Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh –
The Haryana Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), conducted a large-scale mock drill titled ‘Exercise Suraksha Chakra’ across five key districts—Gurugram, Faridabad, Rewari, Palwal, and Nuh.
The full-scale exercise, aimed at testing the response mechanism during natural and industrial disasters such as earthquakes and chemical hazards, was successfully carried out at 21 strategic locations. These included educational institutions, government buildings, hospitals, and commercial spaces such as GSSS M.P. Jharsa, Star Mall, B.K. Hospital, Mini Secretariat Faridabad, RPS International School, and Pushpanjali Hospital, among others.
The drill was part of a national-level initiative directed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister to enhance emergency preparedness through joint exercises involving multiple states and agencies. As the National Capital Region (NCR) remains vulnerable to seismic and industrial risks, the exercise was specifically designed to assess and improve Haryana’s disaster response capacity within this high-risk zone.
Dr. Sumita Misra lauded the effective and incident-free execution of the exercise. She noted the commendable coordination among multiple stakeholders, including the Haryana Home Guards, Aapda Mitra volunteers, Fire Services Red Cross, National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) volunteers, and several NGOs.
The drill followed the Incident Response System (IRS) framework to evaluate communication flow, resource mobilization, inter-agency coordination, and real-time decision-making processes during a crisis. Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) were tested, and gaps in logistics and resources were identified for future strengthening. The initiative demonstrated the state's ability to respond to large-scale emergencies through unified action by the administration, security forces, medical services, and community volunteers. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has supported in the execution of response at several location.
Dr. Misra emphasized that the lessons from this exercise would be documented and integrated into the state’s disaster management framework to enhance institutional readiness. She reaffirmed the government's commitment to developing a robust, technology-enabled disaster response system that ensures the safety of life and property.