Andhra Pradesh government has decided to allot land for setting up one company of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), on the lines of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), revenue minister N Raghuveera Reddy said on Wednesday.

A permanent NDRF battalion comprising 1,149 personnel is already stationed at Mangalagiri in Guntur district to provide round the clock rescue and relief operations during natural calamities.

“A decision has been taken to set up a wing of NDRF at Hyderabad. A Government Order on providing 2 acre land for setting up one company for SDRF at Andhra Pradesh Police Academy here will be issued in the next couple of days,” Reddy told reporters.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member K M Singh said “we have suggested the AP government to set up three SDRF centres in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati by raising 3 new companies (consisting of 110-120 personnel). The state has to now sanction for 3 new companies and the NDRF will extend training and provide them with equipment.”

The 10th Battalion of NDRF in Guntur was divided into six companies and the state government as of now can draw one company from Guntur for setting up SDRF in Hyderabad, he said.

The duties of NDRF are to perform rescue operations during building collapses, floods, tsunami, storms, and natural disasters and chemical.