Nagaland conducts mock drill in 10 districts

Kohima, May 7 (PTI) To strengthen emergency response mechanisms, Nagaland on Wednesday conducted largescale mock drills as part of the civil defence preparedness exercise, ‘Operation Abhiyas’.

In line with a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs for the nationwide exercise, Nagaland carried out mock drills in 10 of its 17 districts — Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Mon, Phek, Tuensang, Kiphire and Peren — starting from 4 PM.

In state capital Kohima, the drill simulated an airstrike at the Nagaland Public Service Commission office, accompanied by emergency sirens. The scenario resulted in 10 mock casualties, including one fatality, Deputy Commissioner of Kohima B Henok Buchem told reporters.

Responders were swiftly mobilised, executing coordinated emergency procedures, he said, adding that a temporary hospital was set up at the Directorate of Social Welfare, and a demilitarised (safe) zone was established at the Directorate of Higher Education. The Capital Convention Centre served as the main staging area, Buchem said.

The comprehensive exercise involved multiple stakeholders, including the civil administration, police, medical teams, Home Guards, Civil Supplies Department, NCC cadets, and personnel from the Assam Rifles, among others.

"Our objective was to assess how different agencies respond to an airstrike situation. The mock drill was carried out successfully, and all participating departments demonstrated efficient coordination," said the Deputy Commissioner.

He also emphasised the importance of identifying and preparing safe zones and ensuring prompt medical response in real-life emergency scenarios.

Similar emergency drills were conducted in the nine other participating district headquarters, simulating incoming air raids, activation of sirens, and blackout measures for a few minutes at 6:30 PM.

An official added that the exercises in other districts also included simulations of building fires, search and rescue operations, casualty evacuation from damaged buildings, temporary hospital setups, and the evacuation of civilians to bunkers and demilitarised zones in response to air offensives. PTI NBS NBS MNB