Leh/Jammu: A two-week mock drill exercise began on Tuesday in Leh district of the Union Territory of Ladakh to boost disaster preparedness and address gaps identified in past operations, officials said.
The exercise will focus on improving coordination among agencies, managing casualties in hospitals, and conducting school evacuation drills to ensure readiness for emergencies.
The drill kicked off with a virtual disaster management orientation and coordination conference for the upcoming UT-level exercise. The session was chaired by Major General Sudhir Bahl, Lead Consultant of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Major General Bahl highlighted the importance of enhancing disaster preparedness by reviewing the Incident Response System (IRS), appointing nodal officers, establishing early warning mechanisms, and ensuring coordinated planning for disaster response and rescue efforts.
He stressed the need for awareness campaigns, inter-departmental cooperation, and ongoing training in accordance with NDMA guidelines. Additionally, he called for close collaboration with the Army, ITBP, and Air Force to support operations, while outlining the differences between urban and rural response strategies.
From August 12 to 18, activities will include preparations, coordination, awareness drives, resource mapping, communication planning, training, and rehearsals.
This will be followed on August 19 by a tabletop exercise (TTEx) featuring updates from the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), civil defence readiness, and scenario-based response presentations by districts and departments.
On August 20, preparations for the mock exercise will involve setting up simulation sites, activating Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), Incident Response Teams (IRTs), Incident Response System (IRS) facilities such as relief camps, and conducting communication tests.
The full-day and night mock drills will take place from August 21 to 22, including response actions and field visits. The exercise will conclude on August 23.
