ASDMA Hands Over 40 High-Speed Rescue Boats to Strengthen SDRF Operations

Guwahati: In a bid to strengthen the rescue and relief capacity of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), ASDMA handed over 40 mechanised high-speed inflatable rescue boats to the Fire and Emergency Services, Assam.

The boats were handed over at the Gateway Guwahati Terminal in the presence of senior officials from Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), Fire and Emergency Services and the SDRF.

"The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) today handed over 40 mechanized high-speed inflatable rescue boats to the Fire and Emergency Services, Assam at the Gateway Guwahati Terminal, strengthening the rescue and relief capabilities of the SDRF," ASDMA wrote on X.

Speaking on the occasion, Assam’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta on Saturday said that during the current financial year, ASDMA has provided a total of 52 rescue boats to various stakeholders to enhance emergency response during floods and other disasters.

"Of these, four boats were given to Orang National Park and eight to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park Authority to support wildlife rescue operations during flood situations," he added.

Senior officials, including Surendra Kumar, Meenakshi Das Nath, ACS, Dr Sadiq Ali Ahmed and Commandant K.C. Chowdhury, attended the ceremony.

The addition of modern rescue equipment will improve the state’s preparedness and response capabilities during emergencies, particularly during the annual flood season.

This year’s floods had continued to paint a grim picture across the state, affecting more than 6.3 lakh people in 21 districts and claiming 12 lives. Over 1,500 villages were inundated, while crops spread across nearly 14,700 hectares suffered damage.

To carry out rescue and relief operations, the state government deployed teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

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