Overview: This presentation details a community outreach project focused on "Disaster Preparedness Education and Resources Provision". Conducted from April 25th to 27th, 2025, the initiative targeted both the rural communities of the Karad area and the student body at the Government College of Engineering, Karad. The primary goal was to empower these communities through actionable awareness and bridge the digital divide that often leaves rural populations without real-time disaster alerts. Need for the Project: India is highly prone to natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and cyclones. Despite the government providing tools like the SACHET app and dedicated emergency hotlines, public awareness remains low, particularly in rural regions. Objectives and Methodology: The project aimed to raise overall disaster awareness, promote the usage of the SACHET disaster alert mobile application, and distribute vital emergency hotline numbers. The methodology included: · Conducting initial surveys to gauge existing awareness levels. · Developing visually accessible content, including posters and leaflets in both Marathi and English to overcome language barriers. · Hosting awareness sessions featuring group discussions and app demonstrations. · Assisting participants with live, hands-on installations of the SACHET app on their smartphones. Key Results: The campaign successfully reached over 120 individuals, split evenly between rural residents and college students/staff. · Digital Adoption: Facilitated approximately 60 new installations of the SACHET app, with 90% of these users learning how to navigate the app's alerts. · Resource Distribution: Distributed over 50 bilingual emergency pamphlets. Consequently, 75% of participants could successfully recall at least two emergency hotline numbers. · Community Reception: Collected over 70 feedback forms, with more than 80% of participants rating the sessions as “very useful”. Conclusion: Despite challenges such as low initial awareness and limited smartphone access, the use of local languages and peer-led interactions proved highly effective. Ultimately, this project laid critical groundwork for building a culture of disaster preparedness and stronger community resilience. References 1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India. (n.d.). SACHET: Early Warning and Alert System. Retrieved from NDMA Official Website. 2. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. (2005). Disaster Management Act, 2005. New Delhi: The Gazette of India. 3. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). (n.d.). Standard Operating Procedures for Disaster Response. Government of India. 4. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Geneva: UNDRR.
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