Foundation stone laid for NDRF’s disaster response hub in Ekm

Kochi: In a major boost to Kerala's disaster preparedness and emergency response infrastructure, the foundation stone for National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) regional response centre was laid in Ernakulam on Thursday. The facility will come up on five acres of land provided by Kerala govt along the Irumbanam-Eroor Road.Union home minister Amit Shah inaugurated the project virtually through video conferencing on Thursday. The centre will function under the fourth battalion of NDRF, headquartered at Arakkonam. At present, two NDRF teams from the battalion are stationed in Kerala and are operating temporarily from Kerala Civil Defence Academy in Thrissur. Officials said the new regional centre would provide the force with a dedicated operational base in the state, enabling quicker deployment during floods, landslides and other emergencies.According to officials, the establishment of a permanent NDRF base in central Kerala would significantly improve coordination and response time during natural calamities and rescue missions.The project is also expected to strengthen Kerala's capacity to tackle increasingly frequent extreme weather events and disaster situations.