Linking conventional administrative knowledge with practical field experience, the official said, can significantly improve decision-making and the effectiveness of rescue operations during emergencies.
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Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) in Manali. |
Manali: Landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, heavy snowfall and disruption of communication in remote areas are among the recurring challenges faced by the administration of Himachal Pradesh. Recognising the need for administrative officers to take quick decisions, coordinate rescue and relief operations and work effectively in difficult mountainous terrain, the state government has made search-and-rescue and disaster management training mandatory for newly selected administrative officers.
Selected candidates of the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service (HPAS) are being sent for specialised training at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) in Manali. Officials associated with the training programme said that during a natural disaster, the first call for assistance often reaches an administrative officer, who is then required to assess the situation, take decisions and issue necessary instructions. A thorough understanding of disasters and disaster-response mechanisms is therefore considered essential for officers posted in the hill state.
Speaking at a press conference organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) at ABVIMAS, the institute's senior instructor Narayan Dutt said that conventional administrative skills alone are not sufficient for officers working in a mountainous state like Himachal Pradesh. They also need practical exposure to mountain terrain, disaster response, rescue operations and leadership in adverse conditions. It is for this reason that newly selected HPAS officers are being sent to ABVIMAS for specialised training.
According to officials, administrative officers had earlier come to the institute on their own initiative to acquire hands-on experience in disaster management. The training has now been made compulsory for newly appointed officers, reflecting the state's emphasis on strengthening preparedness at the field level.
Established on September 16, 1961, under the Youth Services and Sports Department of the Himachal Pradesh government, the institute was initially known as the Western Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. It was later renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has since emerged as one of India's important adventure training institutions. The institute provides training in mountaineering, skiing, trekking, water sports, aero sports, mountain biking and disaster management, among other disciplines. Since its inception, more than two lakh trainees have received training in various adventure-related activities at the institute.
ABVIMAS also has regional training centres at several locations across Himachal Pradesh, including Dharamshala, Pong Dam, Narkanda, Hatkoti, Jispa, Bharmour, Bilaspur, Solang Valley, Pirdi and Bir Billing. These centres conduct training and adventure activities in disciplines such as mountaineering, skiing, river rafting, paragliding, trekking and adventure guiding. A significant number of young men and women from West Bengal are also currently among those undergoing training at the institute.
A senior state government official said the importance of specialised training for Himachal's administrative officers lies in the fact that they often have to deal with disasters in remote and inaccessible areas, sometimes amid severe weather conditions and limited communication facilities. Linking conventional administrative knowledge with practical field experience, the official said, can significantly improve decision-making and the effectiveness of rescue operations during emergencies.
The official also emphasised that coordination between district and sub-divisional administrations, the police, disaster-response forces, health authorities, local rescue teams and other agencies is a crucial responsibility of administrative officers during disasters. The mandatory training is expected to equip newly appointed officers with a better understanding of the challenges of mountain disasters and strengthen their ability to lead coordinated emergency-response efforts when natural calamities strike.
Input : PIB
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