Mysore Defence Lab rushes ready-to-eat food packets to Chennai

Jayaprakash Rao

Mysore, Dec. 3 (ANI): The Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysore has rushed 3.5 tonnes of ready to eat food materials along with scientists to Chennai, which has been paralyzed with incessant rains over the last few weeks.

More than 10 ready to eat items, which are rich in energy and vitamins, have been processed and packed to remain fresh.

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With more than 40 workers working to prepare such packages, the DFRL can process up to a ton of food every day.

Director of the lab, Dr. Batra, said that the DFRL has taken up such assignments even in the past when the country was hit by natural calamities. He said that the lab is involved in the research and development of quality food, which can sustain for long duration.

Quality packaged food is one of the key needs of the armed forces.

He said that mass production of food materials is usually done by private agencies after DFRL transfers technology to them along with qualifying tests and experiments.

The DFRL is not equipped for mass production, but they undertake such work during emergency operations.

Dr. Batra also opined that food processing centers should be constructed close to the place of calamity as it would significantly reduce the time taken to transport food packets to affected people.

He also said that the Chennai calamity would serve as an eye opener to the disaster management agencies.

Dr. Batra, who is set to retire by this month end, also called for an infrastructure to ensure that relief is provided to those affected by such calamities at the earliest.

In the last 24-hours, Chennai has received 345 mm of rain, which is highest ever for a single day in the last 114 years.

According to the Home Ministry, 269 people have lost their lives due to the calamity in the state so far.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi earlier today chaired a crisis meet to take stock of the situation in Tamil Nadu and review relief efforts. The meeting was attended by several top officials of the government including Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General L.S. Rathore and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General O. P. Singh.