ITANAGAR, 18 Sep: The Arunachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), under the guidance of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), conducted a state-level mock exercise on earthquake, landslide, and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) across the state on Thursday.
The mock exercise was coordinated by NDMA (ME&IRS) lead consultant Sudhir Bahl, and was supervised by Disaster Management Secretary Dani Salu.
The mock exercise in the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) simulated an earthquake measuring 7.7 magnitude, with the epicentre located at 27.280°N and 93.600°E, at a focal depth of 26 km. The simulated epicentre was approximately 40.8 km northeast of the ICR, 51 km southeast of Ziro, and 103 km east of Seppa.
At 8:14 am, a siren was blown to signal the commencement of the earthquake scenario. Immediately, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) and the District Emergency Operation Centres (DEOCs) were activated to function round-the-clock.
In response to the simulated large-scale destruction, the incident response system (IRS) was activated at both the state and district levels.
The officers concerned initiated emergency protocols to manage potential casualties and damage to infrastructure.
All functional healthcare facilities were instructed to remain on high alert and prepare for mass casualty management.
Public advisories were issued, urging citizens to remain calm and stay in safe locations. Emergency contact numbers were disseminated widely for public use.
Simultaneously, the APSDMA reviewed the availability of essential food supplies and other critical resources in coordination with the Food and Civil Supplies Department, while also assessing the preparedness of other key stakeholder departments.
A debriefing session followed the mock exercise, during which key observations on good points and areas of improvement were discussed.
Prior to the field mock, a table-top exercise had been conducted on 17 September, wherein the roles and responsibilities of the incident response teams (IRTs) were clearly defined. The session was chaired by Sudhir Behl, who highlighted existing gaps and suggested actionable solutions for enhanced readiness.
Home Principal Secretary Kaling Tayeng, who was present during the exercise, emphasized the importance of regularly updating the roles and responsibilities of IRT members during the annual monsoon preparedness meetings. He urged the District Disaster Management Authorities to review and update their respective district disaster management plans (DDMPs) for improved response capabilities.
Highlighting the critical role of communication systems during crises, Tayeng directed the Telecom Department, in coordination with the Disaster Management Department, to identify and secure critical telecom assets across districts and ensure uninterrupted power supply to essential communication infrastructure.
Dani Salu expressed appreciation for the active participation of all stakeholders and reaffirmed the commitment to building a resilient disaster management system in Arunachal Pradesh.
The mock exercise saw the participation of all the DDMAs, personnel from the Indian Army, CISF, ITBP, BRO, NDRF, SDRF, NCC, OSCAR INDIA (HAM operator) and other key stakeholders, an official release said.
In Namsai district, the DDMA conducted a mock exercise on earthquake at five identified incident sites – the Government Secondary School, Namsai, the mini-secretariat office, the district hospital, the old market, and the residential area near Emma Hotel, Namsai.
Local residents also participated and witnessed the exercise, which helped in spreading awareness about safety measures to be adopted before, during, and after an earthquake.
In East Kameng district, a mock exercise on earthquake, landslide GLOF was conducted in Seppa to evaluate the district’s disaster preparedness and response.
The exercise began at 8 am with a briefing by Deputy Commissioner and incident commander Manjunath R.
At 8:03 am, a simulated 7.7 magnitude earthquake scenario was enacted, depicting widespread impact across the town. Demonstrations were carried out at five ‘incident sites’:
Govt ME School, Seppa: 20 students trapped, all rescued with minor and serious injuries treated.
District hospital, Seppa: 5 persons trapped, all rescued.
Type-2 residential area, Seppa: 10 trapped, 4 seriously injured, 2 deaths.
M/s TKS petrol pump, Seppa: Fire outbreak due to short circuit, contained by Fire Brigade with no casualties.
District secretariat, Seppa: 30 persons trapped, 12 injured, all rescued.
All injured were treated at the medical aid camp set up at the general ground, Seppa, while the seriously injured individuals were referred to the district hospital. A relief camp was also established at the same venue to accommodate 400 affected families, providing food, water, and essential medicines.
The exercise highlighted effective coordination among the district administration, police, fire services, medical teams, and allied departments. It also underlined the need to strengthen communication and logistics in disaster scenarios.
In West Siang district, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) conducted a mock exercise on earthquake and landslide preparedness. The exercise was carried out as per the simulation scenario provided by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The West Siang DDMA actively participated in the exercise by mobilizing all available resources and ensuring timely response mechanisms. Five locations were identified at the district headquarters, along with one incident site in Kamba, where the drill was executed.
All modalities were followed strictly in line with NDMA guidelines. Officials confirmed that the mock exercise was conducted successfully, meeting its objectives of testing preparedness and coordination among stakeholders.
In Dibang Valley district, the DDMA conducted a mock earthquake exercise at five locations: Etalin bridge point in Etalin; the Government Secondary School; the old market area; the district hospital; and the State Bank of India in Anini.
The drill aimed to test the preparedness and response of various line departments, first responders, and stakeholders through a series of activities, including rescue operations, evacuation drills, medical assistance, and coordination exercises.
Local residents participated in and observed the exercise, which helped raise awareness about essential safety measures to take before, during, and after an earthquake.
In Papum Pare district, the DDMA conducted a mock drill on earthquake scenario.
As part of the drill, earthquake and its collateral damages were simulated at multiple locations,including the DC office, the IOCL depot in Emchi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyapeeth in Yupia, and Donyi Polo Airport, Hollongi.
A special highlight of the drill was the participation of NDRF personnel, who demonstrated specialized rescue skills, including the use of sniffer dogs for search operations and evacuation process from high-rise buildings.
NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, and Aapda Mitras actively participated as first community responders, showcasing the vital role of trained volunteers in disaster response.
The entire drill was monitored by incident commander and ADC Tame Yajum.
Deputy Commissioner Vishakha Yadav emphasized the importance of such preparedness activities in building resilience and ensuring minimal loss of life and property during real calamities.
In West Kameng district, the DDMA, in collaboration with the district administration, conducted a comprehensive mock exercise on earthquake, landslides, and GLOF scenarios across various locations in Bomdila township and its subdivisions.
During the exercise, multiple simulated situations were created, including evacuation drills, rescue operations, and medical emergency responses, which were effectively carried out by the line departmentsconcerned.
The mock exercise saw active participation from all major stakeholders and first responders.
In Tawang, a mock exercise on earthquake, GLOF and landslides was conducted under the supervision of the district administration.
The drill was carried out simultaneously at six locations in Tawang headquarters – Government Higher Secondary School, DC’s office, the Tawang monastery, New Market, Indian Oil petrol pump, and KDS District Hospital.
Addressing the participants, Tawang DC NamgyalAngmo commended the active participation of all the stakeholders, and urged everyone to remain vigilant and prepared for any unforeseen calamity.
She highlighted that the presence of Army and paramilitary forces is a big asset to Tawang as their greater resources and manpower significantly support the administration and population during calamities.
In addition, mock exercises were executed also in Lungla and Jang subdivision.
Similar drills were organised also in East Siang, Tirap, Upper Siang, Keyi Panyor, Anjaw, and other districts. (With inputs from DIPROs)
