As a part of the capacity building and preparedness to face a disaster, each police station and chowkies across the state will be given a disaster response kit, which will cost the state kitty Rs46.49 crore.
There are over 1,200 police stations across the state, including Mumbai. The number of chowkies, if added, makes it to 2,939. Since the police are the first to reach at the spot of the disaster and engage themselves in relief and rescue operations along with locals, the disaster management department of the state feels they should be given the kit, which comprises nine items in a box.
Each kit will have first aid kit (with 26 items), floatable and foldable multi-stretcher for adults with all safety items, another stretcher of medium size, life jacket (to be used during floods), safety helmets (3 pieces), hand gloves, gumboots (2 sets), safety net (3X10 mt), rappelling rope (30 mt) and a floatable multi-purpose box. The cost of one such box is Rs1.58 lakh.
The kit will be of significant help to people who engage in the relief and rescue operations whenever a man-made or natural disaster strikes, said the government resolution (GR) issued on Friday. The government has already made available such kits to 1000 villages, prone to disasters, earlier.
The Police, with the help of the locals, offer relief to the people facing the effects of the disaster. The kits will be helpful for the police and the people, the GR added.
