Command & Control, Policy & Planning

Indian city prepares to fight disaster

By Alice Kok | 20 May 2009

The governing body of the Indian city of Thane in the state of Maharashtra, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), has formed a Disaster Management Cell for the city.

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TMC will involve all the nine ward offices in their disaster management cells and almost 108 staff from these nine ward offices will be deployed.

The city is planning to train staffers under the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to fight with any disaster.

Currently, the Disaster Management Cell is working to combat the approaching monsoon with 17 projects, which include cleaning of roads, water chambers, bus stops, and railway station areas.

“We are planning to have train our staff in disaster management ahead of the monsoon. Last year around 22 civic officers participated in training and there was tremendous activity during the crisis situation. So this year we plan to organise similar training for some of our officers,” said Venkatesh Bhat, Deputy Commissioner at TMC.

Pleased with the turn out, Bhat said: “This year, we asked our all ward offices to participate in the disaster management cell by contributing some of their staff members. And we received a good response for this. Surprisingly 10-15 officials from each ward were ready to work for the disaster management cell.”