STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A multi-state mock exercise (ME) on earthquake disaster scenario was organized on Thursday by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The ME was conducted simultaneously in 45 locations, involving approximately 1,000 stakeholders from different line departments and responding agencies across nine district headquarters, towns/cities of Assam viz. Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Silchar, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Haflong, Tezpur and Guwahati. The mock exercise, aimed to check the preparatory level of the responders, covered schools, residential complexes, hospitals, market establishments and relief camps in each district.
In Guwahati, it was organized in Regent Paradise Apartment, Ghoramara; Apollo Excelcare Hospital, Boragaon; GNRC Hospital, Sixmile; Bhetapara PHC; City Centre Mall, Guwahati and Srimanta Sankardev Kristi Bikash Kendra Namghar, Rajgarh. This exercise was also organized simultaneously in the State of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland by NDMA.
Speaking on this occasion, Gyanendra. D. Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer, ASDMA, said "Mock drill provides the opportunities to strengthen institutional capacities and coordination mechanisms for improved emergency preparedness. Mock exercises of such nature should be organized more often so that stakeholders imbibe the practise of emergency planning and operations reaching to the most affected areas during a disaster."
Col. Nadeem Arshad (retd), Consultant (Operations) from NDMA, New Delhi conducted the Mock Exercise in Assam under the supervision of Sudhir Bhal, Senior Consultant, ME & IRS. The control room at the NDMA, The SEOC, ASDMA and the DDMAs and DEOCs of nine selected districts were activated during this exercise. Live demonstration of the entire response mechanism during earthquake disaster emergency was demonstrated during this mock exercise by the responding agencies, districts administrations, etc. A debriefing session was also conducted following the mock exercise in presence of Col K.P. Singh, Advisor (Ops. & Comn), NDMA, New Delhi and Dr Karuna Kumari, IAS Secretary, Revenue & DM Department, along with the stakeholders of all nine districts to identify the gaps in the response mechanism for further enhancement and to bring role clarity among the responders by creating a real time simulation.
Col. Nadeem Arshad (Retd), Consultant (Operations) from NDMA appreciated the State Government for adopting Incident Response System as the preferred system of disaster response and Assam being the pioneer state in the entire country in this field. Besides, it also generated awareness among the general public and sensitized them by offering a visual reference to a disaster scenario.
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