Maharashtra govt looks to strengthen civil defence force grappling with manpower crunch

The Maharashtra government is taking steps to reinforce its Civil Defence force, which has been struggling with a shortage of personnel and insufficient equipment. Despite these challenges, the agency recently conducted mock drills as part of a nationwide exercise, highlighting its critical role in emergency preparedness.

Recognizing the importance of civil defence, particularly in light of ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, the state is addressing issues such as low daily allowances for volunteers, outdated sirens, and a lack of ambulances. A senior official from the Maharashtra government revealed that a new civil defence course will be integrated into the engineering college curriculum starting next academic year. This initiative follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the Directorate of Civil Defence and the University of Mumbai, as confirmed by Director Prabhat Kumar in an interview .

Kumar also noted that proposals to increase manpower, enhance training equipment, and improve siren systems have been submitted to the government, with optimism about their approval. Additionally, there are plans to raise the daily allowance for volunteers, addressing long-standing concerns about compensation.