In preparation for potential disaster situations, a state-level mega mock exercise based on a major earthquake scenario will be conducted across Chamba district on June 15 under the aegis of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Amit Mehra participated in a virtual table top exercise organised by the national and state disaster management authorities on Friday. During the exercise, he presented the district’s action plan prepared for the successful conduct of the mega mock drill.
Officials from several departments associated with the District Disaster Management Authority, along with representatives of central armed forces, participated in the virtual exercise.
ADC Amit said the mock drill would be conducted in all sub-divisions of the district from 9 am to 1 pm, with disaster response and rescue operations being simulated at two identified locations in each sub-division. The exercise aims to assess preparedness and strengthen coordination among various agencies in the event of a major earthquake.
He said four different disaster simulation exercises would be conducted at the district headquarters. In addition, a separate mock exercise based on a forest fire scenario will be carried out in Dalhousie subdivision from 6 pm to 9 pm.
The staging area for the mock drill has been established at the helipad of the NHPC Chamera-II Hydroelectric Project at Kariyan. Volunteers from Apda Mitra, NCC, NSS, NYKS and various social organisations will actively participate in the exercise alongside government departments and emergency response agencies.
Mehra issued necessary directions to all stakeholder departments to ensure effective coordination and smooth conduct of the exercise.
The ADC also appealed to residents to keep the ‘Earthquake Alerts’ feature enabled on their Android smartphones. He said the setting was available under the ‘Safety & Emergency’ section and can provide advance warning of a possible earthquake, allowing people to take necessary precautions and improve their chances of safety during such emergencies.
