Nancowrie, Jan. 19: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands falls under Zone V, which is an area most vulnerable to earthquakes. After the tsunami, in December 2004, the Government of India has taken into notice the destruction caused during that time. A nation wide campaign was thus started on disaster preparedness through trainings on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and subsequent Mock Drills.

One among such programmes was conducted in the Nancowrie Sub-division as a collaborative effort between the A&N Administration and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). TISS provided the necessary expertise on developing disaster preparedness among the government departments and the community. Following the training sessions, two Mock Drills were conducted in the villages of Kamorta and Pilpillow on the 14^th and 16^th of January 2012, respectively. The highlight of this programme was modifications of the module according to the unique needs of the region through the use of innovative techniques and local knowledge.

The innovations included: A different pattern of ringing the community bell was assigned to aware the community members about the impending disaster. Using loudspeaker of the local mosque to further the radius of disseminating the emergency warning to the people. Formation of a ‘Human Relay Chain’ by the Community Task Force to spread information in a time when there is no network coverage or in a place without network coverage and Utilisation of local resources like planks of bamboo and curtains to make stretchers in the time of need.   

The most positive outcome that emerged during the Mock Drills was when the First Captain of Pilpillow, Mr. Muneer Ahmed, claimed that this was just the beginning; and for the residents of Pilpillow to be truly prepared for any disaster they would have to re-create this experience many more times. The fact that the village residents have taken it upon themselves to increase their awareness and preparedness works as an incentive for the administration to strengthen their campaign. It is in this context that the A&N Administration along with TISS aims to organise a similar series of trainings and Mock Drills in Teressa, Chowra and Katchal over the next month.