Shillong, Apr 1: The raising ceremony of two battalions of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of Meghalaya was held today at the Civil Defence & Home Guards Complex at Mawdiangdiang, Shillong.
The SDRF was initially raised in the state with strength of one company drawn from the Civil Defence and Home Guards personnel, in the year 2014. It underwent restructuring by subsuming 708 permanent posts of the Border Wing Home Guards (BWHG) Battalion.
Director of Civil Defence & Inspector General of SDRF MK Sangma said that the two SDRF battalions comprising of 354 personnel in each battalion will be strategically positioned—one in the Garo Hills region and the other battalion to cater to both Shillong & Jaintia Hills respectively.
He said that their strategic positioning is to ensure optimal coverage and rapid response across the state
Sangma stated that the battalions will be trained to the highest standards in search and rescue, disaster response, and emergency management and that the Department is committed to equipping personnel with modern tools and the necessary skills.
Minister of Civil Defence & Home Guards Brenning A Sangma attended the ceremony as the chief guest. In his speech, he lauded the department and said subsuming the Border Wing Home Guards Battalion is a unique approach. “Such an approach is not commonly adopted across all states and reflects innovation and administrative foresight” he added.
Sangma said Meghalaya is no stranger to natural disasters, given its challenging geography and heavy rainfall. The state’s vulnerability to landslides, flash floods, and other calamities makes it essential to enhance disaster response capabilities and hence the establishment of the SDRF battalion is a critical step in improving the state’s preparedness and resilience against such threats, the minister said.
Commissioner & Secretary Vijay Kumar Mantri said that the regular Home Guards company guarding the Secretariat buildings of the state has been supplemented with Home Guards Volunteers.
In line with the Government of India’s directive to raise a State Industrial Security Force (SISF) in each state, the state government has approved the re-naming of the Meghalaya Secretariat Home Guards (MSHG), a company of permanent Home Guards personnel guarding the three Secretariat buildings as the Meghalaya Industrial Security Force (MISF), which will be under the command and control of the Department, he informed.
The ceremony also featured a demonstration on search and rescue by the SDRF and a display of their rescue equipment and tools.
