Bengal’s ‘Arjun Vahini’ disaster response force to become operational in September

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said the state's newly raised disaster response force, ‘Arjun Vahini’, will become operational in September, with 200 ex-servicemen already recruited for deployment across vulnerable regions.

The specialised unit is being developed along the lines of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and will be equipped to respond rapidly to building collapses, cyclones and other emergencies.

Adhikari said lessons from the deadly Taratala warehouse collapse in June and Cyclone Amphan in May 2020 had underlined the need for a dedicated and well-equipped state-level response force.

“The Arjun Vahini will be launched in September,” Adhikari told reporters after attending the foundation-laying ceremony for five brownfield expansion projects of defence public sector undertakings Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers and Yantra India Limited.

200 personnel recruited

The Chief Minister said the force would receive modern infrastructure and equipment, including dedicated vehicles and cameras, and had been instructed to model its operations on the NDRF.

Of the 200 ex-servicemen recruited through the Sainik Board, 100 will be stationed in Kolkata. Another 50 personnel will be deployed in the Darjeeling hills, while the remaining 50 will be based at Kakdwip in coastal South 24 Parganas.

The locations have been chosen to provide quicker response capabilities across areas facing different disaster risks — from urban emergencies in Kolkata and landslides in the hills to cyclones and other extreme weather events along the coast.

Adhikari said the government also plans to recruit former Agniveers into Arjun Vahini. Since the first such personnel would become available only in January next year, the government had initially turned to ex-servicemen to build the force.

The personnel will be provided with modern equipment so that they can be mobilised quickly when disasters occur.

Taratala tragedy prompted action

Adhikari cited the June 24 warehouse collapse at Taratala in southwest Kolkata as an example of why the state required stronger disaster-response capabilities.

The roof and structure of a three-storey warehouse under construction collapsed in the incident, killing 11 people and leaving around 19 injured.

The Chief Minister said the NDRF had rescued 22 people trapped beneath the rubble and also acknowledged the role played by Kolkata Police during the search-and-rescue operation.

The incident highlighted the importance of having specialised personnel capable of reaching disaster sites quickly and carrying out technically demanding rescue operations.

Adhikari said a large and densely populated city such as Kolkata required an effective disaster management system, particularly given the presence of illegal constructions in parts of the city.

Amphan lessons recalled

The government has also drawn lessons from Cyclone Amphan, which struck West Bengal in May 2020 and caused widespread destruction, particularly in Kolkata and the coastal districts.

The cyclone damaged homes, uprooted trees, disrupted electricity and communications and exposed weaknesses in emergency response infrastructure.

Arjun Vahini is intended to provide the state with a permanent trained force that can be deployed immediately rather than depending entirely on central teams during major emergencies.

Adhikari also accused the previous state government of failing to utilise funds made available for disaster management preparedness. He said his administration was now putting those resources to use to strengthen the state's response capabilities.

With the first 200 personnel divided among Kolkata, the hills and the coast, the government expects Arjun Vahini to provide a dedicated first line of specialised response when it becomes operational next month.