Delhi to get own disaster response force

NEW DELHI: The government has decided to set up its own State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to help ensure quick deployment of a specialised force at disaster sites. Along with the SDRF, the government will also provide specialised training to Fire Department personnel and Civil Defence volunteers so that local manpower can contribute to relief and rescue operations with better coordination.

A meeting was held at the Delhi Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to discuss the issue. Chief Secretary Rajiv Verma, NDRF Director General Shri Piyush Anand, Inspector General Shri Narendra Bundela and other senior officers were present.

The NDRF officials briefed the CM on various aspects of setting up an SDRF. They said a battalion of the SDRF could be raised in Delhi, with up to 1,100 personnel. The battalion would function under the state government.

NDRF officials said the force would provide the necessary training to personnel of the proposed SDRF. It would also assist with specialised equipment, keeping in mind Delhi’s geographical conditions and local requirements.

The government believes that a rapid response is the most important element of relief and rescue during a disaster. Setting up its own SDRF and training Fire Department personnel and Civil Defence volunteers will make the capital’s disaster management system stronger and more effective.

The CM also directed officials to share a list of disaster management equipment and details of its storage with the concerned departments so that the equipment can be made available immediately in the event of an accident or disaster. She added that setting up an SDRF had been a long-standing need.

The meeting also discussed providing land in Delhi for the NDRF to station its battalion. NDRF officials said they had land available in the outer areas of Delhi, where personnel remain deployed. However, given that Delhi is the national capital and important Central government institutions are located here, the presence of the NDRF in Central Delhi, North Delhi and South Delhi is also necessary.