Dehradun: A major earthquake is expected across Uttarakhand, including the entire Himalayan region. In view of this, the Uttarakhand State Emergency Operations Center is conducting a mock drill on November 15th to assess earthquake and earthquake-related disaster preparedness. A tabletop exercise was held on Thursday for this mock drill. Vinay Kumar Ruhela, Vice Chairman of the State Advisory Committee, Disaster Management Department, and Dr. DK Aswal, Member of the National Disaster Management Authority, chaired the program and provided guidelines to districts and departments for the successful conduct of the mock drill.
Presiding over the program, Dr. DK Aswal, Member of the National Disaster Management Authority, stated that the mock drill is an opportunity to assess the capabilities, preparedness, and resource management and efficiency. He emphasized that Uttarakhand is highly vulnerable to various types of disasters. Therefore, prior preparation, capacity development, and continuous training are essential to combat disasters. He suggested that digital twin technology be used in future mock drills conducted by the USDMA.
He explained that digital twin technology creates a virtual (digital) replica of a location or building, allowing us to practice real-life situations. Using it in disaster mock drills can help us risk-freely visualize what might happen in the event of a disaster, such as an earthquake, flood, or fire, and how to respond.
Vinay Kumar Ruhela stated that the most important thing to deal with disasters is to learn from them. If we apply the lessons learned, even the most significant disasters can be effectively dealt with. He expressed satisfaction that the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority is conducting mock drills regularly.
Instructions to download the Bhudev app: Secretary of Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, informed that the Bhudev app has been developed by IIT Roorkee and the USDMA, which will send alerts to mobile phones in case of an earthquake. He instructed all officers and employees participating in the mock drill to download the Bhudev app on their phones. This app is available on Android and the Play Store. In the event of an earthquake of magnitude greater than five, a siren will sound on the phone, giving people 25 to 30 seconds to evacuate.
Sirens to sound in Dehradun on November 15th: To prepare for the disaster, mock drills will be conducted simultaneously at 10 locations in Dehradun district on November 15th. Emergency sirens will sound during the mock drill. The district administration appeals to the public not to be alarmed by such mock drills.
Mock drills at these locations: In preparation for a potential earthquake, mock drills will be conducted at 10 different locations in Dehradun district on November 15th, starting at 9:30 am. Mock drills will be conducted around six key locations within Tehsil Sadar: Coronation Hospital, Maharana Pratap Stadium, ISBT, Araghar Electricity Substation, Dilaram Chowk Water Institute, and Pacific Mall. Mock drills will be conducted in Pata Village and Riyaika Kasturba Gandhi in Kalsi. Mock drills will also be conducted in Selaqui Industrial Area in Vikas Nagar and near the THDC in Rishikesh. Local residents will also be educated on safety during an earthquake.
These agencies will participate: District Magistrate Savin Bansal stated that the purpose of the mock drill is to assess the effectiveness of rapid response, coordination, and relief operations in a disaster situation. A simulated earthquake situation will be simulated during the mock drill. Relief and rescue operations will be demonstrated during the exercise, ensuring better coordination and minimized response time during a real disaster. All agencies in the district, including the administration, police, health department, fire brigade, PRD, DDRF, NDRF, and SDRF, will participate in the drill.
