New Delhi, Oct 16 The Delhi government has approved raising a State Disaster Response Force of 1,050 personnel to ensure an efficient response to natural and man-made disasters in the Capital, officials said on Friday.
A senior Delhi government officer said the Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, recently approved raising 18 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) companies, one in each of the 13 districts and five reserved ones.
Currently, Delhi lacks a dedicated disaster response force, which officials said hinders quick, efficient action during emergencies like fires, building collapses, and major accidents. Each SDRF company will comprise 50-55 rescue and relief workers drawn primarily from the central paramilitary personnel.
Officials also said some positions will be filled through direct recruitment.
The Delhi SDRF will be headed by an inspector general (IG) rank police officer, they said. Work on raising the SDRF in phases in the coming months will begin after the Cabinet’s proposal is sent to Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu for his nod. After that, officials said, a formal notification will be issued.
The need for a dedicated SDRF in Delhi was felt for many years due to its importance as the national capital and also due to potential threats like floods and earthquakes besides man-made disasters including fires, accidents and building collapse like the one in Satya Niketan last month that claimed seven lives.
Last month, Gupta met with senior National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officers to raise a state-of-the-art SDRF team in Delhi. According to officials, the NDRF would provide the proposed SDRF personnel with the necessary training. It would also assist with specialised equipment, keeping Delhi’s geographical conditions and local requirements in mind.
The chief minister also directed officials to share a list of disaster management equipment and its storage details with the concerned departments so that the equipment can be made available immediately in case of an accident or disaster.
The Delhi government also plans to provide specialised training to its fire department staff and Civil Defence volunteers. As a result, local manpower will have the skills needed to support relief and rescue operations during large-scale disasters, officials said.
(PTI News)
