Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram on Monday carried out a coordinated multi-state earthquake preparedness mock drill in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), aimed at strengthening disaster response mechanisms and identifying gaps in preparedness across the region.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the State Disaster Management Department conducted a table-top exercise in Itanagar based on a simulated multi-state earthquake scenario.
Officials said the exercise focused on improving inter-departmental coordination, enhancing awareness, and assessing the readiness of agencies to respond to large-scale natural disasters.
NDMA senior consultant Nadeem Arshad said such exercises are crucial as disasters transcend administrative boundaries, making inter-state cooperation essential for effective response and resilience building.
He emphasised the need to empower state and district disaster management authorities to lead local response efforts and called for more realistic casualty simulations in future drills.
Arshad also stressed that adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) is mandatory during all mock exercises.
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State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) secretary Dani Salu highlighted the importance of regular preparedness activities, noting that Arunachal Pradesh has been conducting periodic mock drills to improve emergency response, mobilisation of resources and coordination among departments.
He also underlined the role of community-based organisations, panchayati raj institutions and NGOs in ensuring wider community participation.
The drill was conducted across four districts in Arunachal Pradesh.
District Disaster Management Officers from West Kameng, Pakke-Kessang, Papum Pare and the Itanagar Capital Region participated virtually, along with representatives from key response agencies, including the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
