over 1,000 personnel can have 108 woman rescuers.
The DG informed that the women personnel will add to the strength and skills of the force in rescuing disaster victims. “We can deploy both components of an all-woman NDRF team or a mix squad of male and female personnel for responding to a situation. We prefer the second because if there are complement of women personnel it makes a great difference on the ground where women, children and old persons are being rescued,” Pradhan said. “The skill sets of women are stronger in some aspects. That can be leveraged especially in situations where women are victims,” Pradhan added.
The NDRF has 12 operational battalions at present located in various states. It is a specialised unit that was raised in 2006 for specific tasks of relief and rescue during natural and man-made disasters or life threatening situations.