AI-171 crash at Ahmedabad highlights Army's swift disaster response: Southern Army Commander

Indian Express

20 hours ago

SOUTHERN ARMY Commander Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth said on Thursday that the recent crash of Air India AI-171 at Ahmedabad highlighted the Army's swift role in disaster response. He said the prompt decision to breach the wall of the military hospital and the BJ Medical College helped in saving lives of those trapped within the BJ Medical Complex.
The Army Commander was speaking at a high-level symposium titled 'Exercise Durg Vishwas: Role of Corps of Engineers in National Disaster Management Framework – Risk, Resilience and Response' which was held on Thursday at the College of Military Engineering (CME), Pune. The event brought together senior leadership from the Indian Army, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), and key institutions involved in national disaster preparedness and response framework.
The symposium was steered by Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd), Member, NDMA, and included an address by Rajendra Singh, Member and Head of Department at the NDMA. Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, was the Chief Guest, with Gen Manoj Pande (Retd), Former Chief of Army Staff, as the Guest of Honour.
The keynote address was delivered by Lt Gen Arvind Walia, AVSM, Engineer-in-Chief, who outlined the Corps' disaster response capabilities and its evolving role in national resilience.
Lt Gen Seth said in his address, 'Disaster management has increasingly emerged as the subject of critical national importance. Over the past decade, the scale and frequency of natural disasters have visibly intensified whether they be floods, cyclones, earthquakes are no longer sporadic events but recurring disruptions with serious national consequences. For armed forces and particularly the Indian Army the evolving landscape of natural disasters has significant implications. Disaster relief is no longer an episodic task, it has become an operational reality that must be planned for, trained for and seamlessly executed. The increasing civil military interface in disaster response reflects this very shift. Given the fast footprint of the Indian Army across the length and breadth of our country, it is often best positioned to respond swiftly and effectively, often becoming the first responders where civilian capacity is overwhelmed. In this framework, the Corps of Engineers has emerged as a critical enabler.'
The Army Commander added, 'More recently the Air India AI-171 crash at Ahmedabad highlighted the Army's swift disaster response. Within minutes over 150 personnel from the military station comprising engineers, medical, firefighting and QR teams were mobilised. General Officer Commanding of the division based at Ahmedabad himself was at the crash site within minutes. In fact the prompt decision taken to breach the wall which was there between the military hospital and the BJ Medical College which was struck by the aircraft which crashed, really helped in saving precious lives of those trapped within the BJ Medical complex.'
'India's vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters, ranging from floods and earthquakes to industrial accidents and CBRN threats, necessitates an integrated and responsive disaster management framework. The symposium underscored the critical role of the Indian Army's Corps of Engineers, which often emerges as the nation's first responder in crises due to its widespread deployment, engineering assets and interoperability with civil authorities.' a press release in this regard said.
The press release listed the key takeaways from the event which included the need for: Integrated command and communication protocols between NDMA, state authorities, and the Armed Forces. Investments in training, simulation, and pre-positioned engineering assets across disaster-prone zones. Enhancing CBRN readiness through specialized Corps of Engineers units and inter-agency rehearsals. Capturing and disseminating lessons learned from past operations to shape doctrine, policies, and training syllabi for future responders.