DIMAPUR: The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) emphasised the importance of having a disaster management structure in place within schools and colleges with the principal as chairperson.
At a mock drill exercise on earthquake at Kohima Science College Jotsoma on Tuesday, Khrolou Koza Lohe, assistant manager of training and education at Nagaland SDMA, called for constituting a disaster management team, developing a disaster response plan that includes hazard identification, safety assessment, resource mapping, both internal and external, formation of various disaster management teams and an evacuation plan with designated assembly areas.
The mock drill exercise was organised by the Nagaland SDMA, in collaboration with the District Disaster Management Authority Kohima, at the college towards building resilience within educational institutions and the community at large.
Lohe briefed the students of the college about the significance of disaster preparedness, citing examples of the damages caused by earthquake at Bhuj in 2001.
She highlighted the roles of different teams within the disaster management structure which include disaster awareness team for warning and information dissemination, evacuation team for each class, search and rescue team, first aid team, fire safety team and bus safety team.
Explaining the significance of the mock drill exercise, Lohe said it serves as a valuable tool to test preparedness and improve the correct methods of conducting such drills.
“Sensitising the masses to disaster management measures can significantly reduce the impact of disasters, even though it may not be possible to prevent hazards entirely,” she added.
The same mock drill exercise will be held at Living Tree School, Tsiepugei in Kohima, Nagaland on July 20.