Delhi: Amit Shah inaugurates 2-day annual conference on capacity building of SDRF, other agencies

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday inaugurated two-day annual conference on capacity building of State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF) here and said that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) must work with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to upgrade their equipments.

"NDRF has done a lot of good work over the years. I had like to thank NDRF not just as a minister but also as a citizen. NDRF should work towards collaborating with DRDO to upgrade their equipment to make them indigenous in next five years," Shah said while addressing the observer participants from Civil Defence (CD), Home Guards (HG) and Fire Services in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The Union Cabinet minister also assured the forces that the Centre will fulfill all the demands of their department in the not so distant future. "All your needs will be fulfilled. You will get all the resources and the buildings will be constructed. But, disaster management is not done by constructing buildings unless there is a feeling from within. One will not be able to yield the result if do not have a desire."

Shah also lauded Prime Minister Narendra for laying the foundation stone of Gujarat disaster management department in 2001 while being the state's chief minister.

"In 2001, a devastating earthquake had struck Gujarat, the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of Gujarat disaster management. After that, the work on disaster management picked up the pace across the country," he said.

"I truly believe that we can combat the disaster if all our sectors are well equipped. Everything should match with the international standards. Therefore, I request all of you to get in touch with the DRDO to modernise your equipments," he added.

Shah also informed that so far disaster response force (SDRF) on the lines of National Disaster Response Force have been set up in 24 states. "Till now as many as 25 mock drills have happened in which 11 lakh people have taken part. In Nagpur, we are soon going to build a large center."

"I would like to congratulate the NDRF, SDRF. The road ahead is long, we must have to aim to get to the top position in the world," Shah said in his concluding statement.