Disaster Preparedness Drills in Flood-Prone Howrah Villages
BITAN completed mock drills in 18 villages across Howrah district ahead of the monsoon season, training over 900 community volunteers in first aid, early warning, and safe evacuation.
With West Bengal's Howrah district historically among the state's most flood-vulnerable, BITAN concluded a month-long disaster preparedness drive in December 2025 covering 18 villages across four blocks: Amta I, Amta II, Udaynarayanpur, and Jagatballavpur. The initiative trained 912 community volunteers in flood early warning recognition, first aid, safe evacuation procedures, and post-disaster disease prevention.
The centrepiece of the programme was a series of full-scale mock drills conducted in coordination with the Block Disaster Management Authorities (BDMAs) and local fire brigade units. Simulating a pre-monsoon flood event, the drills tested the community's ability to activate warning chains, assist vulnerable households (elderly, persons with disabilities, pregnant women) to elevated shelters, and establish temporary medical aid posts — all within a 90-minute window.
BITAN's disaster management team, which has operated in Howrah since Cyclone Amphan in 2020, used Community Hazard Mapping as the foundation for the drill design. Village-level maps — drawn with community participation and validated against district flood data — identified the highest-risk areas, evacuation bottlenecks, and households requiring assisted evacuation. The maps are now displayed in each village's Gram Panchayat office for emergency reference.
"When Amphan came, we were completely unprepared. We lost livestock, furniture, our savings. This time, we want to be ready," said one community volunteer who has participated in BITAN's disaster programmes since 2021. The volunteers will serve as first responders during the next monsoon season, with a direct communication link to BITAN's emergency desk and the district administration.
The programme is funded by a European institutional donor and aligns with India's National Disaster Management Framework. BITAN is currently developing a Village Disaster Management Plan template — drawing on the Howrah experience — that can be adapted and replicated across its other district operations.