Pink Alert, the first ever women only disaster response team was launched in Kozhikode on Monday. The 150-member team of volunteers has come up under the Kozhikode Corporation Kudumbashree CDS.
Pink Alert is an afterthought of “Mazhayardram”, the flood relief programme of the CDS and part of its Disaster Management and Relief Cell.
“Women and children are the most affected and most helpless during any disaster. We have seen it during the recent floods in the State”, said Kudumbasree Project Officer of the corporation, M.V. Ramsy Ismail. Pink Alert is an effort ensure better presence of women in disaster management and distress relief besides rehabilitation. The team will follow the guidelines of the National Disaster Rescue Force.
The team consists of women from various neighbourhood groups of the age group of 25 to 45 selected on the basis of their health and willingness to volunteer for service. The volunteers are trained by Trauma Care Kozhikode and Baby Memorial Hospital. A two-day residential camp for the volunteers will be held at Mavoor soon under the aegis of Trauma Care to prepare them for the job ahead.
Launching the team, Mayor Thottathil Raveendran said that Pink Alert was proof that there was no job that women could not take up. Welfare Standing Committee Chairperson of the corporation Anitha Rajan, Health Standing Committee Chairman K.V. Baburaj and Kudumbashree assistant mission coordinator T. Gireesh Kumar were present.
Though their services will be available only in Kozhikode Corporation at present, it will be extended to other parts of the district and beyond later. As the first step, the members of Pink Alert are part of the 5,000-member action group formed as part of Gandhi Jayanthi week observance.