Mega mock drill held across Mandi dist to assess quake preparedness

A comprehensive mega mock drill was conducted today across Mandi district and its subdivisional headquarters to test the operational readiness of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in response to a potential earthquake scenario.

The drill commenced at 9 am following the issuance of a simulated alert, prompting all key officials related to disaster response to mobilise at the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC). Under the supervision of Responsible Officer and Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan, the DEOC was activated and operations began in accordance with the established disaster management protocol.

Senior district officials including Superintendent of Police Sakshi Verma, Incident Commander and Additional District Magistrate Madan Kumar, Chief Observer Subedar Major K Palani Swamy, and Additional Superintendent of Police Sagar Chander were present at the DEOC during the exercise.

Simultaneous mega mock drills were carried out at multiple locations across the district to simulate various disaster scenarios stemming from a major earthquake. These included staged emergencies at prominent locations such as Indira Market and Regional Hospital in Mandi town.

Several other subdivisions also participated with tailored disaster scenarios.

The coordinated effort witnessed active participation from various departments, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Home Guards, Disaster Mitras, NSS volunteers and NGOs. All operations were executed under the Incident Response System (IRS), ensuring a realistic and structured response to each scenario.