IF there is a flood in the rural parts of Pune district this year, a well-oiled machinery will begin moving to rescue people and ensure they get food and water in time.
In a grass root-level action, some 49,000 trained members of the Village Disaster Management Committees (VDMCs) and Village Disaster Management Teams (VDMTs) will help victims.
For the first time, collectorate officials have gone to the villages to ensure there is no slip-up in the disaster management plan that is part of the Government of India-United Nation Development Programme Disaster Risk Management Programme. Pune district was selected as the pilot project.
The district administration has prepared a three-level plan at the district, taluka and village levels. ‘‘For the last six months a massive drive was undertaken to train people,’’ says district collector Prabhakar Deshmukh.
Officers at the district level were trained before the VDMC and VDMT were formed. The participants were given basic knowledge about first aid, search and rescue, role and responsibilities of the disaster management team and committee and preparation and implementation of the plan at all three levels.
Once trained, they conducted an awareness drive in the 1,804 villages in Pune district. Posters, wall paintings, rallies, mass meetings and essays, debates and painting competitions were organised at schools and colleges.
‘‘Before training the people, we needed to sensitise them. This was done by showing them actual footage of places where there was a flood or other disasters,’’ said resident deputy district collector Suhas Divse.
At this point, committees were formed and men and women enrolled for the training programme. Chairmen and presidents of other village-level committees also became part of VDMC and the All-India Institute of Local Self-Government helped train them.
Teams of three-four participants look after each department in which they are trained. ‘‘This is for better co-ordination so that when disaster strikes each team knows what to do,’’ said Deshmukh.
The VDMCs were encouraged to prepare a local disaster management plan and a mock drill was carried out before the monsoon to find out how the plan would work.
Round-the-clock control rooms at the district and taluka levels ensured that the authorities could be contacted.
Project officer, disaster management cell Ganesh Sonune says, ‘‘We receive the details of rainfall and the water levels from all the talukas by 8 am every day. If there is anything significant, we alert the control rooms.’’
Similarly, the area-wise contact rooms at the village level are also cautioned about the situation. ‘‘After receiving the alerts, the VDMCs and VDMTs get into action,’’ Sonune said.