New Delhi: Delhi is set to get its own state disaster response force (SDRF), aimed at ensuring that trained rescue personnel can reach people faster during building collapses, fires, floods and other natural or man-made disasters.
The decision to raise a force of 1,100 personnel was taken at a meeting chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta at the Delhi secretariat Thursday, where senior National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials briefed govt.
A senior Delhi govt official said the key benefit will be that a specialised rescue force will be available within Delhi, instead of having to depend entirely on assistance from outside the city. Faster deployment is important in emergencies where the first few hours are critical for rescuing people trapped under debris, he said. “Every minute counts during a disaster,” the chief minister said, stressing the need for a trained force of Delhi’s own. She said such a force had been a longstanding requirement, particularly for a densely populated metropolitan city where the population and physical infrastructure are expanding rapidly. NDRF officials said such locations would help the force reach disaster sites quickly.
The force will function under state govt and will be deployed during disasters on its instructions. The chief minister directed officials to identify and provide suitable land and take immediate action on the proposal.