STH ACTIVITIES (16Jul2013): Educating the Trainers - Awareness camp and field visit with members of 10/12 battalion WB SDRF (State Disaster Response Force)

16Sep2013
STH held an awareness camp for 14 members (including two officers) from 10/12 battalion Armed Police who have recently been the assigned the role of the West Bengal SDRF (State Disaster Response Force). As is known during non-disaster periods eg the dry winter months, a primary role of both the national and state disaster response forces is training of communities/ NGOs.
The subjects covered in the presentation were the structure of the DM organization in India, cause and effect of landslides, their prevention and mitigation and landslides zones in the vicinity of Kalimpong town.
This was followed by a field visit to the landslide prone areas at  Dhobi Dhara and Chibbo - Pashyor .
STH has worked with the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) in the past in raising awareness about disasters and community capacity building (Seen here and here) and hopes to do the same with the SDRF too. 
Special thanks goes to Anand from Compassion International and the SDRF group that came all the way from Siliguri to attend the session.

Rohan Rao,
Kalimpong,
Dist- Darjeeling,
rohan.rao1313@gmail.com