Mock drill across five NCR districts tests state’s emergency response

The Haryana Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), conducted a large-scale mock drill, ‘Exercise Suraksha Chakra’, across five National Capital Region (NCR) districts — Gurugram, Faridabad, Rewari, Palwal and Nuh.

The full-scale exercise aimed to test response mechanisms to natural and industrial disasters, including earthquakes and chemical hazards. It was carried out at 21 key sites, such as GSSS MP Jharsa, Star Mall, BK Hospital, Mini Secretariat Faridabad, RPS International School and Pushpanjali Hospital.

Part of a national initiative led by the Prime Minister, the drill focused on boosting multi-agency coordination and preparedness in the high-risk NCR zone. It followed the Incident Response System (IRS) framework, assessing communication, logistics, and inter-agency decision-making.

Financial Commissioner Revenue Dr Sumita Misra praised the drill’s successful execution and said, “The coordination among all stakeholders was commendable. The exercise remained incident-free and demonstrated Haryana’s capability in handling large-scale emergencies.”

Participants included Haryana Home Guards, Aapda Mitra volunteers, Fire Services, Red Cross, NCC, NSS, NYKS volunteers, and NGOs, with NDRF support at several locations.

The mock drill also helped identify gaps in resource mobilisation and logistics, which will be addressed in future planning.

Dr Misra said the lessons learned will be documented and integrated into the state's disaster management plans.

“We are committed to building a robust, technology-enabled disaster response system to ensure public safety,” she said.