The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, successfully conducted the 9th State-Wide Mega Mock Exercise on Earthquake Preparedness on June 6, 2025. This large-scale simulation aimed to evaluate and enhance the state’s readiness and response capabilities under the Incident Response System (IRS) framework, which has been formally adopted by HPSDMA since September 2017.
The mock drill was carried out in three structured phases: an Orientation and Coordination Workshop on May 27, followed by a Tabletop Simulation on June 3, and culminating in a Full-Scale Physical Mock Drill on June 6. The exercise was conducted across 109 simulation sites covering all 12 districts of the state, with district-wise participation led by Kangra (17 sites), followed by Shimla and Mandi (12 sites each). The simulated disaster scenarios included a range of earthquake-triggered events such as Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), landslides, dam breaches, building collapses, hospital emergencies, fire incidents, industrial disasters, and oil spills.
The exercise witnessed the participation of both central and state-level agencies, ensuring a comprehensive, multi-agency response. Key participating agencies included the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Deepak Project, along with state forces such as Home Guards, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Police, Fire Services, Health Services, and District Administrations.
A post-exercise debriefing session, chaired by K.K. Pant, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue-DM), emphasized the importance of proactive preparedness, quoting: “The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war.” He urged departments to address operational gaps, act on observer feedback, and further improve inter-agency coordination. Observers deployed across districts, along with Deputy Commissioners in their roles as Chairpersons of District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), shared their assessments and pledged to work on noted shortcomings.
D.C. Rana, Director-cum-Ex-Officio Special Secretary (Revenue-DM), underscored the need to strengthen medical response systems, enhance logistics coordination, and develop VSAT-based communication networks. He also highlighted the importance of GIS training for efficient mapping of affected areas to support faster and more accurate response planning.
In his concluding remarks, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Sudhir Behl, Lead Consultant at NDMA, stressed that true disaster resilience can only be achieved through seamless coordination among SDMAs, DDMAs, and all line departments, coupled with constant vigilance and collaborative planning.
The 9th State-Wide Mega Mock Exercise stands as a critical step in Himachal Pradesh’s ongoing commitment to building a resilient and responsive disaster management system, capable of mitigating and effectively managing the impacts of large-scale natural calamities such as earthquakes.
शिमला ज़िले में मेगा मॉक ड्रिल: आपदा प्रबंधन की तैयारियों का परीक्षण
