HP: State wide mock exercise held on earthquake, cloud burst, and forest fire
Shimla, June 15
Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority on Monday held a state-wide Mega Mock Exercise on Earthquake, Cloud Burst, and Forest Fire led by Major General Sudhir Bahl and Pushpendra Rana Special Secretary Disaster Management attended by district officials, emergency services, health authorities, uniformed forces and community stakeholders to review recent mock exercises and strengthen preparedness for large-scale emergencies.
During the exercise, participants reviewed gaps identified during drills and agreed on measures to improve communication resilience, medical surge capacity, traffic and evacuation management, and the designation of staging areas to expedite resource deployment.
Officials underlined district-level surge plans that identify temporary bed sites, staffing arrangements and continuity arrangements for hospitals to operate under sustained pressure without immediate external supplies.
Emphasis was placed on regular training and drills, formalising mutual-aid arrangements, and ensuring the timely availability of heavy equipment and air support when required. Special attention will be given to protection and evacuation arrangements for children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
The mock exercise concluded with a directive for districts to submit consolidated surge-capacity and staging-area plans within the stipulated timeline and to share confirmed exercise schedules and public advisories once finalised.
The Administration reiterated its commitment to strengthening coordination, operational readiness and community resilience to ensure prompt and effective response in the event of a major disaster.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is all good on paper, but we've seen many such exercises in the past. The real test is when an actual disaster strikes. Remember the floods in Uttarakhand? We need to ensure that the communication resilience and medical surge capacity talked about here actually translates on ground. Hope they conduct surprise drills too, not just scheduled ones.
As someone who lives in Shimla district, I'm glad they are planning for surge capacity in hospitals. During the 2013 floods, our local hospital was overwhelmed within hours. The plan for temporary bed sites and staffing arrangements seems practical. Also, including community stakeholders in the mock exercise is a step in the right direction. 👏
Just saw the report on TV. This is the kind of proactive governance we need, especially in disaster-prone Himalayan states. The emphasis on mutual-aid arrangements and air support availability is crucial because in hilly terrain, helicopters are often the only way during cloud bursts or earthquakes. Hope other states also replicate this model. 🚁
Good to see this serious approach to disaster management. Coming from a country that faces similar threats, I appreciate the focus on community resilience. Mock exercises are the best way to identify gaps without waiting for a real tragedy. The directive for districts to submit plans within a timeline ensures accountability.
Very impressed to see the involvement of Special Secretary Pushpendra Rana and Major General Bahl. The fact that they reviewed gaps from previous drills is crucial — just conducting an exercise is not enough, learning from it matters. Also glad they specifically mentioned children and elderly. As a mother, that's reassuring.
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