New Delhi: Government is proposing to set up a National Emergency Response Force (NERF) for dealing with calamities related to nuclear, biological and chemical disasters.

Eight battalions of Central Para Military Forces comprising two each from CISF (Central Industrial Security Force), ITBP (Indo- Tibetan Police), BSF (Border Security Force) and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) have been earmarked for development of fully trained and specialist response teams, according to the annual report of the Home Ministry for 2003-04.

Four of these eight battalions would also be trained to handle Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) related emergencies, the report said.

Training of trainers for CISF and ITBP had been completed and 16 teams comprising 45 personnel each had already been trained. Sanction for purchase of equipments for one battalion each for natural and NBC calamities had been given, it said.

These eight battalions were proposed to be constituted into a force and would be designated as NERF, it said.

The Government also proposes to strengthen one training institute each for the four Para Military forces and the States had been advised to have their own specialist teams, it said and added that 10 States and Union Territories had already initiated action in this regard.

The trainers of the State police force would be trained at the training institutes of Para Military Forces and the States had also been authorised to utilise 10 per cent of the annual allocation made in the calamity relief fund for purchase of equipment, the report said.