Sashastra Seema Bal launched first of its countrywide contingent of rescue teams in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir, a state that has battled various natural disasters for a while and has had to depend on national rescue teams, now has a specialised rescue team to help improve and fasten the process. The teams have been launched by Sashastra Seema Bal or the SSB. It is one of the 18 teams, each comprising 35 personnel, set up across the country.
"Jammu and Kashmir is a disaster-prone area. Bus accidents, landslides, are frequent in the region. The teams are equipped to deal with such situations", said Manvinder DIG SSB.
The SSB organised mock drills that involved evacuating people stranded in floods. Quick on their feet, they rescued people armed with ropes and cutters. The injured buried under the debris were moved out in ambulances. Here, the team is raising one of its countrywide contingent for rescue operations during natural calamities.
They will be the first to reach out to the affected areas during floods and other natural disasters like earthquakes.
The teams will also launch an awareness drive and share their details for getting in touch with them when a tragedy strikes.
Jammu and Kashmir is prone to natural disasters. A major earthquake hit the state in 2005 killing 1,400 people. The 2014 floods caused massive destruction across the state, 277 people were died and the economy suffered a setback. Just last month month
flash floods in Doda killed six.