Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday inaugurated a newly-constructed battalion campus for the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), at Govindpuram in Ghaziabad. The inauguration was done through video conferencing. The campus is part of the 28 major infrastructure projects for central armed police forces and other central police organisations, including the NDRF.

The 75 acre campus, for the NDRF’s eighth battalion, houses permanent barracks and quarter facilities for jawans and officers, besides kennels for dog squads, and other facilities for storage of equipment and training.

“The NDRF has made a mark for itself and has won the confidence of people, besides being a reliable force for citizens. They command great respect for the works they have taken up. The provision of facilities will help the force uplift their capabilities manifold,” Singh said.

According to NDRF officials, the 75-acre campus has been proposed to be a green campus, and 60% of the total area will be devoted to greenery and plantation.

“We are expecting the campus to be converted into one of the best in the country and beyond. About 60% of the area will be open and green, and we will make it an environment friendly campus. We have started work for plantation. As part of the project, we have got barracks constructed for nearly 380 jawans and quarters for subordinate officers, besides permanent shelters for our dog squad,” PK Srivastava, commandant of the eighth battalion, said.

“Earlier, we had temporary accommodation but with the full campus available, our personnel have received permanent residential facilities. Besides this, we now have fully operational training and storage facilities for the equipment we use during operations,” he added.

During the ceremony, the home minister spoke to the commandant and to two personnel, who expressed satisfaction saying that the permanent facilities will help them raise the level of their working.

At present, the NDRF consists of 12 battalions located across different parts of the country, including the one at Govindpuram. The total strength of each battalion is stated to be at least 1,149. All the NDRF battalions have been equipped and trained to respond to natural as well as man-made disasters. The battalions are also trained and equipped for response during chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies.

According to officials, the eighth battalion was raised in 2006 and shifted to Ghaziabad in April, 2012, from Surajpur in Greater Noida.

First Published: Mar 07, 2019 05:40 IST