Fortnight-long mock drill exercise on disaster management begins in Leh
Leh/Jammu: A fortnight-long mock drill exercise began on Tuesday to enhance disaster preparedness and address shortcomings in operations in Leh district of the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh, officials said.
The exercises will focus on inter-agency coordination, casualty management in hospitals, and school evacuation drills to ensure preparedness for any emergency.
The mock drill exercise commenced with a disaster management orientation and coordination conference for the upcoming UT-level exercise, held in virtual mode in Leh, with Lead Consultant, National Disaster Management Authority, Major General Sudhir Bahl, in the chair, they said.
Major General Bahl, who chaired the session virtually, aimed to enhance disaster preparedness and address shortcomings from previous operations. He covered the Incident Response System (IRS), allocation of nodal officers, early warning mechanisms and coordinated planning for disaster and rescue operations.
He emphasised the need for awareness drives, inter-departmental coordination and regular training in line with NDMA guidelines.
He also urged close collaboration with the Army, ITBP and Air Force for operational support and explained differences in urban and rural response execution.
From August 12–18, preparations and coordination besides awareness drives, resource mapping, communication planning, training and rehearsals will be carried out, they said.
This will be followed by a tabletop exercise (TTEx) — SDMA updates, civil defence preparedness and scenario-based response presentations — by districts and departments on August 19.
On August 20, preparations for the mock exercise will include simulation site setup, activation of EOCs, IRTs, IRS facilities (relief camps) and communication checks.
The day and night mock drill exercises will take place from August 21–22, including response and ground visits. The programme will conclude on August 23.
