Admn holds flood preparedness mock drill

To enhance flood preparedness and ensure the safety of residents in flood-prone areas, a comprehensive mock drill was conducted by the district administration in Garhi Fazil village, situated on the banks of the Sutlej River on Tuesday morning.

The exercise, held under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain, along with SDM (East) Jasleen Kaur Bhullar and Assistant Commissioner Payal Goyal, demonstrated the administration’s commitment to effective disaster management and inter-departmental coordination.

The mock drill simulated a hypothetical flood situation in Garhi Fazil village, engaging multiple key departments, including Drainage, Panchayats, Forest, Revenue, Food and Civil Supplies, Medical, Police, Animal Husbandry, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), District Mandi Office, Public Health, Transport, Police and Education. The exercise aimed to test the preparedness, response time and coordination among departments in handling a flood-like emergency.

The drill commenced with a mock warning call received at the district control room (0161-2922330), alerting authorities regarding a potential flood due to the rising water levels in Sutlej. A control room operator immediately informed SDM Bhullar, under whose jurisdiction the village falls, while simultaneously alerting to the DC’s office and all relevant departments to ensure a swift and coordinated response. In response to the simulated threat, teams from the Drainage Department, supported by NREGA labourers through forest and Panchayat Department, swiftly moved to strengthen the Dhussi Bandh by strategically placing sandbags to prevent potential breaches with the help of JCBs. Labourers were also pressed to fill more sand bags. Public announcements were made through the gurdwara sahib to alert the villagers of the risk and informing them to reach the rescue centre.

The Transport Department at gurdwara sahib arranged buses and trolleys to evacuate villagers and take them to a designated rescue centre at the government high school in Mattewara. At the centre, the Food and Civil Supplies Department, in coordination with Public Health officials, ensured the availability of food, essential eatables, clean drinking water and washrooms for the evacuees. The PSPCL team was stationed at the centre to provide uninterrupted power supply. The Health Department was prepared to provide immediate healthcare services, while the Police ensured safety and order during the evacuation. The Animal Husbandry Department was on standby to address the needs of livestock, and the Education Department facilitated the use of the school as a

rescue centre.

DC Jain said such exercises helped identify gaps and strengthen disaster response mechanisms, he added that regular mock drills and training programmes were part of the on-going initiatives to mitigate flood risks in the state.