India gets its first all-women team for disaster combat

In yet one more example of shattering of the proverbial ceiling , the primary batch of over 100 women disaster combatants and rescuers has been inducted within the country’s federal calamity force NDRF.

An all-woman team of freshly trained National Disaster Response Force (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 that they (women) went there (Garh Mukteshwar). The team handled the rescue boats and related equipments,” NDRF director general S N Pradhan told PTI in an interview.
“These personnel have all the talents to be called complete rescuers,” he said.

The move to incorporate women personnel within the NDRF combat ranks was within the works for a few time. The force, since it had been raised over a decade ago, was till now an all-male affair.

More than 100 women personnel have joined the NDRF over the previous couple of months and that they are being deputed with its battalions across the country as soon as they finish their pre-induction course and training, the DG said.

He said the numbers are expected to travel over 200 women personnel within the near future.
The female personnel who are joining are within 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.
Pradhan, however, said as there are “pre-existing” vacancies within the feeder agencies or the paramilitary forces who send them to the disaster response force on deputation, it’ll take longer for the complete strength of female combatants to hitch .

The DG said the ladies personnel will increase the strength and skills of the force in rescuing disaster victims and even in calamity mitigation.
“We can deploy both components of an all-woman NDRF team or a mixture squad of male and feminine personnel for responding to a situation. We prefer the second because if there’s complement of girls personnel it makes an excellent difference on the bottom where women, children and old persons are being rescued,” Pradhan said.