New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday launched a Disaster Ready Schools Campaign, asserting that the initiative will make schools more capable and self-reliant in terms of safety and preparedness in the event of an emergency like a quake and fire.

Thanking decision-makers for launching the national initiative from Delhi, CM Gupta said, “Children in Delhi will not only learn about their own safety, but also emerge as brand ambassadors for vigilance, responsibility, and safety awareness in society.”

She launched the campaign at an event organised at Springdales School, Pusa Road, and said, “It is the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the country should be disaster-ready, cities should be disaster-ready, and schools should also be disaster-ready”.

Since school premises, at any given point of time, have up to 1,000 children, it is important to make all institutions ready for any disaster, and people should be aware of it, she said.

“Disaster Ready School is an important and big initiative, and Delhi will join it wholeheartedly, and the administration will join the initiative to prepare its children and create a city which well-equipped to deal with emergencies,” she said.

Our objective is to gradually extend it to all schools in the coming days, so that every child, every teacher, and every institution can be fully prepared to deal with disasters, she said.

“Under this campaign, each school will prepare its own disaster management plan, and mock drills will be conducted regularly so that children understand what immediate steps they should take by staying calm in any emergency,” said the Chief Minister.

“At the same time, the entire school team will be given such training that can help save many lives in any real crisis. The NDMA, DDMA, and the Education Department are together taking this entire initiative forward so that no school in Delhi and no child is left behind in this safety preparation,” she said.

In a video message, she said, “The Delhi government has launched the Disaster Ready Schools Campaign for the safety of Delhi’s children. The objective of this campaign is to make every school in Delhi more secure and capable in the event of a disaster.”

“Children are at the centre of this initiative. The safety of children, their understanding, and their confidence are the most important. In any difficult situation, it is the child who is prepared in advance who can make the right decision,” she said.

For this reason, special training related to disaster management, regular practice, and necessary learning will be provided in schools, so that every child can keep themselves and others safe in times of crisis. My appeal to all children: Be responsible, stay alert, and support each other in difficult times, she said.

–IANS

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