Flood rescue mock drill conducted to test emergency preparedness in Ggm

A disaster management drill was held in Gurugram to assess emergency response capabilities for urban floods, involving multiple departments and rescue simulations.

A distaster management drill was conducted on Thursday in DLF Phase 1 underpass and Signature Tower Underpass to assess preparedness and inter-departmental coordination during emergencies, officials said.

A simulated scenario of heavy rainfall and waterlogging was created at both the sites and mock rescue and relief operation were carried out at the Basai Pond. (HT)

According to officials the exercise was conducted to check the response capability, incident response systen (IRS), evacuation procedures, medical preparedness and resource mobilisation during urban flood emergencies.

An official from the district disaster management authority (DDMA) said the two locations were identified by the NDRF as highly vulnerable to waterlogging during periods of heavy rainfall.

The exercise is part of a statewide flood rescue mock drillbeing carried out across 13 districts of Gurugram, Ambala, Faridabad, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Panipat, Palwal, Sirsa, Sonipat and Yamunanagar and Fatehabad.

Officials said the mock drill started at 9 am with sirens sounding across the Mini Secretariat premises. A simulated scenario of heavy rainfall and waterlogging was created at both the sites and mock rescue and relief operation were carried out at the Basai Pond.

In the mock scenario 23 injured persons were rescued during the exercise. The simulation included eight drowning deaths after vehicles got trapped in waterlogged underpasses and seven electrocution deaths caused by live wires and floodwaters carrying electric current, officials said.

Several others were shown injured in road accidents and trauma-related incidents, while medical emergencies such as snakebites were also included to assess the preparedness of emergency response teams, officials said.

According to officials the injured were taken to the Sector 31 polyclinic, while others were sent to relief centers after receiving first aid.

Around 75 personnel from the Gurugram Police participated in the exercise, with 25 officers each deployed at the two incident sites and the Basai Pond area.

At the DLF Phase-1 underpass site, officials said four pumps were already in place, while eight additional pumps were deployed during the exercise. At the Signature Tower underpass, eight pumps were existing and five more were additionally deployed, officials added.

The mock drill saw participation from the district administration, health department, revenue and management department, civil defence, NDRF, police, traffic police, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) among other departments.

Deputy commissioner (DC) Uttam Singh said the initial phase of any disaster situation is the most crucial. The top priority is safely evacuating the injured, transporting them to hospitals promptly, and ensuring adequate medical facilities are available. He also added that a district disaster operation centre will be established at the Mini Secretariat.

“The administration is also training 750 young ‘Yuva Aapda Mitra’ volunteers for disaster management in the city. Of 750, 300 are from NCC, 150 from NSS, 150 from My Bharat and 150 from Bharat Scouts and Guides,” said the DDMA official.