SAMBA: The District Administration of Samba, led by Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Sharma, organized a tabletop exercise on disaster management in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at the Conference Hall in Samba. The exercise aimed to simulate emergency situations, outline the roles and responsibilities of key disaster managers, and learn from domain experts about the latest trends in disaster relief.
Chairing the meeting, DC Abhishek Sharma emphasized the importance of the exercise in preparing and verifying the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for various disaster scenarios. He highlighted the need for coordinated preparedness and response efforts, noting that the exercise would extend to the grassroots level to test the effectiveness of the Incident Response System (IRS).
The exercise involved a comprehensive discussion on various types of disasters, with a focus on flood management. Topics included flood preparedness measures, challenges in flood management, and actions to be taken before, during, and after floods.
DC Sharma stressed the need for illumination backups during floods, identifying flood-prone areas near the Basanter and Devak rivers, and swiftly undertaking flood protection construction works under MGNREGA. He also highlighted the importance of identifying safe locations, training volunteers by NDRF/SDRF, removing encroachments on water bodies, clearing drains, and ensuring the availability of medical supplies, water pumps, and ration stocks in panchayats.
The DC announced that a mock drill would be conducted in this month in collaboration with the 13th Battalion of NDRF. This drill aims to create an effective disaster and IRS plan and identify any shortcomings.
Participants in the exercise included SSP Samba Vinay Sharma, ADC Suresh Sharma, SDMs, ACR, district officers, sectoral officers, and representatives from NDRF, SDRF, and BSF.