Jharkhand will soon have a well-trained disaster management force to combat the challenges of natural and man-made calamities. Speaking to our Ranchi Correspondent, the government sources have said that Chief Minister Arjun Munda has okayed the proposal for raising a specialized force to minimize the scale of damage to lives and property in the wake of disasters. The State Disaster Management Department has also agreed to set up a corpus fund of Rs. 1 crore, which will be utilized for relief work and preventive measures. Besides, a GIS-based warning system will also be developed for timely alerts on possible disasters. The force would consist of around 1200 personnel and suitable number of officers in the supervisory roles. The process to recruit the personnel for the new battalion would be launched as soon as the State’s proposal gets the nod of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Sources also told our Ranchi Correspondent the formalities for seeking the NDMA nod are likely to be completed within a month. Officials of the Disaster Management Department have been instructed to look for setting up an expert committee by roping in professionals from reputed educational institutes to come out with appropriate suggestions for strengthening the mitigation mechanism and preventive measures for the upcoming force.