Patna: The Bihar government has announced plans to construct district-level Emergency Response Facility-cum-Training Centres (ERF-TCs) in 20 more districts, aiming to improve rescue operations and disaster preparedness across the state. Officials say work under the first phase has already been completed in 17 districts, while construction in Patna is currently under way.
Addressing a press conference at the Suchna Bhawan in Patna on Wednesday, the Joint Secretary of the Disaster Management Department, Mohammad Nadimul Gaffar Siddiqui, said the centres would allow quicker response during floods, cold waves and other emergencies. Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have already been deployed at the completed facilities, he said, adding that the remaining districts would be covered soon through coordination with other departments.
He said the new centres would not only support immediate rescue and relief operations but also serve as training hubs for organisations and communities. Alongside this, the government is building permanent flood shelters under the chief minister’s relief fund. Of the planned 100 shelters in 10 highly flood-prone districts, 96 have already been completed, with the rest expected soon.
The department has also increased financial assistance to flood-affected families, raising ex-gratia relief from Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000. In the 2025–26 financial year, nearly Rs 9.7 lakh families received payments totalling Rs 680.17 crore. Officials said disaster preparedness training is being extended to government schools under the “Safety Saturday” programme, while a safe swimming initiative aims to cut drowning deaths in rivers and reservoirs by 50% by 2030.
Cold-weather preparedness has been another focus. During the same financial year, 130 night shelters were set up across Bihar, providing temporary refuge to nearly 38,700 people, while about 80,000 blankets were distributed among vulnerable groups. The department said these measures have helped keep cold-related deaths at zero so far this year.
Officials also highlighted a series of training and awareness initiatives carried out with agencies including the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, SDRF, NDRF and civil defence. These ranged from mock drills and fire safety campaigns to large-scale community and school training programmes, reaching tens of thousands of people across the state.
