New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday greeted the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on its Raising Day.

Taking to twitter, Pm Modi said: "Greetings to the hardworking @NDRFHQ team on their Raising Day. They are at the forefront of many rescue and relief measures, often in very challenging circumstances. NDRF's courage and professionalism are extremely motivating. Best wishes to them for their future endeavour."

Extending his greetings, the Home minister described the NDRF as a symbol of courage, service and dedication.

"The country is proud of your courage and readiness to save the lives of those in distress, while bravely facing every challenge by putting your own life in peril," Shah tweeted.

"Heartiest congratulations to all the jawans on the 17th Raising Day of @NDRFHQ," he added.

The specialised task force was raised in January 19, 2006, to respond to the natural calamity or man made disaster.

Started with eight battalions, the NDRF currently has 16 active battalions, each battalion consists of 1149 personnel. The Force Raising Day is a reminder of the selfless service and the unmatched professionalism shown by the NDRF personnel at the time of disaster management in the country.

The force has saved more than one lakh lives in its 3,100 operations. It has rescued and evacuated over 6.7 lakh people during disasters.

Each battalion in NDRF is also capable of providing 18 self-contained specialist search and rescue teams of 45 personnel each including the technicians, engineers, dog squads, electricians, and medical/paramedics.