Disaster Response Force in the pipeline
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 03 2011: Taking into account the location of Manipur in one of the five seismic active zones coupled with the recent devastating earthquake in Sikkim which measured 6.9 on the Richter Scale, the State Government has decided to set up a State Disaster Response Force.

A top official of Relief and Disaster Management Department informed The Sangai Express that the Government decided to set up the Disaster Response Force as there is no guarantee that devastating earthquakes like the Sikkim quake will not occur in Manipur.

For the State Disaster Response Force which would be set up in the line of National Disaster Response Force, 502 staff of Excise Department have been re-deployed in Relief and Disaster Management Department.

Staff and personnel of the proposed force would be trained by the National Disaster Response Force based at Guwahati.

Moreover, necessary equipment would also be procured shortly, informed he official.

Director General of National Disaster Management Rajiv held a meeting on the matter with the State Principal Secretary of Relief and Disaster Management Dr Suhel Aktar at New Delhi on October 31 .

Noting that earthquakes of small magnitudes have been occurring frequently in Manipur, the meeting underscored the need for preparedness on the part of the Government.

Apart from earthquakes, the State Disaster Response Force would be deployed at times of large-scale floods, landslides and other natural calamities.

The force would have one unit each in all the districts and it will impart training and awareness on disaster management to civilians.

To promote construction of earthquake resistant houses/buildings, 200 engineers and 50 architects have been trained in MIT.

Moreover, some police officers have been trained on disaster management.

Relief and Disaster Management Dept has also asked the Imphal Municipal Council to ensure that buildings constructed within its area abide by the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) code.

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