Mumbai schools teach disaster management

In face of the recent natural and man-made disasters that struck the world, city schools are preparing students to handle their own and not panic if disaster strikes the city. Through workshops, competitions, and other exercises, schools are training students in disaster management.

After the earthquake that shook Japan and reports of tremors in Delhi, Mumbai schools have started worrying about student safety.

To prepare their students in case of an emergency, schools have organised various workshops and competitions around the topic of disaster management. Many schools like Rustomjee Cambridge International School, have started a ‘disaster management’ competition in their schools.

“Disasters like earthquake, landslides, volcanic eruptions, fires, flood and cyclones are natural hazards that kill many and destroy billions of dollars of property each year. The rapid growth of the world’s population and its increased concentration, often in hazardous environment, has escalated both, the frequency and severity, of disasters,” said Farhana, a senior teacher with the school.

Such competitions ask students to come up with contingency plans and rescue operations. “Natural calamities like tsunami, earthquakes may strike at any hour but man-made calamities can be predicted and hence averted. Through such exercises we want to create awareness amongst our students so that they can research ways to stop such disasters,” said the school principal.