The Emergency & Disaster Management Resource Centre (EDMRC) Kangra is operated by EduCARE Dharamshala, part of the EduCARE India network — a federation of legal entities working across mountains, hills, plains, desert and coastal regions of the Indian subcontinent in disaster, health, environment and empowerment domains since 1994. EDMRC operates primarily in Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh and its surrounding districts.
Over three decades, EduCARE India's sustained field presence in one of India's most geologically and climatically complex regions has produced deep operational knowledge of multi-hazard environments. Kangra District's terrain ranges from approximately 500 to 5,500 metres above sea level, encompassing river valleys, steep slopes, alpine meadows and dense forest cover. This landscape produces an overlapping hazard profile: seismic risk (Seismic Zone IV–V), monsoon-triggered floods and flash floods, landslides and slope failures, soil subsidence, and seasonal forest fires.
EDMRC was established to institutionalise that accumulated expertise — moving from project-based interventions to a permanent resource centre model. It serves as Kangra's hub for community-based disaster risk reduction, emergency response coordination, volunteer training and deployment, hazard research and capacity building.
EDMRC operates at the intersection of government disaster management frameworks and grassroots community structures. The centre maintains active working relationships with the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Kangra, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Himachal Pradesh, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the district Inter-Agency Group (IAG). Simultaneously, EDMRC's programmes reach directly into panchayat-level structures through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Cluster Level Federations (CLFs), Community Resource Persons (CRPs), and the Aapda Mitra volunteer network.
Eight core functional units
EDMRC functions through eight core units that together advance its mission as a field-linked resource centre for preparedness, response, resilience and knowledge-building:
- Training, Capacity Building and Simulation Unit
- Community Outreach, Volunteer Development and Cluster Coordination Unit
- Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Unit
- Emergency Response and Field Operations Unit
- Risk Assessment, GIS Mapping and Technical Support Unit — operational arm: AapdaDRISHTI
- Emergency Communications and Information Support Unit — including the VU2EDM HAM Radio Club
- Humanitarian Assistance, Relief and Recovery Support Unit
- Research, Documentation and Knowledge Resource Unit
The EduCARE ecosystem
EDMRC is one of several specialised verticals operating under the EduCARE India umbrella, organised around the SHEE framework (Safety, Health, Environment, Empowerment): SEHAT SEVA (community health and geriatric care), ECODEVA (ecological restoration and BAGEECHA gardens), ViKAAS Centre (empowerment), with CIEEL (experiential education) and RISHEE (academic and training arm) supporting across pillars.
Leadership & Programme Team
EDMRC's work is anchored by a leadership and programme team combining decades of institutional practice with technical specialisation and field experience. The team integrates senior civil engineering expertise from Himachal Pradesh's state government, formal engineering and technical qualifications, and a strong women's leadership component in volunteer mobilisation and emergency response.
VARISHTHA Mandal — Advisory Council
EDMRC's senior advisory function operates through VARISHTHA Mandal — the Volunteer Association of Retirees for Improvement of Safety, Healthcare and Targeted Humanitarian Assistance. This structured EDMRC programme mobilises retired government officers, professionals and specialists as institutional advisors and force multipliers, mapping their domain expertise to specific programme verticals. The members below currently anchor EDMRC's advisory function across emergency communications, fire response, mountain rescue, environmental conservation, medical emergency response and health programmes.
Programme Support & Consulting Partners
Specialised professional services contributed by external consulting partners on an institutional engagement basis.
Currently recruiting: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Officer; Communications & Documentation Officer. EDMRC is actively expanding its institutional team to support growing programme scale and inter-agency engagement. Interested professionals may write to partnerships@edmrc.org.in.
Campus & infrastructure
EDMRC Kangra operates from a 120-bed residential training facility on Mission Hospital Road, Kangra — opposite Maple Leaf Hospital, on Mission Hill. The campus comprises 9 halls (including 3 multipurpose training halls), a library, a GIS / HAM radio lab, a kitchen and mess, and open grounds for drill and simulation exercises. A strategic tie-up with the adjacent Maple Leaf Hospital provides for emergency conversion of the facility into a 120-bed hospital extension during major events.