Ranchi, July 18: A 25-member team of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) today held mock drills and awareness sessions to impart safety lessons to the children of Aanchal Shishu Ashram in the capital.

The three-hour programme was organised by the state disaster management to apprise the children of measures that need to be followed during natural calamities like earthquakes, lightning and human-induced hazards like fires, mishaps etc.

NDRF team commander Prashant Negi said training, demonstration and rescue drills were carried out to prepare children for unforeseen crisisThe objective was to sensitise these youngsters, who stay in an orphanage, for such types of problems, he added.. Besides, one should take shelter in pucca house or open spaces and stay away from water bodies to avoid lightning<>," he said.

The team performed safety drills - drop, cover and hold - to show them how to save life during tremors.

"For snakebites, we told them to make a small cut where the snake has bitten and let the blood flow. Also, the portion should be tied with a small piece of cloth or rope in order to stop the venom from spreading," he said.

These apart, the NDRF team also gave tips on how to use easily available items to handle a problem. "If any one suffers a fracture, you can use a ladder or blankets to make stretcher and carry the patient to a hospital," he added.

Aanchal Shishu Ashram in-charge Mahesh Wadhwani said: "I appreciate the step taken by the state disaster management."

Wadhwani said that they had requested the department to organise such programmes quite often to make precautions a habit among as children.