Despite directions from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), successive State governments have failed to prioritize setting up a Disaster Response Force (DRF) even as the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is fortunately in place.
With the Revenue Department as its nodal agency in coordination with the Home Department, the DRF battalion is considered to be the need of the hour albeit Goa has lately not witnessed any major calamity after the Canacona floods in 2009 and the fatal collapse of an under-construction building at Canacona in 2014.
What covers up to the failed approach of the government is that SDMA and DRF have common members on its respective panels from various related agencies.
“Yes, we are yet to set up the dedicated force as mandated by the NDRF. But nonetheless, the process is on and all the government agencies involved in it are already on the job,” a secretariat official told Herald wishing anonymity.
The department cites the presence of SDMA that comes to the rescue during any calamity or disaster. He stated that even though it is yet to be formally constituted, the teams still come together during crisis as it is attached with its parent department.
The battalion however not only has to be constituted but two of three major response forces — Goa police and Home Guards have also not been trained to tackle such a situation. Official sources said the team will constitute 50 personnel each from the Goa police, Home Guards and Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services. The only batch ready for emergency situations is the fire department.
“We have so far given specific training to 29 out of the total 50 designated personnel in the swift water flood rescue, life saving techniques, medical first response and urban search & rescue operation. We deploy them at vulnerable places in both the districts,” Director of the Fire & Emergency Services Ashok Menon told Herald. The remaining 21 personnel will complete their training in the next few months.
Meanwhile, the department has also written to the NDRF to impart the identified fire fighters in Chemical-Biological-Radiological & Nuclear preparedness. Menon said a response is awaited.
On the other hand, the north district SDMA under Collector Nila Mohanan has already chalked out plans to deal with the possible crisis in the coming monsoon season.
The authority, through two of its crucial members on the committee – Public Works Department and Water Resources Department has identified vulnerable areas prone to landslides and floods. Mohanan allayed fears that these places are dangerous zones. “As per the records and preliminary study, some are flood and landslide affected zones. None of these are in the dangerous category though,” she explained. The authorities have already submitted its pre-monsoon preparedness citing various remedial measures in case of any calamity.
Similarly, the authority had issued instructions to various concerning departments to ensure prevention measures. “Our members execute the work during the monsoon season, which are discussed and prepared during the rest of the year. We hold regular meetings all round the year and coordinate with the agencies, gather data of sensitive areas, repairs of roads, sewage, identification of dangerous trees that needs to be trimmed, etc,” she added. A 24 X 7 control room is already set up at taluka, district and State level.
