Ranchi: National Disaster Response Force is fully geared up to handle emergencies in the state during monsoon, NDRF deputy commandant Vinay Kumar said on Sunday.Addressing mediapersons, Kumar said three teams under the Regional Response Centre, Ranchi, each comprising 25 personnel, are ready for deployment. One team has been stationed in Ranchi, while the other two will be posted in Jamshedpur and Deoghar.He said the NDRF has a battalion of 18 teams assigned to cover all districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. Additional personnel can be moved from one location to another depending on the requirement and scale of an emergency.Kumar said each team is equipped with boats, life jackets, ropes and at least two divers carrying masks, oxygen cylinders, knives and other rescue equipment. The teams remain on standby and are able to leave for any destination within 20 minutes of receiving information about an accident.He said NDRF generally acts on requests from the local deputy commissioner, but added that anyone can inform the force about an accident by phone and seek a response.On operational challenges, Kumar said, “Many rivers in the state have rocky beds, which pose a challenge. Boats cannot operate in such circumstances. So we have to conduct the tasks manually. Moreover, in cases of illegal mining accidents, it is difficult for the NDRF team to assess the way leading to victims inside the mines.”He added that although teams move immediately after receiving alerts, travel time can delay rescue operations in remote locations.Kumar said, “Jharkhand has many seasonal rivers, which are in spate all of a sudden. I appeal to people to avoid going near these rivers. They should also be cautious while visiting waterfalls.”
