Shimla, June 12: As the southwest monsoon approaches Himachal Pradesh, the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) on Friday conducted a Table Top Exercise (TTEx) to assess preparedness ahead of the 10th State-wide Mega Mock Exercise on earthquakes, cloudbursts and forest fires scheduled for June 15.
The exercise brought together district administrations, response agencies and key departments to review emergency plans, resource mobilisation, communication systems and coordination mechanisms for handling disasters under both day and night scenarios.
Additional Secretary (Revenue-Disaster Management) Sunil Verma welcomed participants, while Member and Head of Department, National Disaster Management Authority, Krishna S. Vatsa stressed the importance of mock exercises in strengthening disaster response capabilities.
Chief Secretary K.K. Pant emphasized coordinated preparedness and seamless inter-departmental response, while Director-cum-Ex-Officio Special Secretary (Revenue-Disaster Management) Dr. Pushpendra Rana presented lessons learnt from previous mock exercises and the corrective measures taken thereafter.
Experts from the India Meteorological Department, Forest Department, Health Department and HPPWD made presentations on early warning systems, forest fire management, emergency medical response and restoration of road connectivity during disasters.
Maj. Gen. Sudhir Bahl (Retd.), Lead Consultant with NDMA, detailed earthquake, cloudburst and forest fire scenarios that will be simulated during the mega exercise.
Officials said the June 15 mock drill will serve as a crucial test of Himachal's disaster preparedness as the state braces for the monsoon season, which often triggers landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts and other weather-related emergencies across the hill state.
