Tuesday, November 29 2005 18:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Government has constituted a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) consisting of eight battalions of Central Para Military Forces to provide specialist response in disaster situations, including nuclear, biological and chemical, the Lok Sabha was informed today (Nov 29, 2005).

The eight Battalions consisted of two battalios each from Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Security Force and CRPF, Minister of State for Home S Reghupathy said in a written reply.

Four of the eight battalions are specifically being trained and equipped for responding to nuclear, biological and chemical disasters in the country, he said.

The process of training and equipping of battalions is in progress, he said adding that these four battalions would be positioned near four major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai so as to facilitate expeditious deployment of the battalions in all parts of the country, Reghupathy said.

In addition, he said 16 Regional Response Centres (RRC) of NDRF battalions were being set up across the country to enable immediate respose to natural calamities.