BMC to hire 1000 trained volunteers for rescue operations for upcoming monsoon season

Around 1,000 community volunteers trained in disaster prevention, mitigation and management will be roped in for rescue operations during this monsoon. The BMC has also decided to use this trained manpower to create awareness and impart disaster management lessons in vulnerable areas.

The Aapda Mitra/Sakhi training programme is a national-level programme being run in 350 disaster-prone districts in India. The first batch of this training programme started on January 9 in Mumbai. The BMC, along with officials of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), trained 1,000 citizens from January 9 to March 31. The 12-day training session aims at community-based risk reduction and saving lives in the golden hour of an accident or disaster.

They will be divided into teams on ward levels, which will be helpful for communication during the monsoon to alert citizens. These volunteers are trained in basic search and rescue, community-based first aid, CPR, controlling bleeding, basic fire safety, lifting and moving patients, rope rescue techniques, and improvised techniques. So they can impart first responder training to people in landslide-prone areas and create awareness through street play," said civic sources.

IMD predicted a normal rainfall this year. Around 83.5cm of rainfall is expected for the monsoon months.During June-September, there is a 67 per cent probability for normal to above normal rainfall, said IMD DGM M Mohapatra. He further said, El Nino conditions are likely to develop during monsoon season. El Nino impact may be felt during the second half of the monsoon.  About 40 per cent of El Nino years in the past were years with normal or above normal monsoon rainfall, he added.