The state government approved the creation of the state disaster response force (SDRF) in 2015, with the units being operationalised in 2017. The SDRF personnel have also been trained by their counterparts in the NDRF
For a faster and coordinated response during disasters, the Maharashtra government is looking at increasing the strength of its state disaster response force (SDRF) personnel. This comes after the floods and inundation in parts of the state including Sangli and Kolhapur.
Modelled on the lines of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which is a specialised force to respond to natural and man-made disasters, the SDRF has a strength of 428 personnel and officers, with two companies being stationed at Nagpur and Dhule (one company with three teams each at both locations). "We are planning to increase the strength of the SDRF with the entire state being covered. We may station teams in vulnerable areas like Kolhapur and Navi Mumbai. Ideally, one team should cover a district," said a senior state government official.
He added that however, the number of personnel to be recruited and inducted would depend on the financial burden that the government can bear.*
"The need for additional forces was felt during the Sangli-Kolhapur floods. We had to requisition additional boots on the ground from the NDRF, which were dispatched from areas like Bhatinda and Bhubaneshwar," the official explained.
Fact File
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The state government approved the creation of the state disaster response force (SDRF)
in 2015, with the units being operationalised in 2017. The SDRF personnel have also been trained by their counterparts in the NDRF |
At present, the NDRF has a battalion (around 1,149 people) stationed at Talegaon near Pune covering Maharashtra and Goa, with three teams consisting of 45 men each, including engineers, technicians, and medical staff, and two sniffer dogs each being located at the Andheri sports complex in Mumbai. NDRF and SDRF teams are also pre-positioned during the monsoons. Constituted in 2006, NDRF staff are drawn from paramilitary forces like central reserve police force (CRPF), border security force (BSF) and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The NDRF has 12 battalions across India.
SDRF personnel are drawn from the state reserve police force (SRPF) and are sent on deputation to this disaster response force on deputation between three to five years. "Once the creation of new SDRF teams get a formal nod from the state government, fresh recruitments will have to be made as the SRPF is already short-staffed. Plus, the induction into the SDRF has certain pre-requirements like the inductee being a class XII pass with a background in science. The age-profile of field staff needs to be younger," the official said. Accordingly, the proposal will have to be approved by a committee under the chief secretary and later by the state cabinet. The state government is eager to locate an NDRF team in Mumbai's island city to ensure a faster response during calamities. However, this plan has been affected by the lack of land.
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