Dehradun, Sept. 12 -- Uttarakhand government will prepare disaster management plans for every government and non-government school in the state, with arrangements ranging from early warning and information dissemination to evacuation, first aid, search and rescue operations, officials said on Friday. The initiative follows directions issued by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and disaster management and rehabilitation minister Madan Kaushik. A strategy for preparing the school-level disaster management plans was discussed at a meeting between the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority and the education department on Friday. The meeting was chaired by disaster management and rehabilitation secretary Vinod Kumar Suman. "Every school's disaster management plan would be prepared according to its local geographical conditions and the specific risks faced by the institution and its surrounding area," he said. He said that a committee comprising representatives of the education department and USDMA would be constituted for the purpose. Under the proposed plans, schools and their surrounding areas will be assessed for possible threats, including earthquakes, landslides, floods, flash floods, cloudbursts, heavy rainfall, snowfall, avalanches, fires and other local disasters. Officials said clear evacuation routes will be identified to designated safe locations during an emergency. Necessary evacuation arrangements and safe zones will be identified for every classroom and building, while a designated assembly point will also be established within each school premises. The plans will clearly define the roles and responsibilities of those required to respond during a disaster. Responsibilities will be assigned to school principals, teachers, non-teaching staff and, where appropriate, students. Officials said specialised teams will also be constituted in every school for warning and information dissemination, evacuation, first aid, fire safety, search and rescue, and support and psychosocial care....