Regional forensic science lab to get Rs 40 crore facelift

Nagpur: The city-based Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL), under the ministry of home, will soon get a Rs 40 crore infrastructure facelift.
RFSL was set up in the 70s with an aim to provide scientific analysis of crime. Till 2008, the RFSL, Nagpur used to have jurisdiction over entire Vidarbha until a separate forensic lab started operations from Amravati from a rented premise. Ironically, now the lab at Amravati is better equipped than Nagpur.

The facelift proposal was submitted by deputy director Dr VJ Thakare after he joined here in July this year. It was sanctioned within eight days considering the constraints and increasing workload at the regional lab.

“One of the major problems the present lab is facing is waterlogging during rains. The plot housing the building being slightly lower than the road level, rainwater flows inside flooding the premises. The new office would be five feet above the ground level,” said RFSL officials.

Official sources said the area of present the lab will be almost doubled to 70,000 sqft with each floor spread in 20,000 sqft. Presently, there are nine divisions — voice recording, ballistic, DNA, prohibition & excise, biology, general analytical & instrumentation, cyber, narcotics and explosives.

“Though the number of divisions will be the same, it will be spacious after getting a facelift,” said RFSL officials.

Having a sanctioned staff strength of 170, the lab is operating with 150 staffers. Officials said, “In 1970, when the RFSL at Nagpur was set up, there were 10,000 cases annually from entire region. The number has gone up to 45,000 cases now at Nagpur alone. This is despite RFSL at Amravati functioning separately and analysing nearly 35,000 cases.”

The revamped RFSL lab will be a green building with facilities like rainwater harvesting, effluent treatment unit, solar panels for offices and adjoining quarters among other facilities.

“We expect to reduce pendency of cases and workload at Nagpur once mini-forensic labs, which are proposed to be operational next year in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli, are put in place. There is also a flood of cybercrime cases in the recent past,” the officials said.

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