New Delhi: The Delhi government has initiated the process of setting up a dedicated State Disaster Emergency Relief Force (SDERF) with around 1,100 personnel to strengthen the national capital’s preparedness and ensure faster response to major emergencies.
The decision comes days after the collapse of a private student hostel in Satya Niketan, which claimed seven lives and injured several others. The government has expedited the process of establishing the force to improve coordination and reduce response time during disasters.
The proposed force will comprise personnel specially trained in disaster management, rescue operations and emergency response. It will be equipped to deal with emergencies such as building collapses, earthquakes, floods and other natural and man-made disasters.
As part of the initiative, personnel from the Delhi Fire Service and Civil Defence volunteers will also undergo specialised disaster-response training. The move is aimed at strengthening the city’s existing emergency-response mechanism and enabling trained teams to reach affected areas quickly.
The dedicated force will supplement the work of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Service, police and other agencies during major emergencies, allowing rescue and relief operations to begin at the local level without depending entirely on external assistance.
The government is also seeking to strengthen Delhi’s overall disaster preparedness in view of the capital’s vulnerability to multiple emergencies.
The move follows the September 6 Satya Niketan building collapse, in which seven people were killed. The five-storey building, being used as a private hostel for students near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed while rescue agencies, including the NDRF and Delhi Fire Service, carried out relief operations.
