In a first, 179 high-risk villages in Pune get disaster kits and direct training for volunteers to manage emergencies

Time of India

27-05-2025

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Pune: The district administration has received double the usual annual allocation for disaster management and equipped 179 high-risk gram panchayats with rescue kits and training for monsoon emergencies.
The Rs1 crore initiative indicates a major shift towards village-level disaster preparedness.
The enhanced funding, originally sanctioned for mock drills after the Pahalgam attack, was repurposed following a May review meeting to strengthen on-ground disaster readiness.
District collector Jitendra Dudi said the amount has been diverted for purchasing disaster management equipment and training, particularly for flood and landslide response.
"We have identified safe areas for relocating villagers from landslide-prone zones during heavy rain," Dudi told TOI. He said training has already been imparted to villagers and kits procured for these villages.
Targeted villages include 84 flood-prone hamlets, 72 landslide-prone ones, and 23 classified as critically high-risk locations. Each gram panchayat has selected and trained at least eight volunteers in first aid, flood rescue, emergency coordination, and equipment handling.
For the first time, the disaster response kits — previously distributed only to taluka officials and fire brigade teams — are being handed directly to panchayats.
Each comprehensive kit includes a first-aid box, life jackets, a 6ft foldable floating stretcher, helmet, gumboots, gloves, safety net, and 30m of rappelling rope.
District disaster management official V Banavate said that the plan was discussed and executed early in May ahead of the monsoon.
"This marks a fundamental shift in monsoon response strategy, with village bodies now playing an active role in early disaster intervention," said Banavate, adding, "Safe locations have been identified in each village, and leak-proof luggage along with floating stretcher kits have been distributed.
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The move is a conscious effort towards decentralizing disaster response. With extreme weather events becoming more frequent, the strategy ensures immediate life-saving interventions can begin at the village level, even before taluka or district teams arrive.
Distribution is being coordinated through block development officers (BDOs), with a talathi gram sevak appointed to monitor operations in each area. Additionally, 500 disaster response teams have been trained across the district.
To support field-level efforts, the district has operationalized a 24x7 disaster war room and helpline to coordinate alerts, evacuations, and rapid response. The control room will serve as the nerve centre throughout the monsoon season, connecting trained village teams with government support in real-time.
Until now, village-level preparedness was largely limited to issuing advisories. "This is the first time villagers are not just waiting for help—they are trained and ready to respond," a senior disaster management official said.
The district typically receives Rs50 lakh annually for monsoon preparedness. Pune was among six districts, including coastal areas, to receive the enhanced Rs1 crore allocation, while other districts received Rs50 lakh.
The doubled funding enabled investment not only in equipment but in human resource development.
In many high-risk villages, there's already growing confidence about the new preparedness level. A trained volunteer from Bhor said the pre-monsoon training has proved invaluable in building community readiness for the challenging season ahead. "We have received training but there is a need for the administration to shift out landslide prone villages," shared a volunteer.