PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has begun a large-scale training initiative to prepare 4,310 volunteers across Uttarakhand as first responders in disaster situations. The Yuva Aapda Mitra Training Programme launched at the SDRF headquarters in Jolly Grant, Dehradun, aims to build local capacity for disaster response and management.
Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi inaugurated the first batch of the training on Monday. The programme is being conducted under the joint supervision of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). Yaduvanshi said that volunteers from 11 districts are participating in the training. The group includes 850 members from the National Cadet Corps (NCC), 1,700 from the National Service Scheme (NSS), 850 from Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK) and 910 from Bharat Scouts and Guides.
He said that out of 1,220 volunteers, 576 from NYK and 644 from NSS, will receive training in 17 batches between October 2025 and March 2026 at the SDRF headquarters in Jolly Grant. The first batch includes 35 volunteers undergoing a seven-day programme from October 13 to 19. They are learning first aid, general disaster management, search techniques and rope rescue through both theoretical and practical sessions. During the opening session, officers stated that Uttarakhand’s terrain makes it prone to earthquakes, landslides, cloudbursts and forest fires.
Training young volunteers in every village and locality will help reduce the impact of such incidents. The initiative also seeks to strengthen their sense of service, responsibility and leadership. Yaduvanshi also said that the SDRF’s effort will increase disaster preparedness among youth and enhance their ability to respond effectively during emergencies. He added that trained Yuva Aapda Mitras will play an important role in local level relief and rescue operations.
