Mock exercise on Earthquake disaster scenario conducted across Nagaland
Our Correspondent
Kohima | November 18
The need to improve communication network, strengthening of medical facilities and workforce were the amongst the many findings during the conduct of Nagaland Emergency Preparedness Exercise (NEPEx)- a Multi-State Level Mock exercise on earthquake disaster scenario across the state.
It was conducted by Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) in collaboration National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India, to test the capability of the state to respond to, and manage any mega disaster.
This exercise was done on earthquake disaster scenario with a magnitude of 8.7 on the Richter scale.
Today’s mock exercise depicted collapse of buildings, landslides, road blockage, casualties, rescue operations, communication network.etc.
“We found that we are prepared but needs improvement in our work,” said central observer Nawal Prakesh, Joint Advisor (Ops), NDMA.
In term of communication network, he said, “We have to strengthen our communication network as without communication we will not get information at the right time and until unless we get the information, we will not be able to respond to the situation.”
We have to strengthen our medical facilities, he said and suggested that establishing field hospitals will be required.
We are prepared but improvement is always required, he said adding that one should not be complacent “that we are well prepared.”
“We have learnt. We have identified the gap and the best part is that we are not pointing the fault. We are identifying the gap,” he said, while briefing media.
He said that certain gaps have been identified which required improvement.
On being asked about the strength of manpower to respond to the situation, he observed that Disaster Response Force need to be strengthened more.
Stating that many states have strengthened their respective Disaster Response Force, he said, “We should not fully depend outside support- i.e National Disaster Response Force or even Armed Forces.”
“What the state should do is to strengthen their own- State Disaster Response Force,” he added.
Touching on community volunteers in respond to disaster, he said that community has been trained in Nagaland too to act as the first responder.
He said that in any disaster situation, it is the community who is the first responder, he said and stressed the importance of creating adequate awareness to the community.
Nagaland’s home commissioner Abhijit Sinha maintained that the mock exercise was carried out successfully in the state along with Assam and Arunachal Pradesh simultaneously.
He said that there is always great scope for doing it better.
Sinha, who is also CEO of NSDMA said that such exercise helped the NSDMA to make the things better to respond the disaster in a much better manner.
A lot of new things have been learnt and NSDMA will try to improve it accordingly, he said. “We found that communication channel has to be more robust.”
Stating that the mock drill exercise was a combine exercise of all the departments and agencies, he said that NSDMA would incorporate whatever findings into its plan and do the needful.
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