Informing the general public for the mock exercise on August 1, the statement read that it will culminate in a full-scale ‘Mock Exercise’ on Friday, August 1, which will simulate a response to a major earthquake scenario.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with the Indian Army and the state governments of Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, will conduct disaster management exercise, ‘EXERCISE SURAKSHA CHAKRA’, from 29 July to August 1.
This multi-state, multi-agency exercise, going to be one of the largest preparedness drills ever held in the National Capital Region (NCR), aims to strengthen coordination and response mechanisms for major disasters like earthquakes and industrial chemical hazards, an official statement said on Sunday.
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Informing the general public for the mock exercise on August 1, the statement read that it will culminate in a full-scale ‘Mock Exercise’ on Friday, August 1, which will simulate a response to a major earthquake scenario.
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This will be held simultaneously across all the 18 participating districts of the NCR.
The government has advised residents in these areas “NOT TO PANIC”.
According to officials, the public may witness the activities, which are part of a planned drill and are not a real emergency. This includes increased movement of Emergency Vehicles, and people are expected to witness higher-than-usual presence of ambulances, fire tenders, police vehicles, and army trucks on the roads.
Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Armed Forces, Civil Defence, and other agencies will be deployed in various locations, while ‘Sirens or public address systems’ may be used to signal the start of the exercise.
Temporary facilities such as Incident Command Posts, Staging Areas, Relief Camps, and Medical Aid Posts will be set up in designated areas.
As part of the simulated ‘Rescue Operations,’ the response teams will be seen conducting search and rescue drills, casualty evacuation, and providing medical aid to simulated victims.
The Delhi government said the purpose of this public advisory is to ensure that citizens are fully aware of the exercise and do not become alarmed by the large-scale movement of emergency response units.
All activities are being conducted to test and improve the region’s ability to respond effectively in case of a real crisis, ultimately enhancing the safety of all citizens.
The four-day exercise is structured to build from strategic planning to on-ground action, and accordingly, a high-level symposium at the Manekshaw Centre will bring together senior leadership from all participating agencies to discuss the region’s hazard profile and response strategies.
On July 30, a Tabletop Exercise (TTEx) at the Manekshaw Centre will see disaster managers war-game their response plans against simulated disaster scenarios.
The field-level ‘Mock Exercise’ will be conducted across the NCR, coordinated by the Delhi state’s Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
All districts of Delhi, along with five districts of Haryana including Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, Nuh, Rewari and two districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad, will be part of this initiative.
The exercise involves a “Whole-of-Government” approach, with participation from the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), technical and scientific institutions like the IMD and NCS, and civil society organizations.
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