Oct. 29: The disaster management cell of the Hailakandi district administration has launched a public awareness campaign about precautions to be taken during disasters, natural or man-made.

Neelam Prasad Yadav, project officer of disaster management under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Hailakandi, said the programme aims to create awareness, educate, train and build capacity for disaster mitigation and better preparedness in terms of disaster risk management.

The cell has collected a list of voluntary blood donors along with names of people and their blood groups from the Hailakandi unit of Barak Valley Voluntary Blood Donors’ Forum.

K.K. Kalita, deputy commissioner of Hailakandi, heads all the disaster management programmes in the district. He informed that a district emergency operation centre would be constructed on the campus of his office.

Kalita added that the building will have a control room with all information related to disaster management. The building will also have an Automatic Weather Station to provide weather-related information on real time basis.

“Emphasis on creating awareness is mainly being given to urban areas where most of the RCC and unplanned buildings are located,” Kalita said.

The Hailakandi Municipal Office has organised a series of meetings and training programmes for its employees and leading citizens of the town. Manash Das, executive officer of the Hailakandi Municipal Office, said stress is being laid on public awareness both in Hailakandi and Lala town.

The fixed loudspeaker system of the information and public relations office is being used to inform the residents regarding precautions to be taken during a disaster.

Yadav said awareness is important as people die mostly during disasters due to panic. Teachers of various schools from primary to the higher secondary level and also colleges have been trained to educate students.

Yadav added that the Cell is engaging certain NGOs and their volunteers for dissemination of information along with distribution of relief and conducting rescue operations after a disaster.

Police, home guards, civil, defence, health, fire services and other related departments have been alerted. Volunteers of NGOs will work in tandem with these departments. Demonstrations are also being given in various public places.

Yadav said that the cell has formed various disaster management committees and teams at the district, block, gaon panchayat and village level. “Volunteers, who are engaged in forming committees in villages and chalking out disaster management plans, are trying to include women so that they can pitch in to minimise damage due to a disaster,” he said.