Mumbai: BMC's disaster management cell to teach rescue techniques in five-day training programme

Mumbai: The BMC's Disaster Management cell will organise a five-day free-of-cost training programme for school and college students, hospital staff and also for citizens. The training sessions will start from October 26 in BMC's Kalpataru building at Parel. For this, an app will be launched on which citizens can register themselves for the training.

The civic disaster management cell in BMC Head Quarters on Thursday had organised a programme on the occasion of 'World Disaster Risk Reduction Day' on October 13. The day is mainly observed to encourage the administration and the citizens to reduce the risk of disasters.

Director (Disaster Management) Mahesh Narvekar said, "We are working on mobile application which will soon be launched for citizens who can enrol themselves for the training. We are also approaching schools and colleges. They will be trained to assist and work during a disaster, as well as to provide first aid and CPR. An emergency kit and a certificate will be given to the trainees who complete the training.

During this year's monsoon, the BMC undertook a unique life-saving drive of training the residents living in the landslide prone areas of Bhandup, Ghatkopar, and Vikhroli.

The training team visited the vulnerable areas and taught disaster management lessons to almost 700 volunteers. The disaster management cell has been training people since 2006. A civic official said two lakh people were trained in a two-day programme and basic information was provided to them during the sessions.