Itanagar, Feb 9: A multi-state mock drill on earthquake preparedness was conducted across Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram on Monday in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority to enhance disaster response coordination and identify preparedness gaps, officials said.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the state disaster management department organised a table-top exercise in Itanagar based on a multi-state earthquake scenario, an official communique informed.
The exercise was aimed to create awareness, strengthen coordination among departments and agencies, and assess readiness to handle natural calamities.
NDMA senior consultant Nadeem Arshad said disasters do not recognise man-made boundaries and such exercises help strengthen disaster resilience, inter-state collaboration and effective response mechanisms.
He stressed the need to empower state and district disaster management authorities to lead response efforts at the local level and emphasised the inclusion of more casualty simulations in future mock exercises.
Arshad also underlined that the use of standard operating procedures (SOPs) during such drills is mandatory.
Highlighting the importance of regular preparedness activities, State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) secretary Dani Salu said Arunachal Pradesh has been conducting mock exercises periodically to improve response, mobilisation and inter-departmental coordination.
He also stressed the involvement of community-based organisations (CBOs), panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and NGOs for wider participation.
The mock drill was successfully conducted in four districts of the state.
District Disaster Management Officers (DDMOs) from West Kameng, Pakke-Kessang, Papum Pare and the Itanagar Capital Region attended the meeting virtually along with representatives from key departments and emergency response agencies, including the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).(PTI)
