Thiruvananthapuram: Radio platform for rebuilding Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: The World Radio Day on February 13 will be special for the community radio broadcasters of the state who provided an interactive medium for the officials connected with ‘Rebuild Kerala’ to help the flood- affected people of seven districts.

Mr Vipin K. Raj, coordinator of the Changana-ssery-based Radio Media City which broadcasts to the flood- affected Kuttan-ad region told Deccan Chronicle that they could demonstrate how radio can be an effective tool between policymakers and the affected people during the rebuilding process after a disaster.

Half-a-dozen community broadcasters, who were associated with the ‘Puthu Nambukal - Nava Keralathinte Shankoli’ under ‘Janakeeya Panka-lithavum Punar Nirma-navum’ initiative of Kerala government, have started an initiative for broadcasting two programmes each week. “We have already broadcast two programmes as part of the initiative launched on Tuesday,” said Mr Raj.

Through the medium, the officials interacted with the people on the projects planned and they responded about what they expected, said Mr Raj.

Half a dozen community radio stations in Kerala joined hands to co-produce and broadcast a radio series. The initiative focused on the people of seven districts badly affected by last year’s floods and landslides. The radio series is being produced in partnership with the local self- government department, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, UNICEF, BBC Media Action and other partners of JPPI.

The programmes will focus on key issues of affected people around housing and shelter, livelihood and income generation activities, access to safe drinking water, health and nutrition. The information on the needs of affected people is collected by nearly 1,000 Kudumbasree women on real time basis under ‘Janakeeya Panka-lithavum Punar Nirman-avum’ initiative.

Radio Mangalam, Radio Mattoli, Radio Neythal, Radio Hello, Radio Janvani and Radio Media Village are partnering together to produce and broadcast the series.

Before the launch of the radio series, the programme producers of the community radio stations were provided a two-day training in leadership by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority.  The workshop held in Thiruvananthapuram on November 2 to 3 last focused on using community radio for aiding recovery of the flood-affected state.

Later, the stations consulted with JPPI and hou-sing and shelter departments to find topics for the programme. They plan to conduct similar consultations with Shujitwa Mission and health depa-rtment to finalise future programmes.