Initiatives

Advanced Disaster Response Equipment

Considering the changing nature and intensity of disasters, effective and advanced response materials/equipment/machines are crucial in disaster response for saving lives, minimizing damage, and ensuring swift and efficient relief efforts by providing essential tools for rescue, evacuation, medical care, and communication. Understanding the importance of such response materials/equipment/machines, the Department of Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation has mobilized and prepositioned several advanced disaster response materials/equipment/machines with key disaster response forces- Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, DDMA and key stakeholders such as fire and public health departments. This will help to strengthen the response capacities of the agencies and key stakeholders in disaster management. Some of the key initiatives in this aspect are as follows-

1. Support for Constructing Training Facility-“Water Pool” on Kolar River, Nagpur District (NDRF)
2. “Disaster Response Kits” for disaster-prone villages in the state (Rural Development Department)
3. Search and Rescue Materials/Equipment/Machines for Indian Army
4. Life Detection System, Victim Location Camera and other Materials/Equipment/Machines (NDRF)
5. Search and Rescue Materials/Equipment/Machines (SDRF)
6. Search and Rescue Materials/Equipment/Machine (DDMAs)
7. Mini Fire Rescue Tender, Water Mist Motor Bikes, Fire Rescue Suits and other Materials/Equipment/Machines (Urban Local Bodies)
8. Temporary Relief Shelters (Public Health Department)

Aapda Mitra

The NDMA is implementing a Central Sector Scheme, namely ‘Aapda Mitra’, focusing on training community volunteers for disaster response in vulnerable districts of India. The scheme aims to provide the community volunteers with the skills that they would need to respond to their community’s immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster, thereby enabling them to undertake basic relief and rescue tasks during emergency situations such as floods, flash floods, urban flooding, and others.

In Maharashtra, 20 districts were initially taken up under the scheme in which community volunteers were trained as first responders to disasters. All the volunteers have been provided with an Emergency Responder Kit (ERK) to facilitate effective response.

The State Government has expanded the coverage of the Aapda Mitra scheme to the remaining 16 districts in the State.

The objectives of the scheme :-

1. Development and Standardization of training modules at National Level;
2. Development of Information Knowledge Management System at National level linked to States/UTs;
3. Training institutions to be empanelled by respective States/UTs at the State/UT level;

4. To train 6000 community volunteers in life saving skills of disaster response (flood relief and rescue), coordination, assistance, and provide personal protective equipment and emergency responder kits;

5. To create a Community Emergency Stockpile/Reserve at the district/block level containing essential light search and rescue equipment, medical first aid kits, etc;

6. To disseminate training and education tools developed under the project to more number of flood prone districts in subsequent phases of the scheme.

Aapda Mitra Master List title

Felicitation of Aapda Mitra and Aapda Sakhi in Nagpur District

Aapda Mitra 2024 program was organized in the Nagpur District by the District Disaster Management Authority, Nagpur district on 21st February 2024 at Deshpande Sabhagruh, Nagpur to felicitate 60 Aapda Mitra who have done the excellent work in the field of Disaster Management public awareness and who have helped district administration in search & rescue operations and evacuation in the year 2023-24. Medals and certificates were given to excellent Aapda Mitra and Aapda Sakhi to motivate and encourage them to do better in future as well.

Aapda Mitra Training Gadchiroli

Aapda Mitra Training Sindhudurg

Aapda Mitra Training Nashik

Aapda Mitra Training Ratnagiri