Students to be trained to handle disasters

CHENNAI: Schools from Chennai will be among 100 institutions selected from across the country to educate youngsters on  ways to cope with disasters and understand their roles during times of crisis.G S Saini, director of the Nagpur-based National Civil Defence College, told City Express that the pilot project, which will be implemented in the next academic year, would have two schools from each major city, with Chennai being part of the project. As part of the 1.5 crore project planned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the schools would have National Civil Defence Corps, which will be different from the existing National Cadet Corps.National Civil Defence Corps (NCDC) would teach youngsters on how to be prepared to face disasters, Saini said and added, “We want the child to understand his responsibility in the event of an impending disaster.”The project will facilitate a trainer from each school to undergo training at the National Civil Defence College in Nagpur before imparting training to school students. The schools would be handpicked by the National Civil Defence College and the director informed that so far, they had not zeroed in on any school in the country.