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A for Alert, B for Bunker: How Maharashtra’s school kids are learning disaster ABCs
Developing
In Short: Palghar District Disaster Management Officer Vivekanand Kadam developed colorful classroom charts to teach disaster preparedness to children in Maharashtra's government schools.
The charts, which begin with A for Alert, B for Bunker, and C for Cyclone, introduce terms such as evacuation, mitigation, search and rescue, and tsunami early warning systems.
Kadam, who studied disaster management as part of his policy and management education, consulted a United Nations climate dictionary to select the terms.
The charts have been distributed in 50 Zilla Parishad primary schools in Parbhani district, according to Parbhani District Disaster Management Officer Pawan Khandke.
The alphabet charts expand beyond traditional ABCs, with E for Environmental Degradation linking damage to forests, soil, and water to higher disaster risk.
The charts also introduce emergency responders and systems, including N for National Disaster Response Force, O for Operation Centre, P for Public Address System, Q for Quick Response Team, and V for Very High Frequency radio band.
Kadam first created the alphabet for his toddler, Vedansh, and later expanded it into a school learning tool.
The initiative aims to familiarize children with disaster preparedness through simple words, repetition, and visual learning.
What's still developing
- The idea took shape in 2024, when Kadam began thinking about the impact of climate change and disasters over the next two to three decades.
- For children in several government schools in Maharashtra, the alphabet no longer stops at Apple, Ball and Cat.
Sources
- The Indian Expresslink