Kannur panchayat launches volunteer disaster response

Chengalayi grama panchayat in Kannur has launched ‘Sajjam’, a voluntary disaster response force, drawing lessons from the 2018 and 2019 floods and devastating landslides in Wayanad.

The aim of the initiative is to ensure rapid rescue operations, reduce casualties and strengthen community preparedness. The panchayat has also launched a comprehensive safety literacy campaign aimed at becoming the first ‘fully safe panchayat’ in Kerala by 31 December 2026.

The floods of 2018 and 2019 forced the evacuation of nearly 1,500 families in the Panchayat. The program seeks to equip more than 90% of the population with life-saving skills, disaster response knowledge and accident prevention awareness through a gradual community-wide campaign.

The panchayat has created a 100-member volunteer disaster response force comprising five volunteers from each of its 20 wards. The volunteers, who were recruited through a public campaign on social media, have received specialized training from the Fire and Rescue Service and are operating in three groups – Chengalayi, Chuzhali and Valakkai – to ensure quick response.

“We don’t want people to remain helpless spectators during emergencies. The idea was to create a trained volunteer force capable of immediate response. This led to the launch of Sajjam,” said panchayat president BP Vipin.

Panchayat Vice President KK Ravi said the initiative goes beyond flood preparedness. “Every resident should know how to respond to emergencies where immediate intervention can save lives,” he added. The panchayat has already prepared a master disaster management plan after the severe floods that hit the region.

In the first phase of the campaign, more than 3,000 students will be trained in 14 schools. Each school appointed a teacher as a coordinator and student leader to help implement the program. Representatives of the Fire and Rescue Service will also perform demonstrations in classrooms. The program will then be extended to autorickshaw drivers with each training group covering about 50 households to ensure that at least one member of each family acquires basic emergency response skills.

The panchayat also conducts household surveys through its 268 neighborhood groups to identify knowledge gaps before holding classes at the field level. It has allocated ₹3,000 for the initiative, including ₹1,000 for a volunteer force and ₹2,000 for security literacy activities and training facilities. Volunteers also identify hazard-prone areas to help prevent disasters before they happen. Officials said the initiative could become a model for all local bodies in Kerala by integrating disaster preparedness with community-wide safety education.

Published – Jul 10, 2026 0:47 AM IST