Withdrawal of NDRF unit; Cong MP writes to Centre

Senior Congress MP Mullappally Ramachandran today shot off a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, protesting against withdrawal of a unit of the National Disaster Response Force, set up at Kozhikode during the previous UPA regime.

Referring to the loss of lives in the landslide in Kozhikode today, the former Union Minister said the North Kerala district is most prone to natural disasters like floods and landslides and requested that the unit be re-established.

"The state of Kerala is reeling under heavy monsoon and the worst affected are Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in Northern Kerala.

The State Government has announced red alert in five districts of north Kerala", he said in the letter.

Ramachandran said natural calamities due to heavy rain are a recurring phenomena in Kerala and the state administration was not in a position to carry out rescue operations in an effective manner.

He said the UPA Government had set up a unit of the NDRF at Kozhikode a few years ago.

"It is distressing to note that the same has been withdrawn, causing the state to rely on the only NDRF centre in South India located at Arkonam in Tamil Nadu," the Wadakara MP said.

"I earnestly request that a unit of the prestigious NDRF be reestablished at Kozhikode in Kerala,which is most prone to natural disasters like flood and landslide", he said.