ITANAGAR, Nov 22: The Arunachal government has asked the state’s police department to prepare a plan and work out modalities for setting up a disaster relief centre here.
The state government has 25 acres of land in Hollongi, where a base of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has already been developed, and the proposed centre could be built in the area, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar suggested.
“The department could emulate the model of the (proposed) centre with all necessary equipment and adequate manpower from other successful states for establishing it for quick response during disasters,” Kumar said during the inauguration of a fire station and a yoga centre here.
He said the state falls under Seismic Zone V and asked the forces to be prepared for any eventuality.
“We must explore possibilities of integrated approach by all the disaster response forces in the state during emergency,” Kumar said.
He assured fire brigade officials to have all the ongoing projects completed in a time-bound manner.
Director General of Police, RP Upadhyaya, lauded the Arunachal Pradesh Police Housing Corporation Ltd for completing the Rs 8 crore fire station with space for parking eight fire tenders.
Under the police modernization scheme, the state government had sanctioned Rs 24 crore for three such fire stations in Itanagar, Naharlagun and Pasighat, Upadhayaya said.
“About 80 percent of construction works of the Naharlagun fire station and 70 percent of the Pasighat station have been completed,” he said.
The DGP said the state presently has 23 fire stations, “out of which two are not functioning, in Longding and Hawai, due to ongoing construction works.”
“We have submitted proposals to the government for setting up of 34 new fire stations in the state,” he said, adding that the fire services department presently has only 351 personnel and 61 fire tenders, along with 21 quick response vans.
“Coverage of fire services in the state is limited due to difficult terrain, for which we are focusing on creating mass awareness through education on how to take preventive measures to avoid fire incidents,” the police chief added. (PTI)
