Batala, 4 November:- A seminar on disaster management was organised at PM SHRI Government Senior Secondary School, Harpura Dhandhoi, under the guidance of Principal Prabhjot Singh. Harbaksh Singh from Civil Defence, Vocational Trainer Iqbal Singh, staff members and 117 students enrolled under the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) participated in the seminar.
On this occasion, participants were made aware of natural and man-made disasters. It was explained that natural disasters are as old as human history. Due to environmental changes, their frequency is increasing day by day, and the resulting loss of life and property has become a matter of national and international concern. Although disasters cannot be prevented, their impact and damage can certainly be reduced.
Disasters are broadly classified into two categories: natural disasters and man-made disasters. Natural disasters include earthquakes, forest fires, floods, tsunamis, cyclones, droughts, heat and cold waves, storms, volcanic eruptions, landslides, lightning strikes and fires, flash floods and hailstorms, among others.
Man-made disasters include wars, road, rail and air accidents, fires, bomb blasts, terrorism, epidemics, environmental pollution, the collapse of multi-storey buildings, gas leaks, biological attacks, industrial pollution and noise pollution, among others.
During the seminar, students' questions about dealing with disasters were answered, and they were also taught essential safety skills. They were further sensitised about health and well-being, rights and duties, drug abuse, fire extinguishers and emergency helpline number 112.
