MCD to set up 150-member response teams to better handle extreme weather events

The violent thunderstorm and squall on June 30 that caused widespread damage to trees, vehicles and civic infrastructure has made the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reassess its disaster response capabilities and decide that 150 of its field employees will undergo training under the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to better respond to such weather events, officials in the know of the matter have said

The violent thunderstorm and squall on June 30 that caused widespread damage to trees, vehicles and civic infrastructure has made the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reassess its disaster response capabilities and decide that 150 of its field employees will undergo training under the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to better respond to such weather events, officials in the know of the matter have said.

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Officials said the storm on June 30 had uprooted at least 100 trees and brought down 1,058 large branches in the New Delhi area alone, paralysing traffic movement on arterial roads and forcing various agencies such as the NDRF, MCD, NBCC India, New Delhi Municipal Council and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to pitch in for clean-up operations. ​

An MCD spokesperson said arrangements are being made for training employees deputed to disaster management centres so that they can respond to such situations more efficiently. “A training programme will be organised for 150 employees, including beldars, gardeners and technical employees such as junior engineers and assistant engineers. MCD has 12 disaster centres which mainly deal with problems of uprooted trees, building collapse, fire at dump sites and water-logging. But it has come to notice that the staff at these centres are not optimally trained. It has also been decided to enhance the resources inventory and upgrade equipment at disaster centres in close coordination with NDRF,” the spokesperson said.

Orders have also been issued on June 1 by the MCD engineer-in-chief to create an inventory of equipment, additional resources needed and funds required, along with a list of employees for disaster response training.

“The idea behind this training will be to improve the response time of disaster management teams and first responders. For instance, during the last thunderstorm, we realised that there was a shortage of mechanised saws to clear large trees and branches. Using an axe was taking more time and causing delays in reopening roads to traffic. After some initial confusion, teams of 10-15 field workers were later set up under one senior official to clear the stretches. The action plan and teams will be ready in case such an emergency arises again,” a senior official involved in the process said, asking not to be named. Equipment such as chain saws, hedge trimmers, tree pruners and brush cutters are likely to be procured by the MCD.

Another municipal official said a common inventory of all disaster management centre resources and manpower is being created. “Each department has been asked to furnish details about machinery, equipment and vehicles that will be required by field teams; existing capacity and their operational status. Based on these reports, requests will be sent to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority and other authorities concerned for release of funds,” the official said, asking not to be named.

“Employees are expected be get a basic training to become first responders and this will include rescue, first-aid, team coordination and safe practices to be followed while removing building debris at a collapse site or uprooted trees. In the wake of a disaster, large number government personnel are involved in activities of first response along with NDRF. Due to geographical proximity and familiarity with the area, they are also usually the first ones to arrive at the scene,” a third official said, asking not to be named.