The meandering Trishuli River was in a rage due to flooding. A crowd gathered around its vicinity. People fixed their eyes on those who were fighting with the current of the river and pleading for help. Everybody shuddered at the sight.


As each looked at the other with expectant eyes to help them out, a group of boys came on a boat and actually rescued them.


Immediately after that, the nearby hut kindled. Again, there were voices calling for help. And, once more, the sufferers were rescued, successfully.


This was a rescue drill performed for media persons and other guests at Kurintar, Chitwan.


The rescuers were no other than the Armed Police Force boys, who had completed an 11-week training on disaster management. The basic training for the 56 boys included physical fitness, knowledge on disaster and types, rafting, swimming, rock climbing, river crossing, MFR (Medical First Response), fire fighting, dead body management, search in crumbled site and so forth.


It has been six months since their training ended. But the boys have made the country proud through their valor they have shown in some major rescue operations ever since.


As Nepal lies in a disaster prone zone, preparedness and rescue skills are a prerequisite to minimize the risks. In that regard, APF’s training center is the first organized response to filling the gap.


Sanat Kumar Basnet, IGP of the Armed Police Force and the visionary man behind the concept of training the APF boys and preparing them for disasters in the upcoming days, indeed, surely deserves accolades for his long-term thought.

According to the APF Headquarters Information Section, the trained boys have successfully used their new skills during some of the rescue operations.

A French citizen James David Wallance was rescued from Gharikhola of Macchapuchre. Wallance went out of contact while he was flying in a paramotor.


Likewise, a Dutch Ben U Bachs was rescued from the Narayani River, who happened to fall in the river while paragliding.

"The concept that police personnel are only for wars and for thrashing the criminals is slowly changing,” the information officials said, "instead, a large mass of police personnel have devoted themselves to many social activities. Though maintaining peace and security is our first concern, we have alerted the trained boys for prompt response in any kind of disasters as well."


The Information Section further elaborated that the trained personnel are ready for any sort of disasters in each of the unit throughout the country.


Trained A.P.F. personnel deserve kudos in finding Sita Tamang, 24. Tamang was lost in the Trishuli River. Despite the efforts of the local people, police and armies, her body was not found. It had been 9 days and all efforts in finding the lost body had gone in vain, when A.P.F. Headquarters got a call from the lost girl's relatives. Promptly, a task force was ordered to be in the site and in less than 24 hrs of the call, A.P.F personnel were successful in finding the dead body.


In an earlier experience, fourteen armies, who were inexperienced in disaster management, were charred to death in a rescue operation during a wildfire at Ramechhap.


Reports warn Nepal could suffer a massive earthquake, and it could pancake Kathmandu Valley. Amidst such reports, trained personnel raise chances of lesser damage. 


"In any disaster, please call us at our toll free no. 1114 without any hesitation," said a source from the Information Section, "and we are always ready to give a prompt response, for we are here to serve the general public, wholeheartedly."Please type your text here.