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Balochistan is vulnerable to disasters. Its vastness and poverty makes it a hunting ground for floods, famines, earthquakes, heavy snowfall and pandemics. As a sufferer the educational institutions have no other option but to close their activities in times of disasters unless the calamity has incurred. This situation causes unfathomable loss to the students of public colleges and to the overall educational activities of institutions. This study would unfold the capacities of the public colleges to address the disasters along with highlighting the role of disaster-related departments during the pandemic covid-19. Based on the applied model of Quazi Arefin Rezoane, this study employs a conceptual framework which identifies the factors measuring the capacities of the colleges to address the disaster. Qualitative in nature, this study uses in-depth interviews for first hand data collection. In-depth interviews are conducted across Balochistan province. There are 122 functional colleges exists in Balochistan. Random sampling is employed for the sake of reliability and validity. Out of the 30 selected samples, data was collected from 26 samples in shape of recorded and written interviews. From the remaining four, inspite of repeated efforts, 3 samples could not be obtained, while one provided the data when the data analysis had been done. For analysis of the study, vivo coding has been used. The resulting numerical data is analyzed through “stata software”. It is vividly observed that colleges possess no mechanism and capacity of their own to confront the challenge of any disaster. Content analysis depicts that there is a guideline mechanism of cooperation and coordination among the departments and in between the public and private organizations, however, in practical, no effort has been done in ensuring these guidelines, even the heads of the colleges are largely unaware of such policies. Besides the fact that preparedness planning, responsiveness and awareness regarding disasters are aims of disaster management policy, the study has found no evidence that this policy has implemented to its least version. This study also reveals the poor condition of inter-department cooperation at the time of disaster, still intra-departmental coordination has found explicitly. The role of non-governmental organizations was also negligible. The need of trainings, resources, cooperation, coordination and social awareness are assuredly observed.

Keywords: Covid-19, Disaster, Colleges, Study, Case.