NDRF battalion to be set up in Uttarakhand

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Dehradun, Aug 30 (PTI) Keeping in view the tough terrain of Uttarakhand, the Centre has given its nod to set up NDRF battalion at Roorkee in Haridwar district which will help cut the response time in dealing with natural disasters. In a letter addressed to Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar, the Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said that the Centre has agreed to set up a NDRF battalion at Roorkee, said an official release here. The state government has already identified 70 acres of land for the purpose, Subhash Kumar said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank had requested the Centre for sanctioning a NDRF battalion keeping in view its vulnerability to natural disasters like landslides, cloudbursts, avalanches, earthquakes and floods, Kumar said. Moreover, lakhs of pilgrims come to visit various religious places like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Chardhams and Hemkund Gurdwara, he said. The setting up of NDRF battalion would not only minimise the response time in dealing with the disasters in the state but also prove useful for western Uttar Pradesh bordering Uttarakhand.