TAWANG, 7 May: A comprehensive civil defense mock drill was conducted in Tawang district on Wednesday, demonstrating the district’s preparedness to tackle potential disasters.
The mock drill, organized under the supervision of the district administration, was carried out across four designated sites: Khandro Drowa Zangmo District Hospital, ANM School, L D Public School, and Masang Dung Rhuemey at Old Market.
Key stakeholders, including the district police, fire brigade, health department, Indian Army, SSB, ITBP, NDRF, NCC cadets, NSS volunteers from Dorjee Khandu Government College, members of the district BJP unit, market welfare committees, and the district students’ union, participated in the exercise.
Deputy commissioner in-charge Sangey Wangmu Mosobi commended the overwhelming response and active involvement in the mock drill.
Emphasizing the importance of preparedness, she said, “Though this is a mock drill, we must remain vigilant and take it seriously to ensure we are ready for real-life emergencies. Our objective is to minimize damage to life and property by preparing for the worst with our best efforts.”
Superintendent of police D.W Thongon briefed participants on the simulated scenario, which involved an airstrike on a key building in Old Market.
He elaborated on the structure of the response, including the roles of the incident commander, marshaling area, makeshift hospital, district emergency control room, safe house, and the communication network used during the exercise.
Following the drill, a debriefing session chaired by Mosobi was held. The session focused on identifying gaps and areas for improvement to better equip all stakeholders for real disaster situations.
The Papum Pare district administration also conducted a comprehensive civil defense mock drill on Wednesday, simulating an air strike scenario across multiple key locations in the district including DC office complex, IOCL depot in Emchi, Pare Hydro Project, Jampa and Emchi market area.
During the mock drill, warning sirens were activated across designated locations at 7 pm to simulate an airstrike alert. The public promptly switched off all lights and electrical appliances, closed windows, and remained calm and silent as per the guidelines of blackout protocol.
Speaking on the occasion, DC Jiken Bomjen stated that “such drills are crucial for enhancing disaster response capabilities and public awareness.”
Papum Pare SP Taru Gusar also spoke on the occasion.
The exercise saw the participation of civil defense teams, local law enforcement authority, medical units, fire services, and volunteers.
In West Kameng district, the district administration, in collaboration with the Indian Army, District Disaster Management Authority, district police, medical department, Nehru Yuva Kendra, National Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps, and other stakeholders, conducted a civil defence mock drill in Bomdila township.
Addressing the participants during the drill, deputy commissioner Akriti Sagar stated that the drill was aimed at spreading public awareness on how to protect oneself and respond effectively during emergencies. She urged the citizens to cooperate with authorities in the event of any real disaster.
Superintendent of police Sudhansu Dhama informed the public about the control room that has been set up with a 24×7 helpline (Nos. 1077, 948236626 and 6033920834)
He also spoke on the roles of the various nodal agencies involved in disaster management and assured that all necessary services will be available during emergency situations. (DIPROs)