NE NEWS SERVICE
PUNE, DEC 21
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the BIMSTEC countries have stood by each other under trying circumstances, like cyclones, Tsunamis, earthquakes and floods.
The @DefenceMinIndia witnessed demo of rescue & relief efforts by #IndianArmy @indiannavy & @IAF_MCC to launch swift, coordinated & incremental relief efforts in any natural calamity in a region
Event held in association with @ficci_india showcased niche industrial capabilities pic.twitter.com/UDJW7iNLdw
— PRO Defence Gujarat (@DefencePRO_Guj) December 21, 2021
He was speaking at the PANEX-21, a trans-national, multi-agency Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise organised at the College of Military Engineering in Pune, where he witnessed a demonstration related to a natural disaster scenario in the time of COVID-19 pandemic and the response of humanitarian aid and disaster management.
The exercise aims to foster jointness and develop capabilities in disaster management aspects for the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) nations.
The BIMSTEC regional organisation comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, besides India.
Singh said the recent decades have witnessed a series of calamities like cyclones, Tsunamis, earthquakes and floods, that caused large scale deaths and destruction.
“It is in times of such adverse conditions that the depth of understanding and friendship can best be gauged. And I have no hesitation in acknowledging that our countries have stood by each other under such trying circumstances,” the Union minister said.
He said it will remain India’s endeavour to facilitate, support and assist in all possible ways and develop measures that aid in regional cooperation, which benefit all the member states, in the Bay of Bengal region.
The equipment display, organised in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), is aimed to showcase the niche industrial capabilities and capacities of the Indian industry on disaster relief operations.
The Defence Minister praised the Indian Armed Forces and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) for incorporating HADR operations as one of the foremost elements in their vision and for being the first responder in IOR. He made special mention of the pivotal role played by the defence forces and ICG in the fight against COVID-19. This commitment is reflected equally in the performance of the Armed Forces of each of the partner countries in the Bay of Bengal region, he added.
On the COVID-19 pandemic front, Rajnath Singh stated that such calamities demand very specific resources which need to be moved to areas facing an emergency in a short span of time. He emphasised on the need for seamless information sharing mechanism at the regional level, establishment of protocols for moving responders and material and creating requisite capacities on the basis of country specific needs.
Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane, General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command Lieutenant General JS Nain and senior civil & military officials of Ministry of Defence were present on the occasion.
