The Lotha Students' Union urges the Nagaland government to set up an NDRF camp in Wokha due to drowning incidents in the Doyang Reservoir.
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DIMAPUR — The Lotha Students' Union (LSU) has appealed to the Government of Nagaland to immediately sanction and station a designated camp of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the Wokha district to address the recurring loss of lives in the Doyang Reservoir.
In a press release, LSU stated that while the Doyang Hydro Electric Project, which has been generating 75 MW of power for over 25 years, has contributed immensely to the state exchequer, the challenges and risks associated with the project have not been adequately addressed.
The union highlighted that an average of three to four lives are lost annually to the waters of the Doyang Reservoir and its downstream currents. The victims include fishermen, picnickers, and residents from Wokha, neighbouring districts, and Assam. This year alone, two lives have already been lost.
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"The absence of a permanent, professional disaster response unit in Wokha District is no longer a gap. It is a failure of policy," the LSU stated. It added that ad hoc rescue efforts, delayed responses, and reliance on untrained volunteers have cost lives that training, equipment, and preparedness could have saved.
The union stated that the presence of an NDRF unit will not only provide expert water rescue operations during emergencies but will also conduct awareness and sensitisation programmes to educate communities about water safety and disaster preparedness.
In addition to the deployment of the NDRF, the LSU requested the government to empower the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Home Guards, and Civil Defence units with adequate training and modern equipment to ensure a coordinated and effective disaster management framework.