Govt wants NDRF team in SoBo, but can't find space

The state government's plans to station a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team island city to ensure a faster response during calamities remains stuck due to lack of space.

NDRF is a specialist force to respond to natural and man-made disasters. At present, it has a battalion stationed at Sudumbare in Talegaon near Pune covering Maharashtra and Goa. Three teams of 45 men and two sniffer dogs each are also stationed at the Andheri Sports Complex since 2012.

However, state government officials feel it was important to have a presence of the force in South Mumbai to ensure a shorter response time during disasters in this area. The island city of Mumbai, which extends from Colaba to Mahim and Sion, has many old and dilapidated buildings which are susceptible to collapse like the one at Bhendi Bazar that fell on Thursday.

"We are intent to have the presence of the NDRF in South Mumbai but the biggest problem is the lack of land. These personnel require not just living quarters but also space for their equipment and training," said a senior state government official.

"We had sought more space in Mumbai. We were shown some land at Deonar but there were problems there," said an NDRF official.

"NDRF vehicles and trucks carry heavy equipment which makes them tough to maneuver in traffic. They also lack flashers or beacons to mark them out as emergency vehicles," said a Mantralaya official.

...& ANALYSIS

• The state government's inability to station NDRF personnel in island city adds to the response time during calamities
   
• The proposed utilisation of Mumbai Port Trust and mill lands must serve as an opportunity for urban infrastructure renewal and for creation of these core facilities