70 police personnel trained in disaster response are ready to prevent loss of life - Nirmal SP G.Janaki Sharmila
ADILABAD: Acting on state government instructions, the police are gearing up to activate District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) teams during the monsoon, aiming to respond swiftly to floods in the erstwhile Adilabad district instead of waiting for National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) assistance.
Nirmal, Adilabad and Mancherial districts already have DDRF teams, which performed well during past floods. Komaram Bheem Asifabad district is setting up its DDRF team this year. Police are inspecting airboats, life jackets, tubes, ropes and other emergency gear.
Nirmal SP G. Janaki Sharmila urged trained DDRF members to remain prepared given the four-day heavy rain forecast. She said 70 police personnel trained in disaster response are ready to prevent loss of life.
Earlier, the NDRF teams used to come to the districts when there were natural calamities and the district administration used to depend more on them. However, the DDRF teams can reach the flooded areas immediately and attend to the emergency, and subsequently, the NDRF teams. DDRF teams, each with 20 trained young police officers, are equipped to act swiftly during floods, fires, collapsed houses, fallen trees and cyclones.
During the monsoons, a flood situation arises with rivers Pranahitha, Peddavagu in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district and river Godavari in Nirmal and Mancherial districts and Penganga in Adilabad district. In the last two years, Nirmal district has received incessant rains and floods and many low-lying areas were inundated with the floodwater in the Nirmal town.
