With UNDP help, new disaster management plan for BMC schools by 2007
December 17, 2006
A fresh and comprehensive disaster management plan for every school of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), post the November 30 violent protests in parts of Maharashtra, will be in place by 2007. The project is being devised in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“All schools will be individually scrutinised taking into consideration the infrastructure, facilities available and number of children studying in them,” said BMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner S S Shinde.
Before this, BMC had introduced a disaster management plan in May 2006 which had listed precautionary measures only for disaster-prone schools. “The latest plan is different because it will list modus operandi for all schools individually in the form of a booklet,” said BMC Education Officer N Shitole. The earlier plan, he elaborated, had only identified schools which come under various danger zones like vulnerability to floods, chemical zone, proximity to different stations etc.
A study of the building map, an evacuation plan and safety measures in place at schools will be designed and a school-wise standard operating process will be formulated. The data collected will then be compiled into a booklet for each school. The book will list the essential details, including the numbers of the nearest local police station, home guard and fire station among others.
“The entire project will provide a line of action and prepare schools to undertake mitigation and relief measures in case of any eventuality, man-made or natural, without compromising on the security of the students,” emphasised Shinde. UNDP’s disaster management cell in the city, while agreeing that such a project is being developed in collaboration with BMC, refused to comment further on the issue.
A three-tier organisation for proper implementation of the programme will be constituted. The first committee will be at the school level and comprise teachers, students and parents-teachers association (PTA) members, NGO representatives and doctors, the second will consist of administrative officers (AO) and the highest level will have a team of deputy education officers.
Once the book is complete, BMC will conduct mock rehearsals and training of principals, teachers and students in each school. Regular drill work will be an integral part of the whole programme.
Each school has been provided with six forms wherein the physical set-up of the school—exact location, access to roads, how crowded the area is and other such information are to be described in detail. “We have received the forms from L-ward and have started checking the information furnished in them. We plan to submit the information to UNDP by next week,” said L-ward AO member G R Kulkarni. The committees, besides reviewing the programme, will discuss and introduce necessary modifications on a regular basis.
URL: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=213607