Experts agree that massive earthquakes will inevitably occur in The National Capital Region of India, which includes Delhi and the booming financial and industrial hub of Gurgaon. The region is ill prepared. We partnered with Bechtel India to reduce earthquake risk in schools.

 

This effort began in 2008 with a pilot project in Gurgaon at Gyan Devi Public School. Building on its success, we expanded the program to other schools in the state of Haryana.

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Our staff, with Bechtel employee volunteers, trained school administrators, teachers, students, and parents to make changes now that will protect people during a future disaster.

 

They identified furniture, equipment, partitions and windows that could injure children during an earthquake. They figured out solutions to make the school safer, using a handbook that we developed as a reference (see link at left). They also learned how to safely evacuate the school, and how to prepare at home for earthquakes and other hazards.

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Bechtel employee volunteers provided generous support.

Training materials were developed with funding from USAID, Bechtel Foundation, and Klehn Family Foundation.