UP districts form quick response teams for emergency
LUCKNOW: On the advise of the state disaster management committee, various district administrations have formed quick response teams (QRTs) to aid people in emergencies related to heavy rains, expected later this week.
“The QRTs comprising trained personnel and volunteers will be the first to respond in case of flash floods and other emergencies,” said district magistrate (DM) Pilibhit, Dr Akhilesh Mishra.
Pilibhit is one of the low laying districts, prone to flooding. The Pilibhit district administration has formed six QRTs and deployed them in flood-prone areas.
Armed with inflatable dinghies, emergency lights, first aid kits and basic survival tools, the teams have been asked to monitor the flood situation and send reports to the district administration. “The aim is to reduce the reaction time in case of emergency. The QRTs can prove to be very effective in doing this,” said AK Singh, commandant of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). “We are also providing guidance to the district administration in this,” he added.
Reportedly, over 20 districts that are most susceptible to flood-related disasters have formed QRTs at the district level. Besides QRTs, some districts have also formed teams of volunteers in all the susceptible blocks, to assist in rescue operations.
“The water level in all susceptible blocks is being monitored round-the-clock. Respective sub-divisional magistrates have been asked to keep an eye on the situation and ensure speedy deployment of emergency teams,” said Amrit Tripathi, DM Shahjahanpur.
These teams may soon find themselves in action.
According to recent forecast issued by meteorological department, heavy rains and strong winds are expected in several districts of the state. “Districts in eastern UP are likely to receive more rains than west UP in the coming days because the monsoon proceeds from east to west,” said JP Gupta, director, state meteorological department. “We have already alerted the state government and the respective district administrations regarding the forecast,” he added.