The delay in appointing a technical expert for night service at the Ernakulam district disaster management cell has drawn flak from many quarters.
The cell co-ordinates rescue services in the city whenever a natural calamity or major accident occurs.
At present the post of the technical expert for the night shift is lying vacant.
“If a disaster occurs in the city in the night, like for instance a chemical explosion, earthquake, tsunami or road accident, no real time co-ordination is possible now,” pointed out an official at the collectorate.
The night shift is currently being handled by the clerical staff of the district collectorate on a rotation basis. However, they lack the technical expertise to deal with a natural disaster.
“On some days this month, even the clerical staff deserted the cell, saying that there was little chance of a natural calamity occurring in October,” a source said.
The meeting of the district disaster management (DDM) committee three months ago had appealed to the State Disaster Management (SDM) Authority to appoint the necessary staff.
When the Kadavur landslide occurred in August in 2011 in the district, the DDM officials were not present at the scene to assist the district collector, which delayed the decision- making process.
When contacted, officials said that a notification was issued to appoint experts in all the 14 districts and that the vacancy in Ernakulam would be filled within a month.