Chandigarh, January 9
To test the response of disaster management agencies and also generate public awareness, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will conduct a large-scale exercise in the tricity of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula as well as Shimla on February 13.

This will be the first-ever disaster management initiative in the country at a multi-state level. A unified command and control centre is expected to be set up to handle operations and co-ordinate activities of different state governments across the affected areas.

“The exercise will be based on a hypothetical scenario of an earthquake of the magnitude 8 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, hitting the region,” NDMA member VK Duggal said.

“The scenario has been developed in great detail by a team of scientists and geologists to assess the vulnerability and likely damage,” he added. The Himalayan belt falls in level 5, the highest seismic hazard zone, while Chandigarh comes in level 4.

Titled “MW-8 Mandi Earthquake Scenario: Multi-State Exercise and Awareness Campaign”, the drill will include the participation of all stake holders in disaster management operations at the aforementioned places, including the Army, Air Force and para-military organisations. Fifteen buildings and sites, including high rises, public places and populated areas, in each town will be identified for the purpose of holding the drill. A sum of Rs 2 crore has been earmarked for the drill, out of which Rs 30 lakh has already been given to the each state government.

A meeting chaired by Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil was held here today, which was attended by NDMA members as well as representatives from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh to discuss the existing disaster management infrastructure and the state of preparedness in these states and to work out the modalities of the forthcoming exercise.

The main objectives of the project are to understand the direct and indirect consequences of the earthquake, facilitate preparation and response at various levels, understand the impact of the earthquake on the functioning and responsibilities of various stake holders and facilitate inter-department and inter-state coordination.

Pointing out that earthquakes are totally unpredictable and that preparedness was the key to contain the damage, Duggal said, “A major earthquake in Himachal could affect over a million people and the death toll could be as high as 1.5 lakh. In this backdrop we have to ensure that the ‘life-line buildings’ like hospitals, police stations, fire stations and civil defence establishments are safe by retro-fitting them to make them earthquake resistant.”

Duggal said the National Disaster Relief Force, a Central government outfit with 10 battalions, is not enough to meet the national requirements for disaster management. While the force is raising two more battalions, it was important for each state to have its own disaster management units since the state authorities would be the first responders in the case of a calamity.

Duggal said manpower could be allocated and trained from within the existing state police forces, who would continue to perform their regular duties in routine course, but can be called upon in an emergency.