The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), conducted the 10th statewide mega mock exercise on earthquake, cloudburst and forest fire scenarios to strengthen disaster preparedness, response coordination and resilience across the state.
The exercise was carried out in three phases. An orientation and coordination workshop was held on 2 June 2026, followed by a table-top exercise on 12 June 2026. The final phase included full-scale field simulation exercises conducted across various districts on Monday.
The exercise was led by Major General (Retd.) Sudhir Bahl and Special Secretary (Disaster Management) Dr. Pushpendra Rana, with active participation from district administrations, emergency response teams, health departments, armed forces, line departments and community stakeholders.
Officials reviewed the outcomes of earlier mock drills and assessed the current level of preparedness. The exercise highlighted improvements in inter-agency coordination, information sharing, resource mobilisation and collaboration among response agencies, reflecting growing disaster readiness across districts.
At the same time, several areas were identified for further strengthening, including communication systems during emergencies, regular updating of district disaster management plans, enhancing medical surge capacity, improving evacuation and traffic management, and identifying staging areas for rapid deployment of rescue teams and resources. Authorities also stressed the need for regular district-level drills to maintain operational readiness.
Special emphasis was laid on preparing health sector surge plans at the district level, including temporary bed capacity, staffing arrangements and continuity mechanisms to ensure hospitals can function effectively during prolonged emergencies. The importance of mutual aid arrangements between districts, timely availability of heavy machinery, specialised rescue equipment and air support was also underlined.
The exercise also focused on strengthening preparedness for vulnerable groups such as children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities, ensuring dedicated evacuation, protection and relief arrangements.
District administrations have been directed to submit consolidated surge capacity and staging area plans within the stipulated timeframe. They have also been asked to finalise and circulate exercise schedules, advisories and preparedness guidelines in advance to encourage wider public awareness and participation.
Reaffirming its commitment to disaster risk reduction, HPSDMA stated that regular mock exercises, continuous capacity building, updated disaster management plans and robust communication systems are essential to ensure swift and coordinated response during major emergencies, while safeguarding lives, livelihoods and infrastructure across the state.
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