question_answer 1)

As a District Magistrate of a district of Delhi, which is in seismic zone IV (high risk zone), what are the measures or activities you would have organized to generate awareness among the school children and the communities around your school?  

Answer:

The actual day-to-day function of administering relief is the responsibility of the District Magistrate/District Collector/Deputy Commissioner who exercises coordinating and supervising powers over all the departments at the district level. As the District Magistrate of a district of Delhi, I will arrange to conduct awareness sessions in the community and in the schools in the district on the following measures to be taken in case they feel the occurrence of an earthquake.   (i)Protect Yourself and Your Family Immediately get yourself under a table, desk, etc. To protect your head from any falling object when the earth shakes. (ii)When the earth stops shaking, Turn off gas and electric heaters to protect against any break out of fire (iii) Avoid Rushing Out of the House Carefully check the situation and try to act accordingly. (iv) Open a window for exit from the building, as during an earthquake the doors may be damaged and cannot be opened. To avoid such problems open the door quickly to secure a safe exit. (v) If outside when there is an earthquake, protect your head from falling objects like bricks, concrete, signboards etc. (vi) In case you are travelling when you feel an earthquake, stop driving and park the vehicle in a safe area. Driving on the road may create traffic blockage, causing problems for any rescue operation. (vii) Avoid being misled by false alarms and try to obtain the correct information.