Delhi conducts quake, chemical leakage mock drills at 55 locations

The exercise, which began at 9.03am, simulated an earthquake scenario and activated emergency responses across schools, hospitals, metro stations, industrial zones, and government offices in all 11 revenue districts of the Capital

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and around 20 stakeholder departments, conducted a full-scale mock drill across 55 locations in the city on Friday to test preparedness for a high-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent chemical hazard during which mock rescue operations were launched, victims were taken to hospitals and treated. The exercise aimed to assess and strengthen Delhi’s disaster preparedness and response systems.

A mock drill scenario at Ramesh Nagar Metro Station in New Delhi on Friday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The exercise, which began at 9.03am, simulated an earthquake scenario and activated emergency responses across schools, hospitals, metro stations, industrial zones, and government offices in all 11 revenue districts of the Capital. In addition, chemical disaster simulations were conducted in industrial clusters in West, North-East, and South-West Delhi.

DDMA CEO Krishna Kumar said the exercise assessed key components of Delhi’s disaster management framework, including the incident response system, functioning of state and district emergency operation centres, inter-agency coordination, medical and fire services, and public warning mechanisms.

“Staging areas were activated for task force deployment, and relief camps were set up to support displaced persons. The drill involved departments such as health, police, fire services, Delhi Metro, jal board, and civil defence,” Kumar said, adding that the exercise was a step towards building a resilient, scientifically informed disaster response system.

All participating departments will now submit “after action reports” to identify gaps and suggest improvements to the State Disaster Management Plan and their respective standard operating procedures (SOPs). The DDMA has also called for regular drills to ensure long-term readiness and thanked residents for their cooperation during the simulation.