Community radio Mandakini Ki Awaaz goes on air in Uttarakhand
The station's primary focus will be on making the people aware about handling different types of disasters, besides making the community radio an effective tool for addressing public grievances by connecting them with the concerned departments.
With an aim to educate people about natural disasters and how to deal with them, a community radio station-Mandakini Ki Awaaz - began its operations on Sunday from Sena Gadsari village, about 55 km from Rudraprayag.
It is the first community radio station in Rudraprayag. About 200 villages will be in the station's coverage area.
The station is a joint venture of an NGO called Mandakini Ki Awaaz Kalyan Sewa Samiti and Bangalore-based People's Power Collective, a public trust.
The station will offer programmes in Garhwali and Hindi languages between 7-9 am, 12.30-1.30 pm and 4.30-6.30 pm every day, with additional live broadcasts as part of special Sunday programming.
The radio station's communication and programme coordinator Shweta Radhakrishnan said, "Rudraprayag is prone to disasters like floods, earthquake, landslides and forest fire. Our focus will be on making the people aware about handling different types of disasters, besides making the community radio an effective tool for addressing public grievances by connecting them with the concerned departments."
The station's founder Manvendra Negi said, "We began the trial run in middle of August and we were thrilled with the response. Though we have just begun the regular broadcast, the feedback is encouraging. We are collaborating with the district disaster management department to produce a series of programmes on disaster management."
The station's programmes will cover issues related to education, nutrition, drinking water, sanitation, women's and public health, livelihoods, migration and community well-being. Folk music, culture, traditions and language will also be part of the station's programming. But special emphasis will be on educating the masses about handling disaster and what they need to do during a crisis. The station will also provide useful information about weather, road blocks, malfunctioning trolleys and the like. The radio station will inform people about how to get a ration card and open bank accounts. To entertain the listeners, the station plans to broadcast short skits as well.
Needless to say the villagers are happy to have their own radio station. Surendra Singh, a resident of Kudi, said, "We are thrilled to have a radio station."