21 April, 2008 - A local town has been hit by a hurricane and you have been sent there as a disaster relief engineer. How do you respond, given time and budget constraints?
Thirty five civil engineering students of the College of Science and Technology (CST) in Kharbandi were placed in just such a scenario at a day-long “Rapid Response Engineering Challenge” event organized by SNV on April 16.
Divided into groups, students were made to play the role of registered engineers in restoring a disaster struck area: “Hurricane Mitch in Honduras”.
Each group had to build a pipe work system to carry water to refugees across a stretch of ground in a simulated disaster situation. Students coordinating within their group had to plan and design their ideas on worksheets and maps within a given time period.
Equipped with basic material, such as plastic sheets, poles, paper and string, a water tower, bridge and shelter were made which was later analyzed. Competing against each other, a prize was awarded to the winning team, along with individual certificates to participants. CST lecturers also participated in the programme conducted by experts invited from UK.
“The event makes students think differently while solving a disaster scenario,” said Shirilin Barakzai, road sector development specialist with SNV. “It’s more like learning through practice, different from the usual classroom lectures and being carried out for the first time in Bhutan.”
According to Ugyen Dorji, lecturer in CST, the programme not only educated young engineers to tackle both natural and man-made disasters but also taught them leadership qualities, professionalism, time management, team-work and financial management. “This event had been a good opportunity for students to be prepared in tackling realistic scenarios in the event of disasters in future,” he said.
Rinchen, a participant, said that the event was educative and advantageous. “I’ve learned that engineering is essential for survival and that any error can have many fatal consequences,” he said.
The daylong challenge was also held at the Jigme Namgyel Polytechnic in Dewathang on April 10.
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