Khurda Road Division conducts full-scale joint disaster management exercise

Khurda Road Division of East Coast Railway conducted a full-scale Disaster Management Mock Drill at Hindol Road Railway Station on Thursday to assess preparedness for handling train accidents and to ensure swift restoration, effective passenger assistance, and early normalisation of train operations during emergencies.

Indian Railways regularly undertakes Disaster Management Exercises to reinforce emergency readiness across its divisions. These drills are designed to test emergency preparedness of railway staff, NDRF teams, and local agencies in accident-like situations.

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Its objective is also to improve coordination among multi-disciplinary teams including RPF, GRP/Police, Fire Services, Medical Units, and local authorities.

It also intends to practise rescue and relief operations, such as safe evacuation of passengers, first aid, stabilisation of the injured, and extraction of trapped individuals from derailed coaches.

The mock drill simulated a realistic train accident scenario involving derailment, passenger rescue, first aid arrangements, crowd management, deployment of medical teams, movement of heavy machinery for restoration, and coordination between all participating agencies. The exercise aimed to ensure a structured and time-bound response plan to restore train traffic efficiently.

The drill was led by Divisional Railway Manager Alok Tripathi, who monitored on-ground actions and inter-departmental coordination. Divisional Railway Manager also supervised overall planning, logistics and implementation, ensuring that all units worked in complete synergy throughout the exercise.

A wide range of teams participated, including Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Signal & Telecommunication, Safety, Operations, Commercial and Medical Departments, along with Railway Protection Force (RPF), Civil Defence, Bharat Scouts & Guides, NDRF, ODRAF, local police, district administration, NGOs, and other key stakeholders. Special rescue equipment, accident relief tools, and restoration machinery were deployed to provide maximum realism to the drill.

Senior Divisional Safety Officer Namonarayan Meena actively coordinated the programme, ensuring smooth execution of every stage of the mock drill. His close supervision, timely guidance, and constant monitoring of all participating teams significantly contributed to the success of the disaster management exercise.