Four ambulances and two buses that were bought eight years ago by the Directorate of Civil Defence for rescue operations, following disasters in Mumbai may finally be pressed into service. For all these years, the department did not bother to get the mandatory roadworthiness certificates for them, said people in the know.
The vehicles, which were purchased in 2010 for around Rs 50 lakh, were moth-balled due to this official apathy and red-tape, leading to a waste of public money. The volunteers from the Civil Defence are meant to be the first responders during calamities and these ambulances and minibuses were meant to be used in such situations.
Senior officials from the Directorate of Civil Defence said that they have now secured the certifications for these ambulances and buses, which have been kept at the Civil Defence office, opposite Cross Maidan in South Mumbai. The department has also initiated an inquiry into the lapse.
“The department purchased four ambulances for Rs 7,77,515.27 each, totalling around Rs 31,10,061, on March 30, 2010. Similarly, two buses worth Rs 17,72,676 were bought on March 20, 2010. However, they could not be used for their intended purpose, such as deployment of volunteers and rescue during emergencies and calamities, due to the lack of roadworthiness certificate,” a senior official from the Directorate of Civil Defence told DNA.
“We have initiated an inquiry about why these vehicles did not undergo the mandatory RTO certification and were hence forced to lie idle. Since they have been certified as being roadworthy now, we are seeking that the BMC take them over. This is because our role of first responders has been gradually eroded with the BMC having its own disaster management cell and the state government its own disaster management authority,” the official added.
Civil Defence volunteers, who are trained in skills like firefighting and first aid, are meant to play an active role in disaster management. The Civil Defence Act, 1968, was meant to prepare people for emergencies like war and was born after the country’s wars with China and Pakistan.
Maharashtra has Civil Defence units in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and the Konkan.
CASUAL ATTITUDE
- The vehicles were purchased in 2010.
- Volunteers from the Civil Defence are meant to be the first responders during calamities and these ambulances and minibuses were meant to be used in such situations.
- The department has initiated an inquiry into the lapse.
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