The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), will conduct its 9th statewide earthquake mock exercise across all districts on 6 June 2025. This large-scale drill aims to evaluate and strengthen the preparedness and coordination of government agencies and communities in managing earthquake-related emergencies.
In preparation for the event, an orientation and coordination workshop was held today, featuring a virtual address by Major General (Retd.) Sudhir Bahl, Principal Advisor to the NDMA. He outlined the exercise’s objectives and strategic framework to a wide group of stakeholders, including Deputy Commissioners, District Disaster Management Teams, and Sub-Divisional officers.
Bahl emphasized the importance of the exercise, especially for a hilly and seismically vulnerable state like Himachal Pradesh, where around 70% of the population resides in high-risk earthquake zones (IV and V). He stated that strengthening earthquake response mechanisms would also enhance the state’s readiness for other natural disasters.
A preparatory table-top exercise will be conducted on 3 June 2025, requiring the participation of heads and nodal officers from all relevant departments. This will serve as a planning and simulation session before the full-scale mock drill.
D.C. Rana, Director and Special Secretary (Revenue-Disaster), provided an overview of the ongoing preparations by HPSDMA. He noted that this collaborative effort with NDMA is a significant step in bolstering the state’s overall disaster management capabilities.
Senior representatives from the police, NDRF, ITBP, Deepak Project, and other key agencies also took part in the workshop, reinforcing inter-agency collaboration as a core component of the upcoming exercise.
