Ranchi: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have deployed teams in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Deoghar and Hazaribag districts to prevent incidents of drowning at the Chhath ghats, its deputy commandant Vinay Kumar said on Friday.Lakhs of devotees are expected to gather at ponds, river banks and other waterbodies across the state to offer their prayers to the setting and rising sun on Nov 15 and Nov 16.A NDRF team comprises 30 members who were experts in various facets of rescue operations, including deep diving. “The teams will patrol Chhath ghats and ensure devotees do not cross barricades erected by the local administration to keep them within safe zones,” a NDRF official in Ranchi said, requesting anonymity. The teams will carry lifebuoys, which will be thrown to anyone suspected of drowning. Deep divers will be pressed into service if a victim sinks below the water.Sources said NDRF usually functions as a full 30-member unit, but in Deoghar it has been split into two groups and posted at two ponds.In Ranchi, a NDRF teams will be deployed at Dhurwa Dam while a state disaster response force team will be deployed at Vivekananda Sarovar (Ranchi Lake). “Officials have also been directed to arrange additional divers for other ponds that draw large crowds,” Ranchi deputy commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said. These divers will remain deployed from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon will be shared with administrative and police officials for faster coordination during any emergency.Signages have been placed at 260 waterbodies across the district where the water is deep, warning devotees against venturing beyond barricaded limits during rituals and offering prayers.
