ITANAGAR, July 16: A multi-hazard mock drill for a hydroelectric project and its downstream areas in Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh was conducted on Wednesday at the Pare Hydroelectric Project.
The large-scale exercise aimed to test and improve emergency response to complex disaster scenarios, including floods and earthquakes, an official statement said.
Jointly organised by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and NEEPCO, the drill saw active coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire & Emergency Services, medical teams, and other teams of the Papum Pare district administration.
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The simulation involved four simultaneous disaster scenarios at different locations – a combined flood and earthquake situation at Panyor Lower power station in Hoj, an earthquake at the Pare Dam (Zampa), flooding at the Pare project in Sopo, and urban flooding at the Doimukh Market area along the Pare river.
At each site, live response demonstrations were carried out by NDRF search and rescue teams, showcasing rescue operations, triage, and inter-agency coordination. Specialised operations included the use of sniffer dogs, optical detection equipment, victim location cameras, fire-fighting demonstrations, and river rescue techniques.
Officials and staff of the Pare project, led by Head of Project (HoP) Sania Ngurang, actively took part in the exercise.
Community involvement was notable, with enthusiastic participation from APDA mitras, NSS volunteers, and local residents, emphasising the importance of grassroots engagement in disaster preparedness.
To assess the effectiveness of the drill, independent observers were deployed at each site to monitor performance and suggest improvements. The exercise was overseen by incident commander Afa Phassang.
The drill was witnessed by several dignitaries and domain experts, including NDMA consultant Maj Gen (Retd) Ajay Kumar Verma, Central Electricity Authority member A Balan, additional deputy commissioner Tame Yajum, SDO Kipa Raja and representatives from hydroelectric projects nationwide, giving the exercise a pan-India significance.
The event concluded with a debriefing session where observations were shared and feedback was exchanged to further enhance future disaster response strategies. (PTI)
