India, Oct. 16 -- Delhi will have its own dedicated disaster response agency as the cabinet has approved a proposal to set up the State Disaster Response Force, officials said on Friday.

The Capital currently relies on the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services, police and other agencies for rescue and relief operations during emergencies.

The proposal to create the SDRF was passed during a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday.

The SDRF will be headed by an IG rank officer and will comprise 1,050 personnel, officials said.

"There will be 18 teams -- one each for the 13 revenue districts and the remaining five in reserve. Initially, the force will comprise personnel who will be taken on...