“Be prepared for disasters” urges Caritas India’s new Vehicle Campaign

Caritas India has launched its new vehicle campaign in Kerala to prepare communities across 310 Panchayat Wards to face the possible damages that may happen due to monsoon. As part of the campaign information on preventive aspects of COVID-19 is also disseminated.

A pre-recorded standardized audio is played on spreading awareness on landslides, cyclones and floods that may happen due to monsoon and Covid-19 precautions. The vehicle will pass across the 310 wards sharing monsoon preparedness & Covid-19 brochures/leaflets among community people. Face masks will also be distributed during the campaign among the people who are not using the mask in public with the awareness of using a mask for the prevention of Covid-19.

The vehicle campaign officially flagged off by Panchayat Officials in the presence of Department of Police, DSSS Director, DRR Coordinators. The members of VDMC & Task Forces of Disaster Clinics are in the frontline to organize these campaigns which is a collaborative effort with Panchayat members & Police Department. Kerala partners are on wheels for this campaign on awareness building even in the COVID-19 situations.

Kerala Floods 2018 has created an emerging and pressing need for Disaster Preparedness in Kerala. The tragedy of 2018 was sudden, and people were not expecting or prepared for the impacts of the disaster. Though the State received massive support for rebuilding, the need was to create an army of self-sufficient, well-prepared communities who can fight and face future disasters. To bridge this gap, Caritas India along with 31 partners in Kerala began an ambitious project, Disaster Clinics in 310 at-risk Panchayat wards of Kerala to face disasters.

Kerala receives the first hit of southwest monsoon and experiences heavy rains between June and August. Taking a clue from the last year’s experiences, Kerala is expected to have heavy rains during these months. Anticipating the unfortunate events like floods, flash flood, landslides, severe/extremely severe winds and coastal erosion due to heavy rainfall in Kerala,

Disaster Clinics act as a resource centre where people can have access to remedies, solutions for any emergencies/disasters may happen in the communities. This is a supporting system for the community to transform them a resilient who are aware and prepared to face and fight future disasters.