Mock drill to handle seismic events held at five sites in Chandigarh

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Chandigarh, February 22

The UT Administration, in partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs, conducted a comprehensive mock exercise on earthquake across five key locations in the city today.

The exercise, aimed at enhancing the city’s readiness to handle seismic events, took place at the UT Secretariat (Old Building) in Sector 9, Government Multi-Speciality Hospital in Sector 16, Post Graduate Government College in Sector 46, Government Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 35 and DLF City Centre Mall at the Rajiv Gandhi IT Park.

An emergency operation centre was established at the Police Control Room in Sector 9, while the staging area was set up at the Home Guard Headquarters Ground in Sector 17.

Engaging all emergency services of Chandigarh, including Fire & Rescue Services, Health Department, Chandigarh Police, Public Relations, MC, Engineering Department, Civil Defence, and Home Guard, the exercise saw a coordinated response across all five incident sites.

Additionally, a simulated chemical leakage event in the Industrial Area added complexity to the exercise, further testing the preparedness and response capabilities of the authorities.

The deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for rescue operations at three sites, including the chemical leak incident, demonstrated the collaborative efforts between local and national agencies in managing crises effectively.

Following the conclusion of the mock exercise, a debriefing session was conducted among senior officers of the UT Administration and the NDMA. The session aimed to analyse the exercise outcomes, identify areas for improvement and reinforce strategies for enhanced preparedness and response in the event of a real disaster.