Jalpaiguri, May 26: In a bid to sharpen the skills of some young civil defence cadets of north Bengal, the civil defence ministry has decided give them special training at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) in Darjeeling.

?We have decided to select thirty youths associated with the civil defence from across the north Bengal districts for the training. They would be sent to the HMI in Darjeeling to be trained in disaster management,? said the civil defence minister, Srikumar Mukherjee, who was on a visit to Jalpaiguri. ?We are positive that after the training, they would be better skilled to rescue people during natural disasters.?

According to Mukherjee, the training session will be held for fourteen days and will be conducted with assistance from the Unicef.

?We have already conducted a meeting with the district magistrates of the area. North Bengal falls within the flash-flood prone zone. Though our department is well-equipped in sending relief and rescuing people during the floods, we need trained youths to rescue people and cattle from the affected areas,? Mukherjee said.

Incidents of landslides are also pretty frequent in the Darjeeling hills, killing hundreds of people every year. Trained people are necessary to rescue such victims from under the debris and to move them to hospitals in time, he added.

Officials of district administration, on being informed about the initiative, appreciated it and said the youths would be a great help in rescuing the victims of natural disasters.

?Such a comprehensive training at the mountaineering institute is sure to hone their skills. It is essential to have trained youths, who can rescue people from disasters, be it floods, landslides or accidents,? said A. Subbiah, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri.