‘A for alert’: Palghar schools adopt disaster awareness alphabet to teach safety early

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The familiar “A for Apple” has just been replaced with “A for Alert” in government schools across Palghar, thanks to an innovative and deeply personal campaign by a district official. Vivekanand Kadam, chief of the District Disaster Management Cell, is funding and leading a volunteer-driven initiative that introduces a Disaster Management Alphabet Chart under the Disaster Management Early Education Campaign in zilla parishad schools. The goal: to make safety and preparedness part of early learning. 

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The chart, once meant for his child, soon grew into a district-wide campaign after Operation Sindoor, a large-scale mock drill, revealed a worrying truth. 

“During the drill, I realised that most people didn’t even know what to do during a cyclone or tsunami, or how to respond to emergency sirens,” Kadam said. “That’s when I decided disaster education must start with children.”

Now, zilla parishad students are learning that A is for Alert, B for Bunker, C for Cyclone, F for Flood, L for Landslide, M for Mitigation, and S for Search and Rescue.

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“Children must learn about disasters from the beginning,” said Ranade. “Schools can teach them, and families can learn from them. The idea is to make people aware, not afraid. The objective is very good.”

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Teachers see the Disaster Management Alphabet as more than just an educational tool.

“It’s shaping children into responsible citizens from a young age. Campaigns like this are truly needed; it’s a timely and impactful initiative,” said one teacher. Kadam’s ultimate goal is to expand beyond Palghar. “I want this campaign to reach schools across India, and even globally, so that the next generation can face any crisis with awareness and preparedness,” he said.