Arunachal conducts mega statewide disaster mock drill

Itanagar, Sep 18 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Principal Secretary (Home) Kaling Tayeng on Thursday emphasised the importance of regularly updating the roles and responsibilities of Incident Response Team (IRT) members to ensure effective disaster management.

His remarks came during the state's annual monsoon preparedness meeting, which coincided with a state-level mega mock exercise on disaster preparedness conducted across districts.

Tayeng, who was present at the exercise conducted here, urged the district Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) to review and update their respective district disaster management plans (DDMPs) to enhance response capabilities.

He also highlighted the critical role of communication systems during emergencies, directing the telecom department, in coordination with the department of disaster management, to identify and secure critical telecom assets across districts and ensure uninterrupted power supply to vital communication infrastructure.

The mock exercise was conducted under the guidance of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and organised by the Arunachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), an official release said.

NDMA lead consultant Maj Gen (Retd) Sudhir Bahl coordinated the drill, which was held under the supervision of state disaster management secretary Dani Salu.

The simulation assumed a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake with its epicentre at 27.280°N and 93.600°E, about 40.8 km northeast of Itanagar Capital Region, 51 km southeast of Ziro, and 103 km east of Seppa, at a focal depth of 26 km.

In the morning, a siren signalled the start of the drill, activating the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) and all district emergency operation centres (DEOCs) to operate round-the-clock.

The Incident Response System (IRS) was also activated, and functional healthcare facilities were placed on high alert to prepare for mass casualty management.

Public advisories urged citizens to remain calm and stay in safe locations, with emergency helpline numbers widely disseminated.

Simultaneously, SDMA reviewed the availability of food and essential supplies with the Food and Civil Supplies department, while preparedness levels of other stakeholder departments were assessed.

Ahead of the field exercise, a table-top session was conducted on Wednesday, where roles of the incident response teams were clearly defined.

Maj Gen Bahl highlighted existing gaps and suggested actionable solutions to strengthen readiness.

Following the mega mock, a debriefing session was held where observations, strengths, and areas for improvement were discussed.

The secretary expressed appreciation for the active participation of all stakeholders and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to building a resilient disaster management system in the state.

The exercise witnessed participation from all DDMAs, personnel from the Indian Army, CISF, ITBP, BRO, NDRF, SDRF, NCC, and other key stakeholders. PTI UPL UPL MNB