Download the Complete Report

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has taken up several initiatives to generate awareness among the people about proper preparedness measures that can be adopted to minimize the losses after an earthquake.

One such significant step is the Great Assam School Shake-Out Programme which was launched in 2010 to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Assam Earthquake of 1950. This initiative was launched to generate mass awareness among school students. 200 schools were covered under 10 districts of Assam in the 2010 programme and this involved a training programme and a mock drill in all these schools.

Continuing the initiative next year in 2011, the programme was extended to all the 27 districts of the state for ensuring better participation of the schools. The entire programme received an overwhelming response from the students, teachers and the general public from all the districts of Assam. A total of 810 schools were covered and approximately 3 lakh students were reached out through the initiative.

Keeping a continuum to the initiative in the year 2012, it was proposed to conduct the programme throughout the state.The programme in 2012 covered 50 schools in 23 districts viz.  Kamrup Metro,  Kamrup, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Sonitpur,Dhemaji, Lakhimpur,  Tinsukia,Dibrugarh,  Jorhat, Golaghat, KarbiAnglong,Karimganj, Cachar,Morigaon, Darrang, Baksa, Udalguri,  Sivasagar, Nagaon, Kokrajhar covering a total of 1150 schools.

The programme was carried out involving a 3-fold tasks, viz.

1.  Marking of Evacuation Route in the Schools and Sensitization of Teachers/ Students on School Safety
2.  Checking of Fire Safety measures
3.  Drill on the Final Day: On hearing a bell at the specified date and time, the students will do a Drop Cover Hold exercise below their study tables in their respective class rooms and after two minutes, use the designated route to evacuate to their designated open space. This exercise is expected to initiate the process of preparedness in all these schools located in regions of severe earthquake risk.