Question : Measures to Deal with CBRN Emergencies

(a) whether the Government has any stand by plan to protect its citizens from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) attacks from terrorist or during war and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has conducted basic training programme for this purpose;

(c) if so, the details thereof and the number of persons/agencies who have been trained to tackle CBRN emergencies;

(d) whether the Government has undertaken a review of the threats posed by CBRN weapons in the hands of international terrorist organisations and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government has also sought international co-operation on the said issue and if so, the outcome thereof; and

(f) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to prepare NDRF for timely response to any disaster situation in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a): Ministry of Home Affairs has formulated Standard Operating
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Procedures (SOPs) for terrorist attacks using chemical weapons, radioactive material and biological agents and have circulated them to the stakeholders and the States/UTs for implementation and formulation of their own SOPs.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also issued following guidelines on Biological disasters, Chemical Industrial disasters, Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies to all the stakeholders:

(i) National Disaster Management Guidelines – Management of Biological Disasters
(ii) National Disaster Management Guidelines–Management of Chemical (Terrorism) Disasters
(iii) National Disaster Management Guidelines to handle Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies

The guidelines are available on NDMA’s web-site www.ndma.gov.in under the link NDMA Guidelines.

NDMA has also conducted regular Mock Exercises for better preparedness against CBRN disaster.

In order to deal with the CBRN Emergencies, doctrine for Defence against

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Nuclear, Biological & Chemical (NBC) weapons, CBRN equipment management policy and CBRN training policy are in place.

Twelve Battalions of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been specifically trained to deal with such crises.

(b) & (c): NDMA has initiated CBRN emergency management/ training under the project basic training programme on CBRN Emergency Management at all point of entries (Airport, Seaports and Land Borders). NDMA has already completed basic CBRN training programme on CBRN Emergency Management for Airport Emergency Handlers (AEHs) at 12 major airports namely, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Varanasi, Patna, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Raipur and Chandigarh in the country.

The training programme involved emergency handler agencies such as Airports Authority of India, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), State Police, State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), Cargo Handlers, Shippers, Airlines, Medical Services and Fire Services. Total 585 participants have been familiarized and trained in the basic CBRN training for AEHs at 12 major airports in the
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country. Also, around 2500 working level staff received sensitization training on CBRN emergency management.

(d): Review of the threats posed by CBRN weapons is a continuous process and is performed by Government of India from time to time. At present there is no specific threat input on Chemical, Biological, radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) attacks by international terrorist organizations. However, there is close and effective coordination between concerned agencies at the Centre and the State levels to deal with threats posed by CBRN weapons in the hands of international terrorist organizations.

(e): India had signed bilateral/ multilateral agreements/MoUs/JDI with the several countries for cooperation in the field of disaster management. This Ministry regularly deputes NDRF personnel for attending the training programme/ workshops regarding the issues related to CBRN emergencies organized by various international/regional organizations that has helped in the overall capacity building in the field of CBRN related issues.

(f): NDRF is well trained and equipped to deal with any disaster situation in the country including Chemical Biological Radiological & Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies. As on date 8643 personnel of various NDRF
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Battalions are trained in Basic CBRN training. NDRF has pool of 454 trainers and 183 Master Trainers. 64 NDRF personnel have been trained by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in Radiological Safety Officer (RSO) certification course. The services of these trained personnel are utilized in the capacity building and for responding to any CBRN emergencies. For effective response the following measures have been taken: -

i. 03 Coys of each NDRF Battalion are designated as CBRN coy to deal with any CBRN related disaster.

ii 08 Emergency Response Centres (ERCs) have been set up in NDRF Battalions by DAE at Kolkata (West Bengal), Arakkonam (Tamil Nadu), Pune (MH), Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), Guwahati (Assam), Mundali (Odisha), Gandhinagar (Gujarat) and Bhatinda (Punjab).

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