Rekha Gupta launches campaign to prepare schools for emergencies

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday said it is crucial for the country and its cities to be “disaster ready”, stressing that schools must be fully equipped to safeguard thousands of children present on campus at any given time.

Speaking after launching the ‘Disaster Ready School Safety Campaign’ across six educational districts of Delhi from a private school at Pusa Road, Gupta said the initiative would strengthen preparedness and response systems in educational institutions.

The campaign was jointly inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and the Chief Minister at an event at Springdales School, Pusa Road.

The campaign is being implemented in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and the Education Department.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the first phase will cover more than 2,000 schools, including government, aided and recognised private institutions, where a structured two-day training and mock drill module has begun. Students presented an earthquake safety demonstration using the drop-cover-hold technique. Saxena said Delhi’s location in Seismic Zone-IV makes earthquake preparedness particularly important, while other risks such as fire, heatwaves and waterlogging pose additional challenges.

The LG said the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Zero Casualty” vision and his 10-Point Agenda on disaster risk reduction, emphasising community resilience and early-warning systems.

Safety audits across all 5,500 schools will be conducted to ensure compliance, he added. Calling children the “brand ambassadors” of the initiative, CM Gupta said like the Swachhata campaign, students would help instil disaster awareness in households. She stressed the need to make safety drills and preparedness a regular practice. Education Minister Ashish Sood said the Government aims to create not only smart schools but safe schools.

Lakhs of students, teachers, civil defence volunteers, DDMA teams and disaster response units are participating across six districts, he added. Under the campaign, every school will prepare an integrated disaster management plan, conduct regular drills and receive specialised training, with the programme set to expand to the remaining 3,500 schools in the next phase.