From correspondents in Delhi, India, 10:00 PM IST

Now national capital Delhi has a 24-hour toll free emergency help line number - 1077.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Tuesday inaugurated a Disaster Management Emergency Operation Centre here. The centre has been set up as per the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The call centre is operative round-the-clock. It will act as a centralized helpline number accessible to all landline as well as mobile numbers.

'Effective disaster risk management remains a primary issue. Since it is not possible to prevent disasters, we are trying to mitigate and control the losses,' said Dikshit.

The help line number will enable people to contact the centre at a time of disaster. It would also help reduce the response time of officials concerned, an official said.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)