Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 14 (ANI): In view of heavy losses caused by flash floods and cloudbursts in July, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on Wednesday organised a comprehensive disaster awareness and training programme in Rajouri to bolster disaster preparedness and emergency response among local youth and residents, officials said.
The programme was organised for students of the Government Post Graduate College and local residents. During the event, SDRF personnel and officials delivered informative lectures and conducted live practical demonstrations, educating participants on essential life-saving techniques, including flood management and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Highlighting the importance of the exercise, SDRF 2nd Battalion, Selection Grade Amit Choudhary stated, "Regarding today's disaster awareness camp attended by college students, we educated them on life-saving measures during a disaster—specifically, how to manage themselves and save others' lives within the critical, limited timeframe available during such events.”
He also mentioned a new civic outreach programme aimed at building a community-level emergency workforce.
"Our department has launched a 'CD Warrior' initiative to enroll individuals; this will lead to future training sessions for our volunteers. We recall how our Civil Defence volunteers provided immense assistance and worked alongside us during Operation Sindoor. Similarly, under this CD Warrior initiative, we will train enrollees on how to handle war-like situations or disasters," Choudhary told ANI.
The participating students expressed gratitude for the practical exposure and emphasised the need to expand such modules across other educational institutions.
Aqib Tariq, District President of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), said, "We participated in a program organised by the SDRF where we—along with students from our college—received training. We were taught how to handle situations arising during floods and how to perform CPR. We received hands-on training here. We are very grateful to the SDRF for this, and we hope that they will soon conduct similar live training sessions at our college and university as well."
The devastating flash flood that struck Rajouri district on July 19, causing widespread destruction and claiming four lives, was triggered by a powerful cloudburst whose reported epicentre was in the Rajdhani Panchayat of Thanamandi subdivision.
The cloudburst flash flood occurred at multiple locations in the hilly Rajdhani area, triggering intense flash floods and landslides. According to local residents, the cloudburst was reported at around 14 different locations, unleashing a sudden and massive flow of water through local nallahs and causing extensive destruction.
The impact was felt across several parts of Rajouri district. The main bus stand was completely washed away, while numerous vehicles were swept away by the powerful floodwaters. Several residential houses were also washed away or severely damaged.
The disaster claimed four lives, making the July 19 cloudburst and flash flood one of the most devastating weather-related incidents witnessed in the district in recent times. (ANI)
J-K: SDRF organizes disaster awareness programme in Rajouri; introduces 'CD Warrior' initiative
