CBRN threats require faster response, stronger coordination between industry and govt: Experts at PHDCCI conference
New Delhi, May 18
Experts from the defence, industry and policy ecosystem on Monday stressed the need for stronger coordination, faster response systems and improved preparedness to deal with evolving Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear threats at a conference organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the national capital.
The discussions highlighted that CBRN threats are no longer limited to traditional warfare, but now include industrial accidents, toxic chemical releases, asymmetric warfare and terrorism, requiring integrated and technology-driven response systems.
Speaking at the conference, Upendra Kumar Singh, DG, Soldier Support Systems, DRDO, said the global security environment is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
"In today's situation, we cannot separate military power with other soft powers or financial or economic powers. The whole dynamics of the world is extremely unpredictable at this point of time," Singh said.
He further said the platform is important to bridge gaps between stakeholders working on CBRN preparedness.
"These threats and mitigation measures is a concern for all of us and there are lot of efforts being taken by the researchers and perhaps this forum is providing a platform where we can combine efforts with more synergy and make it sure that all the gaps are being covered," he said.
Speaking at the same conference, Roli Singh, Chairperson, National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC), said the platform brings together multiple stakeholders from the security ecosystem.
"I would like to begin by complimenting the organisers and all participating stakeholders for bringing together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, scientists, security professionals, and emergency response agencies on a single platform to discuss this very critical dimension of modern national security," she said.
From the industry side, a senior representative from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said response time is critical in CBRN incidents.
"In a chemical and biological event, the response time becomes everything. We do not have hours. We have seconds," the L&T representative said.
The representative further emphasised the need for proactive and technology-driven preparedness systems across sectors.
Experts noted that preparedness must involve defence, industry, airports, metros and critical infrastructure, and called for continuous coordination between stakeholders to strengthen India's response framework.
The conference concluded with a call for enhanced government-industry collaboration to improve national preparedness against emerging CBRN threats.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative. The PHDCCI conference sounds productive. But I have a doubt - how will smaller industries comply with these security measures? Many chemical units in Gujarat and Maharashtra don't even have basic fire safety. CBRN preparedness needs to be realistic and step-by-step. First fix the basics, then worry about nuclear threats.
I appreciate the holistic approach - including industrial accidents along with terrorism. The L&T representative's comment about 'response time being seconds' really drove the point home. We need to learn from countries like Japan (Fukushima) and Germany (WWI chemical sites) to develop robust early warning systems. India should collaborate more with DRDO and international agencies.
The 'asymmetric warfare' part is scary. With so many soft targets in India - railways, malls, theatres - we need public awareness too. Common citizens should know basic protocols (like covering nose/mouth, moving upwind) during chemical attacks. Government should run drills in schools and offices. Otherwise, technology alone won't save us. Prevention is better than cure.
Interesting to see L&T playing a role here. The private sector should be part of the solution. But I'm concerned about overlapping responsibilities between NDMA, NDRF, state disaster authorities, and now this new framework. We need a single command chain for CBRN incidents. Too many cooks spoil the broth. Remember how coordination failed during the 2020 gas leak in Visakhapatnam?
As someone living near a chemical hub, this is very personally relevant. 😟 I hope the upcoming Delhi-Meerut RR
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.