The Odisha government on Tuesday announced that the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) will be designated as the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), with strategic steps underway to transform it into a dedicated response unit equipped with modernised infrastructure, enhanced manpower, and expanded operational capabilities across the state.
According to an official release, the structural transition will be carried out in phases. The state government also stated that steps will be taken to have a separate battalion and an officer in charge who will command the ODRAF Battalion.
The decision was reiterated during a high-level review meeting on Odisha’s disaster management apparatus, chaired by Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the Minister emphasized the urgency of restructuring ODRAF into a fully dedicated and professionally equipped SDRF capable of tackling diverse natural calamities.
Assessing ODRAF’s performance during the recent flood relief efforts, the Minister commended the force for its outstanding service under harsh operational conditions.
Official said that as of August 4, ODRAF deployed 59 rescue teams consisting of 674 trained personnel and 59 motorized rescue boats across nine flood-hit districts.
The force carried out nearly 58 hours of night-time rescue operations, rescuing 1,393 people, including 852 men and 541 women.
The force also safely evacuated 19 pregnant women, rushed six snakebite victims to hospitals, conducted 25 emergency medical rescues, saved 213 livestock, and cleared 18 fallen trees to restore essential road links, logging 490 total hours of continuous rescue operations.
Praiseworthy of their bravery and commitment, Pujari remarked that the team’s service significantly bolstered Odisha’s disaster management framework and reassured the public regarding the state’s calamity preparedness.
He highlighted the necessity of upgrading ODRAF’s operational agility through structured capacity building, noting that the Disaster Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 mandates every state to establish a dedicated SDRF.
Adhering to guidelines set by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Governing Body of the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) formally recommended transitioning ODRAF into the state’s official SDRF.
Pujari instructed officials to accelerate the transition process to establish a standalone SDRF exclusively committed to disaster mitigation and emergency management.
As part of the expansion plan, the SDRF Headquarters will be established in the proposed Disaster Management Building (Biparjyaya Parichalana Bhawan). The force will be strengthened with the addition of 10 new units, increasing its total strength from 20 to 30 units, which will be strategically stationed across the state to ensure faster emergency response.
The Minister further directed OSDMA, in coordination with the Police Department, to prepare a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) covering operational responsibilities, training standards, infrastructure, equipment, recruitment and human resource management.
He also called for detailed documentation of the operational challenges encountered during the recent flood response to strengthen future preparedness.
