Port Blair, Mar 19: To enhance the capacity building at community level towards disaster preparedness and to constitute Community level Disaster Response Volunteer Force in every Gram Panchayat, continuous meetings have been conducted at Gram Panchayat Bambooflat, Wimberlygunj & Chouldhari on 17/03/2018 & 19/03/2018 involving PRI members viz. Pradhans, Up-Pradhans and G.P. Members as well as P.S. Members concerned Gram panchyats. A similar meeting of all Gram Panchayats of Diglipur Tehsil was earlier held by Director, Disaster Management on 05.03.2018.
Mr. Udipt Prakash Rai, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman also attended one of the meetings at Bambooflat and highlighted the importance of community participation in disaster management. He added that the Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) programme provides opportunities for the local community to evaluate their own situation based on their own experiences and build their capacity towards disaster resilience. The concept of Community Disaster Response Volunteer Force (CDRVF) shall definitely generate effective result to respond to any crisis/disaster at grassroot level and to minimize the losses of human lives and properties.
Mr. Govind Ram, Director, Disaster Management elaborately explained the need of community participation in Disaster Management. He urged all the Pradhans and PRI members to work together for proper planning, approach and response towards disaster preparedness, capacity building and disaster mitigation, so that the community of these Islands become self-sufficient and disaster resilient as first responders. There was overwhelming response of the Pradhans & PRI Members of all the Gram Panchayats to the concept and scheme of CDRVF.
Community Disaster Response Volunteer Force (CDRVF) in every Gram Panchayat and Tribal Council of A&N Islands is targeted to be constituted and in place by May this year.
