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The Home Guards and Civil Defences Department will raise civil defence forces in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, the three coastal districts of the State following directions from the Union Home Ministry.

Additional Director General of Police (Civil Defence) and Additional Commandant General (Home Guards) N. Shivakumar told presspersons here on Tuesday that the Union government had felt these three districts were vulnerable to natural as well as man-made calamities and hence the direction.

Additional Director-General of Police (Civil Defence) and Additional Commandant General (Home Guards)N. Shivakumar at a review meeting in Mangaluru on Tuesday.— Photo: H.S. Manjunath

At present, civil defence forces are present in Bengaluru, Raichur and Kaiga in Uttara Kannada. He said that the Ministry had conducted a survey in this regard about one-and-a-half years ago and concluded that these three districts were more vulnerable to calamities due to various reasons, including rivers, sea, presence of major industries etc.

Civil defence force, a community-based voluntary organisation, helps the administration to mitigate natural calamities and human-induced disasters, he said.

Mr. Shivakumar said people from all walks of life can volunteer to be part of the force and will be given training from the department. They will not be paid any remuneration; but will get cover under group insurance scheme up to Rs. 3 lakh.

The ADGP said the adequate awareness and preparedness of the community to respond to calamities would be crucial in mitigating the damage and suffering. Besides rescue, relief and rehabilitation works, the force being a community-based voluntary organisation, could play a vital role in increasing awareness among people to face eventualities, he said. The forces would come up in about six months with each unit comprising at least 120 volunteers, Mr. Shivakumar said and urged interested persons to get in touch with the respective district commandants of Home Guards.

Civil defence force is a community-based voluntary organisation, which helps during calamities