NDRF deploys 19 teams in Bihar to tackle flood fury

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 19 teams across north Bihar where flood fury continues unabated.

Four teams have also been stationed in neighbouring Jharkhand — two each in Deoghar and Dumka — in view of the Shrawani mela, that will begin from July 17.

“Five teams were requisitioned from Uttar Pradesh on July 15. One team has been kept in standby at Bihta,” said Abhishek Kumar Rai, deputy commandant of 9th Battalion of NDRF based at Bihta near Patna.

Comprising 35 to 40 members, each team is equipped with a minimum of four boats and about half-a-dozen deep divers, besides pharmacists.

Rai said NDRF rescuers were equipped to lend medical help in cases of heart attacks and delivery of babies in flood-hit areas. “This year, every single member of our team, including cook, is medical first responder and trained to tackle medical emergencies like bleeding control, heart-attack and labour pains,” he said. In the past few years, there have been cases of expecting mothers delivering their child on boats while being evacuated from flood-hit areas.

Meanwhile, in some districts, NDRF teams are considering running community awareness programmes. “There are a number of household things which can be moulded and used during emergency situations. The basic concept behind planning this programme is to make the people aware about safety measures to be adopted by them before, during and after floods,” said an NDRF official.

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