Civil Defence mock drill conducted in West Tripura to test earthquake, air raid preparedness

Agartala (Tripura) [India], May 7 (ANI): The West Tripura district administration conducted a large-scale civil defence mock drill in Agartala on Tuesday to assess disaster preparedness in response to potential earthquakes and air raids.
The exercise took place at multiple locations including Umakanta English Medium School, Mohanpur, and Jiraniya, between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM. The drill involved rescue simulations, inter-agency coordination, and public response measures.
Dr Vishal Kumar, District Magistrate of West Tripura, said, "As in the rest of the country, a mock drill is also being conducted in our district. From what I see, the participation of people and various agencies has made it a very successful drill."

He outlined the objectives of the drill, stating, "The main objectives of this drill--mobilizing resources, assessing them, and spreading awareness among the public--have all been fulfilled. I hope this drill has given our agencies a chance to learn, and that it has increased public awareness so that in any unforeseen situation, the administration will stand with them."

The drill was conducted in two phases. The first began at 4:00 PM at Umakanta School, and the second phase followed at 5:30 PM. Rescue operations were simulated, including one involving children trapped inside a school building.
Dr Kumar noted that approximately 17 departments participated, including the NDRF, SDRF, BSF, and CRPF. Around 500 officials from state and central forces, volunteers, and disaster trainees were involved, along with about 500 civilians.
He added, "The coordination we have seen among the society and ordinary citizens has also been very encouraging for us as administrators. It shows that our people stand with the country and are fully prepared for any situation or disaster."
The Superintendent of Police, Dr Kiran Kumar K, provided operational details of the drill. "Our drill is going on in three places--Mohanpur, Jiraniya, and Uma Kant School--from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. So far, everything has been going well. Our forces are very well prepared, and even other teams like the medical team, NCC students, and civil defense volunteers are well prepared."

Volunteers from Civil Defence and National Cadet Corps (NCC) also participated in the drill. Uttam Bhattacharjee, from the Civil Defence team, said, "We, from the side of Civil Mass, want to teach people how to protect themselves in emergency situations, how to save themselves and assist others. We are teaching people about this."
Danyal Murashing, representing the NCC, said, "Today, under the direction of West District, we are conducting a drill on how to respond if an attack comes from an enemy country's aircraft. For example, if a bomb is dropped somewhere, how to take shelter--if it's dropped in a building, where to go, what to do."
He added, "When the siren sounds, everyone should immediately move to the designated evacuation spot and take cover, keeping their heads down to avoid injury. Fire services, bomb squads, CRPF, and BSF are all present here. We from the NCC are also participating for self-defense training."
In a press conference following the event, Dr Kumar explained that the mock drill was part of a nationwide directive from the central government to all 244 districts, including the eight in Tripura.
"This drill was based on earthquake and air raid warnings, to assess the administrative and public response. With the support of the state government, we organized the first phase of the mock drill at 4:00 PM at Umakanta English Medium School and the second phase at 5:30 PM," he said.
He emphasized the extensive participation. "We saw participation from about 17 different departments related to disaster response, around 500 government officials from different paramilitary forces under central and state governments, and many volunteers and disaster response trainees. About 500 civilians also supported the event."
Dr Kumar acknowledged challenges during the drill. "While doing the exercise, we noticed a few shortcomings, especially in general public awareness. We are working on improving that. The coordination among different agencies was exceptional--particularly NDRF, SDRF, and our disaster response friends."
He also thanked social organizations and civilian participants. "The level of enthusiasm and risk-taking shown by social organizations was impressive. This was not just a successful disaster response exercise but also helped foster nationalism and unity in society."
The district administration reported that the drill was monitored closely by senior state officials. "At the highest level--whether DGP, Chief Secretary, or Honorable Chief Minister--this event was taken seriously and closely supervised. Not only did they inquire about it multiple times, but also kept themselves informed through their media teams," Dr Kumar said.
He also added, "We are confident that if any such disaster--earthquake or air attack--happens, we are fully prepared. Our citizens are fully prepared, and we received their complete support." (ANI)