State to have its own disaster response force

PATNA: Bihar will be the first state in the country to have its own State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) with headquarters at Bihta. Being developed at a cost of Rs 43.5 crore, the SDRF would be in action during fire, earthquake, road and rail accidents, cyclone and terrorists’ attack.

The SDRF would be manned by, in all, 1,157 persons, drawn particularly from Army and Navy, besides medical corps to attend to the needy in disaster situation. However, all of them would be enrolled in the SDRF on contractual basis.

DG (civil defence) J K Khanna, who worked out structural modalities of the force, told TOI that it would have one commandant and four deputy commandant rank officers, besides eight assistant commandants, inspectors, SIs, constables and head constables. It would have 19 doctors as well. The force would have its own dog squad.

He said that initially the SDRF would have six companies, each having three platoons which would be called teams.

Only Army and Navy personnel would be enrolled in the force, but knowledge of swimming has been made essential criterion.

The commandant and deputy commandant, who would be in the rank of colonel and lieutenant colonel in the Army and corresponding rank in Navy, would get Rs 50,000 per month each while assistant commandant and doctors would be given Rs 30,000 each.

Khanna said that initially gazetted rank officers would be recruited followed by constables and head constables. The entire process is likely to be completed by September end. The DG, civil defence, would head the selection committee and its members are special secretary, home, Sunil Kumar, special secretary, forest department, Dr Satyendra and commandant, NDRF, Sukhdeo Raj.

The SDRF would have its own resources like six buses, six trucks, 42 Tata Sumo jeeps, six ambulances, six water tankers to provide water to victims during disaster, 12 trucks for ferrying troops in operational areas and six motorcycles. This apart, the force would have its own 36 inflatable boats with 72 life jackets, earth movers, crane, six fire tenders, besides medicines and medical equipment worth Rs 95 lakh. Satellite and mobiles phones are also being provided to the SDRF.

The state government has already acquired 25 acres of land at Bihta. During peace time, the force would be stationed at Bihta, but in vulnerable season they would take positions in strategic locations.

Khanna further said that a competition is being organized among the students of Arts and Craft College to draw logo of the force while the students of the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFT) have been asked to prepare the design and colour of SDRF’s uniform.

However, before the formation of the force a separate manual of the disaster response force is being prepared on the pattern of the Bihar Police Manual.