India first responder in case of disaster in sub-continent, leading initiatives in disaster management: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday outlined India's role as first responder in events of disaster in the sub-continent while addressing the 10th meeting of the head of Authorities of SCO member states on disaster management.

"In the Indian sub-continent, we have been playing the role of the first responder in the case of disaster," said Shah.

India is the host for the Shanghai Co-operation Organization Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search & Rescue (SCOJtEx)-2019.

He said that member states need to give special emphasis in the field of "disaster relief infrastructure" and India is leading the initiatives in the fields of disaster management and disaster resistance.

"We should give special emphasis on the field of disaster relief infrastructure. India is leading the initiatives in disaster management and disaster resistance. This ministerial meeting is of special importance to us as after 2017 after we joined it this is the first meeting in India," said Shah.

He said that most of the SCO nations are adversely affected with 'floods' and 'earthquakes'.

"The four days of joint cooperation in the field will help the member countries in dealing with rescue and search operation in a disaster situation. Further, the forum will provide a platform to come up with planning and protocol to deal with the disaster," he said.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has organised the Shanghai Co-operation Organization Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue (SCOJtEx)-2019 in the national capital.

The exercise provided an opportunity to enhance the coordination and co-operation involving multi-agency operations in an earthquake scenario among the member countries.

All SCO member countries namely China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan participated in this exercise.