Disaster management no longer a dream: Risk reduction programme launched in 50 Delhi schools

Two Delhi-based organisations launched a programme to help schools here address the risks of natural and manmade disasters.The Honeywell Safe Schools programme, created in collaboration with Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), will be focussed on 50 schools in the east Delhi area for the next three years and is looking to "empower 25,000 students, 40,000 parents, and 1,000 teachers".

Kamal Kishore, member of National Disaster Management Authority, said focusing on school safety is a step towards achieveing the wider aim of disaster risk reduction. "I feel the countries that do a good job of school safety can do a better job at disaster risk reduction as a whole. Look at Japan and Turkey, the countries that have done a great job at school safety and eventually improved upon their disaster management system," he said.

The three-year programme will focus on orienting staff based on risk assessment of each participating school and conducting exercises to make aware the students, teachers and parents in a such a situation.

The three-year programme will focus on orienting staff based on risk assessment of each participating school and conducting exercises to make aware the students, teachers and parents in a such a situation

With 32 government and 18 EDMC schools in the first phase of the programme, SEEDS expects to make it a city-wide campaign after three years. Manu Gupta, executive director of SEEDS, emphasised on the need of creating awareness among students, teachers, parents and civic authorities about high potential risks.

"Often high potential risks are not recognised as imminent threats, most parents worry about threats at hand like road safety, bullying and even fire threats. So there is a need to create awareness among children,
parents, teachers and civic authorities to mitigate the impact of disasters," Gupta said.

The NGO also released a study 'How Safe Are Our Kids' based on 1035 responses collected on perception of risk and understanding of safety measures.