City-based NDRF gets new address

After a wait of seven years,Talegaon-based National Disaster Response Force finally got a place of its own.

After a wait of seven years,Talegaon-based National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) finally got a place of its own. The unit-5 Battalion has been operating from the campus of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) since its inception in 2006.

The new campus is located at Sudumbare a village 10 km from Dehu Road. The unit has played a significant role in disaster relief operations in the recent Thane building collapse and international missions such as the tsunami in Japan. The unit was inaugurated by Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde Saturday.

The new location,covering 62.5 acres was allotted to NDRF in 2009,while construction commenced in February 2011. Around 22 semi-permanent buildings comprising offices,control room,accommodation for subordinate officers and other ranks,toilet blocks,mess buildings have been completed. A major project involving construction of the main NDRF building,an administrative block,training facilities,family quarters and recreational facilities is likely to commence shortly. Officials at NDRF said the project has been sanctioned by the Centre.

P M Nair,DGP,NDRF said,The campus will provide more region-specific training to citizens in the vicinity. We have analysed that maximum cases taking place in the area surrounding Maval are those of drowning. We will be providing training on safety against water besides chemical disasters common in industrial areas such as this.

Each unit of NDRF has 311 disaster relief equipment and is likely to get additional 28 equipment in the future.

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