MULLAPERIYAR-7,000 STUDENTS IN IDUKKI TO GET PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP

MULLAPERIYAR-

7,000 STUDENTS IN IDUKKI TO GET PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP

Nearly 7,000 schoolchildren in various panchayat areas in Idukki will be provided psycho-social support to overcome stress and fear triggered by recurring earthquakes and anxiety arising out a fear of failure of the Mullaperiyar dam.The programme, drawn up by disaster management experts, will cover nearly 50 schools at Kanchiyar, Ayyappankoil, Kumily, Elappara, Upputhara, and Vandiperiyar. A meeting of the head teachers of these schools will be held next week, followed by an induction programme for 35 counsellors who will support the students. The authorities, who are planning to get the support of medical practitioners, including child psychiatrists, for the programme, say children living in and around the dam and downstream are experiencing behavioural problems. The increased stress level results in sleep disorders, anxiety, and phobia. While in some cases, the students are reluctant to attend school, in others, parents have stopped sending their children to schools fearing dam failure. Education Department officials have said that attendance in schools dropped by 50 per cent following the increase in the water level in the dam.

Those who have developed signs of behavioural disorders should be provided trauma counselling and centres to offer it will be opened at each grama panchayat in the region. The service of a trained counsellor or psychiatrist will be made available to the students for at least six months. Referral services will be extended on a case-by-case basis, officials say.The students require a comprehensive package of interventions, including psychological support. The schools should be equipped to prepare an evacuation plan and conduct mock drills and awareness programme on various hazards and training sessions in first aid and life-saving skills. The support programme for students and educational institutions will be implemented by the District Disaster Management Authority, in association with the Education and the Social Welfare departments. The State Disaster Management Authority will supervise the programmes, 

                                                            Prof. John Kurakar