KOCHI: The city will soon have a regional centre of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) increasing the state’s capacity to meet emergencies in a big way. O.P. Singh, director general of the NDRF, told reporters here on Monday that its construction would start immediately. He also visited the five-acre land the state government allotted at Irumpanam, near Kakkanad.
“We are planning to bring the first unit to Kochi immediately by shifting makeshift cottages constructed for National Games here,” he said. The new regional response centre will have high-tech equipment and specially trained team to combat any situation. The NDRF has selected Kochi for its new base citing easy access to naval airstrips.
The presence of the regional base will give a new fillip to the emergency response and disaster relief operations in the state. At present, the battalion is being brought from Arakkonam, Chennai, during disasters, which takes more than six hours. Though there has been a pressing demand for NDRF base in the state, it got delayed due to the confusion over the availability of land and identifying the location.
“It is very advantageous for the state as it will help to improve the emergency response system drastically. Immediate airlifting from highly vulnerable districts like Idukki, Wayanad, Alappuzha, Kozhikode and Ernakulam during emergencies will be easier,” said Dr Sekhar Kuriakose, head of state disaster management committee. “Since a specially trained team is here, an immediate rescue operation will be possible in case of massive flooding and drowning in any part of the state.”
