A village-level five-member disaster management squad has been expanded to 11 member disaster management committee and special training is being imparted to these committee members. This is the first of such an activity in Maharashtra which has significant importance on the backdrop of a massive landslide on Jul 19 in Irshalwadi hamlet in Raigad.
Committee members imparted one-day training
Palghar district disaster management officer Vivek Kadam under the guidance of District Collector Govind Bodke took the initiative to expand the five-member village-level disaster management squad to 11 member committee. The committee members are imparted one day of training about the probabilities of disasters in the district.
Village-level disaster management squads were formed in 2018
The village-level disaster management squads were formed in 2018 after the earthquake shocks in Dahanu taluka at regular intervals. These committees helped coordinate with villages which were affected by earthquakes.
The expansion and training of disaster management squads has been in process for Dahanu, Vasai and Vikramgad talukas in Palghar district. The disaster management department has been helped by members of ‘The Resilient Foundation’ who help in the training process. The help of the civil defence force is planned to expedite the training process for all the talukas in the Palghar district.
The committee members
The village sarpanch, revenue officer, gram sevak, school teacher, Anganwadi worker, gram panchayat members, members of social organisations and other active people in the village constitute the 11-member committee.
Training of village-level disaster management committees
Four to Five village level disaster management committees are imparted training by the authorities. This training includes the probable issues that may arise due to the geographical conditions of the village and the history of incidences if any. The members are trained to handle rescue operations, give first aid and communicate with villagers in disaster-like situations. A disaster management plan is prepared for every village.
