Odisha to Upgrade ODRAF into State Disaster Response Force, Expand Capacity for Faster Emergency Response

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to transform the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) into the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), a move aimed at strengthening the state’s disaster management system through enhanced manpower, infrastructure and operational capabilities.

The decision was reiterated at a high-level review meeting on Odisha’s disaster management infrastructure chaired by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari at Lok Seva Bhawan on Tuesday. The Minister said the force would be developed in a phased manner into a dedicated disaster response agency capable of handling all types of natural calamities.

As part of the restructuring, the government will create a separate battalion exclusively for disaster response with an independent officer in charge to command the unit. Officials said the transition is in line with the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025, which provides for the establishment of a State Disaster Response Force in every state.

The Minister said the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), following the operational framework issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has already recommended designating ODRAF as Odisha’s official SDRF. He directed officials to operationalise the decision at the earliest.

Reviewing the force’s performance during the recent floods, Pujari commended ODRAF personnel for their response under difficult conditions. Between the onset of the floods and August 4, the force deployed 59 teams comprising 674 trained personnel across nine affected districts, supported by 59 rescue boats.

According to officials, ODRAF carried out nearly 58 hours of night-time rescue operations, rescuing 1,393 people, including 852 men and 541 women. The teams also evacuated 19 pregnant women, shifted six snakebite victims to hospitals, conducted 25 emergency medical evacuations, rescued 213 livestock and cleared 18 fallen trees to restore road connectivity. In total, the force provided 490 hours of uninterrupted rescue and relief services during the flood emergency.

Praising the courage and professionalism of the personnel, the Minister said their efforts had reinforced public confidence in the state’s disaster preparedness. He stressed the need to further improve the force’s efficiency through systematic capacity building and institutional strengthening.

Under the expansion plan, the proposed SDRF headquarters will be established at the upcoming Disaster Management Building, Biparjyaya Parichalana Bhawan. The government also plans to increase the force from the existing 20 units to 30 units by adding 10 new teams, which will be strategically deployed across the state to ensure quicker emergency response.

Pujari directed OSDMA, in coordination with the Police Department, to prepare a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) covering operational responsibilities, recruitment, training standards, infrastructure, equipment and human resource management. He also asked officials to document the operational challenges encountered during the recent flood response to strengthen future disaster preparedness.

The Minister further instructed officials to expedite post-flood damage assessment in all affected districts, covering crop losses, agricultural land, vegetable cultivation, houses, schools, Anganwadi centres and other public infrastructure, so that compensation and relief assistance can be disbursed without delay.

The meeting was attended by OSDMA Managing Director Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Advisor Dr. Kamal Lochan Mishra, Executive Director Susmita Behera, Financial Advisor-cum-Executive Director Siddhartha Shankar Acharya and other senior officials.