How Hyderabad's well-equipped Disaster Response Force is helping fight COVID-19

Decked in protective gear, the personnel of the Disaster Response Force (DRF) have been ensuring that the entire city is thoroughly disinfected.
How Hyderabad's well-equipped Disaster Response Force is helping fight COVID-19
How Hyderabad's well-equipped Disaster Response Force is helping fight COVID-19
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Even as Hyderabad is tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, the Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is one of the departments that has received praise from all quarters.

With its personnel on the frontline, it has been fully equipped to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Decked in protective gear, the personnel of the Disaster Response Force (DRF), overseen by the EVDM wing, have been ensuring that several areas across the city are thoroughly disinfected.

Praise is pouring in from citizens and officials alike, with Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister KT Rama Rao complimenting them on a 'fabulous job', tweeting, "Hyderabad is possibly the only metropolitan city in India with its own city DRF which has been using vehicle mounted jetting machines and also portable disinfectant sprayers. Glad that they’ve been able to instill confidence among citizens."

In a brief interview with TNM, EVDM wing Director Viswajit Kampati talks about the work that the DRF has undertaken and how procuring equipment to handle the crisis ahead of time has paid off for the authorities. 

What is the role of the DRF in fighting COVID-19? 

While other wings of the government ensure containment and prevention of person-to-person transmission of COVID-19, the EVDM's main job is to prevent community transmission. One way to do this is to ensure mass disinfectant spraying is done across the city. This includes public places, main roads and interior colonies. This is the DRF's main job right now.

Unlike other cities, the DRF in Hyderabad is fully equipped. When did you get the equipment?

We were following coronavirus from the beginning. We saw that it was spreading in many countries. Deaths started in Italy and the first positive case in India was reported at the same time. We anticipated that it might be a big issue and began procuring the equipment, which is what is helping us now.

We procured all the protective equipment, chemicals and other things required in advance, on March 10 itself. These equipment were not bought in a hurry. We had called a tender, gone through the process and bought it because we had anticipated it.

What kind of training was given to DRF personnel involved in spraying disinfectants?

No one knew how to tackle this, because this is the first time we are facing this crisis. Our people are trained to handle all kinds of disasters but this one was out of the textbook.

We had to train our people on using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the sprayers. Even the chemical we procured— sodium hypochlorite— we had to teach our people how to handle it and how to mix it on the field if required.

We had 300 personnel on active duty at that point who underwent a three-day training programme to ensure that work was done properly. At the same time, they also remained safe. We had our test run on March 19 and it started effectively on March 20.   

How is the DRF ensuring that it is covering all parts of the city?

Presently, we have 19 DRF teams with 675 personnel on the ground. We pulled out people from the other wings which are presently non-essential and put them on the field.

We work round-the-clock in three shifts— 6 am to 2 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm, and 10 pm to 6 am.

There are four types of teams. Firstly, we have manual teams that have manual sprayers and go door-to-door and inside buildings. Second, we have Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) teams. We have vehicles which are retrofitted with power spraying mechanisms to cover interior roads and narrow lanes where normal spraying is not possible.

Third are the jetting teams. Jetting machines are repurposed to use high pressure sprays and cover main roads in the city. Fourth are the tanker teams, which are used only in high-risk areas like hospitals and areas where positive cases have been detected. They spray the entire road with disinfectant, to ensure proper sanitation.

How has public feedback been?

We have been getting excellent feedback from citizens. Their only complaint seems to be that we have not visited their area yet!

The spraying also works as psychological support for the people. It shows them that we are on the ground and working for them. As of Friday morning, we have covered 100% of all arterial roads— including main roads and public places, in the city. 

From April 1, our teams have begun going into interior colonies as well. We hope to cover all colonies and interior areas in the next 15 days.

As the situation subsides, what next?

The disinfectant spraying will have to continue. It is not a one-time thing. it will continue till we have the virus under control. So maybe for the next two to three months, the work will go on.

As far as what work DRF will do next, the monsoon will begin soon, and hopefully by then, we will resume our regular duties.

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