Published On : Wed, Nov 6th, 2013

India to set up it’s first National Institute of Disaster Response in Nagpur

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Disaster-Relief

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Nagpur News.

India’s first National Institute of Disaster Response (NIDR) will be set up in Kamptee, Nagpur.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) officials said land had been allotted and the Union Home Ministry was set to approve the Rs 190-crore project.

The world-class facility would train future battalions of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), central and state forces and units from foreign countries, NDMA Vice-Chairperson M Shashidhar Reddy said.

Spread across 61 hectares in two villages, NIDR will conduct live simulation exercises for a wide range of natural and man-made disasters.

“Disaster response requires a different kind of training infrastructure. The institute will become the main training centre for NDRF and state disaster response forces. There will be special focus on search and rescue at collapsed structures and response to chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear disasters,” Reddy said.

He said Nagpur was centrally located and also had other training institutes such as National Civil Defence College and National Fire Service College. “Nagpur will become a hub for disaster training,” Reddy said.

He said the institute would bolster the global disaster management standing of India. “We received expressions of interest from several SAARC countries. India has acquired a special place in Southeast Asia because of our response to a wide range of disasters,” said Reddy.

“NIDR will be a residential facility that will train 50 individuals at a time. The best Indian and international experts will be recruited to conduct training. NIDR has been modelled on the best institutes in Europe and the US. NDMA officials of the rank of inspector-general and above will also be a part of the faculty,” said Alok Avasthy, Commandant, 5th Battalion, NDRF, who has been following up with the state government on behalf of NDMA.