Bihar and Andhra Pradesh will get a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team each, comprising 1,149 personnel.
The union cabinet accorded its approval to this proposal at its meeting here Friday, an official statement said.
The NDRF battalions will be based at Patna and Vijayawada. The new battalions will be converted from the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF).
A fund of Rs.151 crore has been sanctioned to procure disaster response equipments, vehicles, dogs and other essential equipments for the NDRF, the statement added.
NDRF is a multi-disciplinary, multi-skilled and high-tech force which responds to disasters and also prepares the community to tackle disasters.
The new NDRF battalions will cut short the response time in disasters like floods and cyclones in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and north Bengal. The eastern coast, especially Andhra Pradesh, southern Orissa and northern Tamil Nadu will also be served by these battalions, the statement said.
The NDRF will also assist in tackling ‘man-made disasters’, including major accidents.
With the induction of these two battalions, there will be ten NDRF battalions in the country.