With an intention to provide succour to the disaster-affected people and to utilise their experience which they gained while rescuing lives during cloudburst on June 16-17, the State Government has decided to give them utmost reservation while raising the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Sources said that if this happens, then the State would have strong force of SDRF, which will be able to rescue the people from their own experience, from disaster affected areas in future. For this, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna convened a meeting with officials at his official residence on Sunday. The State Government has decided to raise six companies of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on the pattern of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Four SDRF companies will be deployed in the State with one each in Rudraprayag, Joshimath, Bagehswar and Champawat district.
The remaining two will be stationed in headquarters, which will be established near Jolly Grant airport, Dehradun, so that they can be sent in disaster affected areas in a short time period. The personnel would be trained by the NDRF to act swiftly during natural calamities like floods, landslides and earthquakes.
Taking cognisance of the recent disaster, the State had decided to form SDRF for immediate rescue and relief operations considering the vulnerability of Uttarakhand to floods, landslides and earthquake. Personnel aged below 40 years from the PAC and other organisations will be appointed in SDRF and they will be trained by the NDRF.
Sources said that a large number of people who have survived the disaster, having vast experience of topography and have managed to save their lives during disaster, will be employed by the State in SDRF. Although they will be trained by the NDRF team, this training would only brush up their learning experience.
In recent disaster around 5,800 people, including 924 from Uttarakhand, are missing and 1.10 lakh, including 3,500 were air lifted and evacuated from disaster-affected areas, especially from Kedarnath, Gangotri and Badrinath temple. Their rescue started by June 19 officially, while the disaster happened on June 16-17. It had raised a question mark why the Government response was slow.
For this, the State has instructed the revenue department to allocated 30 acres of land nearby the Jolly Grant airport. SDRF would consist of PAC, IRB and Fire service. With this, the Uttarakhand police would conduct fresh recruitment in the police. Currently, they would raise two companies and will allocate fund for this on priority basis.
At present, the State would provide funds from disaster management. If more funds are required for the purchase of equipment and training, the State would seek financial help from the Union Government as well. Now they have decided to have a deliberation with the Prime Minister in the next meeting. The CM has suggested that such officers be deputed who have the best record in their service periods so that they can treat people with great patience during calamity.
The meeting was attended by the Chief secretary Subhash Kumar, Principal Secretary Home Omprakash, DGP Satyavrat, Secretary Disaster Bhaskaranand and others.
