Mock drill conducted in Delhi-NCR to assess disaster preparedness

A multi-agency mock drill was carried out at 55 locations across Delhi-NCR on Friday to assess preparedness in case of an earthquake or industrial accidents.

The exercise began with the triggering of a simulated earthquake scenario at 9.03 a.m., followed by mock chemical leaks in industrial and transport zones in all districts of the national capital.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Krishan Kumar, said, “The mock drill went on smoothly at all the locations. A feedback of some gaps was received. We hope to resolve them soon,” Mr. Kumar said.

The CEO said Yamuna floodplains and the ridge areas are highly critical zones requiring an enhanced level of preparation.

Delhi Police, Delhi Transport Department, Delhi Fire Services, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, civil defence volunteers, Home Guards, RWAs, school teachers and metro staff were among those who participated in the mock drill.

The mock drill was focused on validating the incident response system (IRS) at the State, district, and local levels to test the state emergency operations centre (SEOC) activation and inter-agency coordination protocols, assessing readiness of emergency medical services, fire response units, and chemical leak protocols, the DDMA said.

It also aimed to test and improve the preparedness of the response mechanism, communication systems, and coordination between various local authorities and emergency services in the event of a high-magnitude earthquake followed by a chemical disaster, it said.

Brigadier B.S. Thakar, nodal officer from the National Disaster Management Authority for the mock exercise, said a brainstorming session and debriefing with all the stakeholders were held to draw out the lessons from the mock drill.

The DDMA will collect detailed mock drill action reports from the District Magistrates and various Delhi government departments to identify the gaps in infrastructure, IRS activation, public messaging, and inter-agency coordination, an official said.