This year, Bihar took almost a week to mobilise resources and to begin evacuation on full scale after Kosi breached the embankment. The time may not have been lost had the state authorities helped the NDRF set up a base in the state last year.

The sharp and smooth rescue operations that the NDRF personnel displayed while tackling angry waters of the Kosi river obviously left Bihar with a realisation that presence of the elite force would surely augment the state's capacity to handle emergency situations.

At present, one battalion each of NDRF has been deputed in Vadodara, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati and Bhubaneswar. Chandigarh and Greater Noida have half battalion each of this special force. Now with the Nitish government willing to make the required land available, half of the NDRF battalion posted at present in Bhubaneswar is likely to be shifted to Bihar.

The NDRF battalions, each consisting of 1,100 personnel on deputation for five years from CRPF, ITBP, BSF and CISF have been imparted specialised training to counter any emergency. The NFRF men specialises in rescuing civilians during floods, earthquakes, tsunami, landslides and avalanches.

The NDRF battalion--each having separate teams of 45 men each that work in close coordination-- has also been equipped with latest gadgets, including special sensor that can locate presence of human beings buried under debris for use in rescue operations.