NDRF sets up camp till February 22 as Ayodhya braces for rush
The Uttar Pradesh government has asked the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) to station its teams at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya for a month following its opening to the public. The NDRF teams will be responsible for flood water rescue, chemical biological radiological and nuclear response, and collapse structure search and rescue. They will also have quick deployment antenna vehicles for communication during emergencies. The teams will be stationed until February 22.
Expecting high footfall at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, once it opens to the public, the Uttar Pradesh government has asked the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) to station its teams around the premises for at least a month, officials familiar with the matter said.
Three teams, comprising personnel from Flood Water Rescue (FWR), Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) and Collapse Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR), will be posted in Ayodhya until February 22.
On Saturday, the FWR team took charge of the banks at the Sarayu river that flows through Ayodhya. “We have the best divers posted on all the banks of the river. Each bank is headed by a senior officer along with a team of divers. Along with that, there are lifeboats and lifebuoys. NDRF personnel will be around the river round-the-clock,” said Manoj Kumar Sharma, deputy inspector general of NDRF.
Quick Deployment Antenna vehicles were also brought to Ayodhya on Saturday, which will help rescuers connect with satellites for communication, if regular internet and telephone service lines are cut off during any emergency.
Sharma has brought three teams of nearly 150 rescuers divided into three teams for the consecration ceremony on January 22. “We will be here for another month on the local administration’s request,” he said.
Around 8,000 people have been invited for the consecration ceremony on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leading in the ceremony. The temple is likely to be opened to the public from the next day.
The second team would be from the NDRF’s CBRN emergency unit. While the CBRN team will be near the temple premises, a hazmat vehicle will be parked around the complex to deal with any emergency. The recently purchased CBRN vehicles were used at the G20 summit in September last year.
The third CSSR team will work in case of any disaster such as earthquakes or stampedes. The rescuers have already conducted mock drills with the local administration. This team will be posted near the temple gate
