Factsheet: Disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR)

Factsheet based on replies received from the Directorate General, National Disaster Response Force, (Ministry of Home Affairs), Government of India in response to RTI Application dated 14th June 2022.

Salient Features

1. SOP for NDRF rescuers has been formulated on handling of differently abled persons during disasters. A SOP “Standard Operating Procedure on Disaster Management for Differently Abled Persons” has been formulated and being adhered to by all NDRF rescuers.
2. Priority is given to the Persons with Disabilities during disasters in evacuation as well as relief material distribution.
3. NDRF conducts various capacity building training & sensitization program for community including disabled personnel.
4. NDRF does not maintain specific training details of disabled personnel.
5. Various activities are conducted to ensure that warning and safety instructions reach differently abled persons in the manner they understand. This is being practiced with the disabled persons in the Familiarisation Exercises and other activities like Community Programmes, School Awareness Safety Programmes & Mock Exercises.
6. Community awareness programmes is a regular affair of our activities during non-operational period. These activities include Familiarisation Exercises, Community Awareness Programmes, and School Safety Programmes etc. focusing awareness among the community in dealing with differently abled persons during disaster situation.
7. Persons with disabilities are given the same information that is given to the general population, and it is ensured that warning and safety instructions reach differently abled persons in the manner they understand. NDRF also conducts various awareness programmes in this regard.
8. Technological support for disable personnel is same like normal person in disaster risk reduction. However NDRF also popularizing weather based Apps GOI among community ( Mausam, Damini, Meghdoot, Bhookamp, Sagar Vani, NDEM-4.0) as an early warning element.
9. In the familiarisation exercises, the NDRF team Commander ensures the sensitization of community members, volunteers and local Govt. representatives for better understanding and disaster management for differently abled persons in their DM plan.
10. NDRF rescuers are also sensitized to the needs of differently abled persons with disabilities and it is incorporated at all levels of training as an integral module. The aim of this training module is to generate and sensitize the NDRF personnel/ responders to lift and transport physically people with disabilities/ special needs, and frail elderly, in a decent and professional manner.
11. The Community awareness School Safety programs/Demonstrations/ Familiarization & Mock Drills & capacity building programme for the community along with the various stakeholders is a regular future of our activities during non-operational period during which emergency management for differently abled persons has been incorporated as an important training module.
12. Rehabilitation is attended by concerned States. However, if, required assistance is provided to the local administration during post-operation phase.
13. NDRF has a common Helpline No. +91–9711077372 and E-Mail ndrf-helpline@gov.in

Annexure

I. RTI Reply: Page One

RTI Reply: Page One

II. RTI Reply: Page Two

RTI Reply: Page Two

III. RTI Reply: Page Three

RTI Reply: Page Three

IV. RTI Reply: Page Four

RTI Reply: Page Four

V. RTI Reply: Page Five

RTI Reply: Page Five

About the Author

Factsheet prepared and RTI Application filed by: Abhishek Kumar, NCPEDP — Javed Abidi Fellow on Disability and Curator, The Sangyan: Dharma — Nyaya — Niti. The author can be reached at abhishek.ncpedp@gmail.com