India needs to tackle natural disasters better: R P N Singh

There is a perception that India is not adequately ready to tackle natural disaters like the recent Uttarakhand tragedy and thrust should be on planning, preparation and training, Union Minister of State for Home R P N Singh said today.
Complementing ITBP men for their services in the flood ravaged hill state, Singh unveiled a 24-minute documentary prepared by the paramilitary on the courage and daunting effort put by the personnel in providing succour to the people.
"India is a vast country and prone to natural disasters disasters. Some say we are not prepared for specially natural disasters. In such a scenario, it requires planning, preparation and training (to tackle such incidents)," Singh said.

The minister lauded the paramilitary personnel saying besides guarding the border, they have shown "exemplary courage" in saving the lives of those who were either stranded or trapped in Uttarakhand.
Personnel of the paramilitary are based in the state as part of their task to guard the 3,488-km long Sino-Indian frontier.
The ITBP has major bases at Joshimath, Dehradun, Uttarkashi and Gauchar in Uttarakhand.

The documentary that was released today is named 'Himveers' and has a small voice-over and appearance by actor Amitabh Bachchan and chronicles the rescue missions carried out by the personnel of the force in the month-long rescue operations in Uttarakhand.

The documentary also depicts the training ITBP personnel undergo to equip themselves with the skills needed to perform their duties in the mountains which are very often susceptible to bad weather, landslides and flash floods.
The ITBP lost 15 of its men in a helicopter crash during the same operation in the state. Five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel were also killed in the air accident near Gaurikund on June 25.
These martyred personnel from ITBP and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have recently been recommended for being awarded the 'Jeevan Rakshak' medals.
Over 500 ITBP personnel, along with NDRF, IAF, Army and state police agencies ran a coordinated effort for about a month to rescue thousands of people who were either stranded or rendered helpless in the Garhwal ranges of the state.