Jammu & Kashmir to get NDRF battalion

Srinagar, Jan 23 (IANS) The newly-created Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir will get its own National Disaster Response Force battalion to help in rescue and relief operations during natural calamities.According to details, the Assam Rifles will raise four NDRF battalions, one each in J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the NCR region.J&K has seen a series of calamities over the last two decades. The 2005 earthquake caused widespread damage and loss of life while in the 2014 floods, Srinagar and many areas in the valley were inundated when the waters of the Jhelum breached its embankments. At the time, NDRF battalions from Punjab were rushed in for rescue operations and to evacuate people from flooded areas.
--IANS zi/kr