Assam Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been found to be lacking in suitable equipments and manpower by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its audit report.
This has alerted the Assam government to take necessary steps for prevention of accidents in times of need.
The reports stated the SDRF is facing a shortage of around 752 workers which constitutes around 74 per cent of the total workforce.
Even if the Assam State Disaster Management Authority has declared the state to be highly prone to earthquakes and floods but still 14 districts out of the total 33 districts doesn’t have any SDRF personnel.
Also 19 percent of the total firemen in fire and emergency service, which constitutes the SDRF, were found to be aged above 45 years and physical tests are not conducted regularly to test their efficiency.
Loopholes were found at almost all the stages right from the planning to the planning to the final firefighting stages.
The norms say that there has to be one ambulance with two stretchers and a normal first aid equipment and oxygen resuscitator in each city, division and command headquarters but CAG did not find a single equipment in the entire department, reports TOI.
According to the report, there are only 121 fire suits, 170 breathing apparatuses, 37 smoke exhausters, 57 proximity suits, 710 life jackets and a total of 2280 workers. But there isn’t a single jumping cushion or visibility test equipment and an ambulance.
Moreover, Assam has only two fire stations at Dispur and Panbazar.