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DE RUEHNE #2192/01 3011220
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R 281220Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8391
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RHEGGTN/DEPT OF ENERGY GERMANTOWN MD
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUETIAA/DIRNSA FT GEORGE G MEADE MD
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHMCSUU/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/NGIC INTEL OPS CHARLOTTESVILLE VA
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 002192 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, EEB/CIP, ISN, AND 
SCA/INS 
STATE FOR STAS 
USAID FOR OFDA AND SCA 
DOE FOR INTERNATIONAL 
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TSPL KSCA SENV EAID PGOV PTER ECON SOCI IN
SUBJECT: Disaster Management Capabilities and Engagement 
Opportunities in India 
 
REF:  A. 08 NEW DELHI 3104 
 ¶B. 09 NEW DELHI 2116 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  Disaster Management (DM) in India means preparing 
for both natural and man-made disasters, everything from avalanches 
to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) incidents 
to terrorist attacks.  India has chosen a tiered approach to DM in 
which states and districts have primary responsibility and the 
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and National Disaster 
Response Force (NDRF) provide several forms of assistance, as does - 
on occasion - the Ministry of Defense (MOD).  India has developed 
some robust DM capabilities, but faces an uphill battle in designing 
effective warning dissemination systems, developing a trauma care 
capability, and encouraging implementation of DM-related policies 
and practices by states and central Ministries.  NDMA is considering 
the possibility of a regional DM role, and has requested U.S. 
technical assistance and cooperation in several areas. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) This cable was written jointly by the Embassy's EST, USAID, 
HHS, and ODC sections.  Information was obtained by EmbOffs 
primarily from working experience, meetings with NDMA and NDRF 
members, discussions with USAID DM project implementers, meetings 
sponsored by the Health Attache, and information obtained from 
Indian publications and websites.  A great deal of information on DM 
in India can be found on NDMA's well organized and up-to-date 
website (http://ndma.gov.in/ndma/index.htm). 
 
 
NDMA AND NDRF PLAN, TRAIN, AND EXERCISE... 
 
¶3. (U) The chief catalyst for the improvement of India's DM 
capabilities over the past several years has been the NDMA's active 
and effective engagement with support from U.S. agencies.   An 
autonomous institution, NDMA is mandated to lay down policies, plans 
and guidelines for DM to ensure timely and effective response to 
disasters.  Reporting directly to the Prime Minister and funded 
through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the group is headed by a 
Vice Chairman at the rank of a Cabinet Minister and eight members 
who each take responsibility for both a geographical region and an 
area of focus.  NDMA's areas of focus include: CBRN emergencies 
(industrial or terrorism), cyber terrorism, mine disasters, 
environmental disasters, earthquakes, floods, river erosion, 
cyclones, tsunamis, landslides, avalanches, and forest fires. 
Government of India (GOI) ministers often are invited to attend NDMA 
meetings and both the Minister of Finance and Minister of Home 
Affairs have standing invitations, a practice which NDMA members 
told EmbOffs lessens turf wars between the ministries and encourages 
their buy-in.  (Note: MHA has taken over six months to approve the 
USAID assistance work plan, highlighting bureaucratic delays 
potentially based on inter-agency tensions. End Note)  The NDMA 
guidelines produced so far are very thorough, pulling from 
international resources and domestic priorities to produce 
actionable recommendations for prevention, preparedness and 
mitigation. 
 
¶4. (U) Operating under the auspices of the NDMA, the National 
Disaster Response Force augments state response capabilities and 
provides specialized response skills through eight battalions of 
about 1150 people each taken from the paramilitary forces - two 
battalions each from the Border Security Force, Central Reserve 
Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force and Indo-Tibetan 
Border Police.  Dedicated exclusively for disaster response, the 
units are strategically stationed at 9 locations to cover the most 
vulnerable and high-risk areas.  A Delhi-based NDRF commander who 
participated in the Embassy's crises management exercise - the first 
 
NEW DELHI 00002192  002 OF 004 
 
 
time a GOI official has accepted our invitation to do so - told 
ESTOff that his unit was assigned to provide response capability for 
the October 2010 Commonwealth games in Delhi.  Units serve a five 
year rotation at NDRF, and undergo continuous and specialized 
training at their battalion headquarters while also actively 
engaging in community capacity building programs and public 
awareness campaigns. 
 
¶5. (U) NDRF has proposed that each battalion headquarters also be 
equipped to train state disaster response and civil defense forces. 
NDRF would also like to create in Nagpur a world class training 
center to conduct more advanced training FOR regional partners as 
well as Indian response forces.  U.S. Agencies have recently begun 
to provide some support in this area, but there remains great 
potential for joint activity.  With USAID support, a four member 
NDRF team is currently visiting leading U.S. disaster response 
institutions to assist in the design their state-of-the-art training 
facility.  In the last year, the Embassy's Office of Defense 
Cooperation (ODC) has sponsored one NDMA and two NDRF officers to 
attend the Asia Pacific Center for Strategic Studies course 
"Comprehensive Crisis Management (CCM): Preventing, Preparing, and 
Responding."  Two NDRF members observed the BlackICE 2 bioterrorism 
exercise this past September. 
 
¶6. (U) Another angle of India's DM response capability is the Civil 
Defense Corps.  Consisting primarily of volunteers, the Corps' 
mission is to safeguard the life and property of the civilian 
population and maintain the continuity of economic activities in the 
event of a hostile attack.  This includes providing assistance in 
relief and rescue work during natural disasters.  Training is 
conducted at three levels: local/town, state and national, including 
courses in Civil Defense and Disaster Relief Management at the 
National Civil Defense College in Nagpur.  The 1968 Civil Defense 
Act is applicable throughout the country, but the Corps is only 
active in areas considered tactically and strategically vulnerable; 
at present, activities are restricted to 225 towns spread over 35 
States/Union Territories. 
 
...WHILE MINISTRIES, STATES AND DISTRICTS TRY TO EXECUTE 
 
¶7. (SBU) Individual Ministries and States are responsible for 
implementing rules, regulations and policies recommended by NDMA for 
managing prevention and preparedness.  There is no objective 
measurement of their progress in doing so, and Post suspects such 
implementation will be slow to move through the bureaucracy in most 
cases.  On the specific issue of biosecurity for example, an Embassy 
review of policy, regulations and practices showed that the GOI has 
not implemented the NDMA's recommendations.  Fortunately, 
laboratories and companies working with dangerous biological 
pathogens generally follow internationally-recognized standards for 
secure storage and handling of pathogens of their own volition. 
(Note: Results of the Embassy review will be reported SEPTEL. End 
Note) 
 
¶8. (U) Similarly, NDMA members tell EmbOffs that despite 
enthusiastic engagement at a theoretical level, State and District 
governments - with the notable exceptions of Orissa, Bihar and 
Gujarat - have been relatively slow to adopt processes and 
requirements set out by NDMA.  Funding for state DM activities comes 
primarily from their general budget, and the states vary 
considerably in their DM funding levels.  Despite their regular 
experience with natural disasters, most states and districts still 
lack comprehensive and long-term plans or a capacity to deal with 
man-made or large-scale disasters.  When a disaster strikes, they 
rely heavily on national capabilities and, in some cases, on MOD 
 
NEW DELHI 00002192  003 OF 004 
 
 
capabilities for support.  To encourage states to take a more 
proactive role, NDMA has begun providing to state governments a 
small amount of financial assistance as well as no-cost advisors to 
assist with planning.  In addition, NDMA leads the state and 
district authorities in both table top and mock DM exercises and 
plans to conduct more than 100 of them by the end of 2009. 
 
CAPABILITIES, ASSISTANCE REQUESTS, AND OPPORTUNITIES 
 
¶9. (U) India has developed its disaster forecasting and response 
capabilities in partnership with U.S. organizations including USAID, 
the U.S. Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, Geo Hazards International, the International 
Resources Group, and others.  Some of India's achievements in DM 
include: 
 
-- Establishment of a state-of-the-art tsunami warning center (REF 
A). 
-- Development of early warning forecasting systems for extreme 
climate events. 
-- Introduction of the Incident Command System for managing disaster 
response, with limited roll-out through simulations, training, and 
institutionalization materials. 
-- Reduction of earthquake vulnerability through engineering and 
risk management techniques. 
-- Implementation of community preparedness and response programs. 
-- Study and exposure tours to the U.S. and Australia. 
 
¶10. (U) India's ability to provide trauma care in pre-hospital and 
hospital settings is extremely limited in both public and private 
hospitals.  There are few training program for paramedics or 
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and very limited specialty 
training in trauma surgery, emergency medicine or critical care in 
India's medical schools.  Emergency Departments are primarily 
staffed by non-specialists with training in other specialties.  With 
approximately 2 million injury-related deaths annually in India, 
improved trauma systems and improved access to specialized trauma 
care may save up to 400,000 lives annually.  Indian physicians 
participating in a U.S.-sponsored trauma workshop earlier this year 
told ESTOff that Delhi was at least 10,000 beds short of what will 
be needed for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. 
 
¶11. (U) ODC plans to include NDMA members in two offerings of a 
Delhi-based Humanitarian Assistance PACOM-funded medical course 
"Critical Life Saving Skills for First Responders" next spring and 
summer.  Under the auspices of a bi-national joint statement on 
Environmental and Occupational Health and Injury Prevention and 
Control, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been 
working closely with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 
Embassy's Health Attache and a number of Indian and US partners on 
development of trauma systems in India.  Focus areas for these 
efforts include collaborative public health research and program 
activities with emphasis on injury prevention and surveillance 
efforts, development of pre-hospital care systems, exploring the 
possibility of establishing a trauma and emergency medicine 
curriculum in some of India's medical schools, and accreditation 
processes. This remains an area of great potential for collaboration 
and public health impact, offering U.S. physicians and medical 
students trauma care experiences they are unable to obtain in the 
U.S. while simultaneously improving trauma system capabilities and 
access to injury-related medical care in India. 
 
¶12. (U) NDMA is well informed on U.S. DM programs and efforts, and 
has given EmbOffs the following wish list for training expertise and 
 
NEW DELHI 00002192  004 OF 004 
 
 
collaboration opportunities.  They also appear very receptive to 
learning about U.S. interests for collaboration as well. 
 
-- Training in medical response to mass casualty events of all types 
(CBRN, epidemics, trauma, etc). 
-- The U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP). 
-- Helicopter search and rescue capabilities, including 
"heli-slithering". 
-- Scaling up the Incident Command System to all disaster-prone 
districts in the country.  Training and technology for coordination 
of responses between national, state and local organizations. How to 
work together, leverage strengths, and communicate effectively. 
-- Observation of U.S. DM exercises, and training in how to conduct 
such exercises in India.  Example: the U.S. TOPOFF exercise. 
-- Best practices in training and technology to prepare for and 
respond to CBRN and explosives events.  Including how to coordinate 
responses, manage casualties, deal with forensics and other 
law-enforcement issues, etc. 
-- U.S. Participation in their conference on Chemical Disasters in 
Mumbai, aimed at reducing risk of chemical incidents and increasing 
capabilities to respond to them. 
-- Development of systems and capabilities for dissemination of 
disaster warning information to the general public. 
 
COMMENT: 
 
¶13. (SBU) India's focus areas for its next steps in DM create 
openings for effective collaboration efforts that could support both 
U.S. policy interest in India and the region and domestic U.S. DM 
requirements.  For example, NDMA is exploring methods to effectively 
disseminate warnings to a general public who relies heavily on 
mobile phones, rather than internet, and may be functionally 
illiterate.  In addition, NDMA's interest in the security of CBRN 
materials, capability to respond to explosions and CBRN emergencies, 
and cyber terrorism - areas that Embassy has traditionally found the 
GOI very hesitant to engage on - could be exploited to further U.S. 
counterterrorism policies in India. The Embassy has included NDMA as 
one of the potential Indian partners for cooperation as outlined in 
the proposed U.S.-India Counterterrorism and Law Enforcement 
Cooperation Initiative. 
 
¶14. (SBU) NDMA members told EmbOffs that they were interested in 
access to U.S. expertise and technology, not in funding.  Indeed, 
when funds in the USAID agreement for technical assistance were 
exhausted, the GOI agreed to shift funds from procurement to 
technical assistance, adjusting their budget to cover the cost of 
equipment and extend USAID's technical advice for an additional 
year.  NDMA's efforts fairly successfully cut across government 
ministries and agencies - a unique capability within the GOI. 
Engagement with NDMA is likely to offer a chance to cut through the 
stifling bureaucracy and engage with the personnel and agencies on 
the pointy end of the spear that are most lacking adequate training 
and materials (REF B.)  It also provides an opportunity to increase 
both Indian and regional capabilities to prepare for, mitigate, 
respond to and manage disasters.  However, we remain mindful that a 
weak link could be the bureaucratic necessity of working through the 
MHA, which is notoriously territorial, on many issues.  For more 
information on any of these topics or to request assistance in 
engaging with Indian DM agencies, please contact EST Heather Broman 
(BromanHW@state.gov) and USAID Elizabeth Callender 
(ecallender@usaid.gov). END COMMENT 
 
Roemer