Una, June 7- Additional Deputy Commissioner Mahendra Pal Gurjar said that a mega mock drill will be organized in Una district on June 14 to take stock of the preparations for disaster management in view of the upcoming monsoon season. On this day, mock drill will be conducted at designated places and institutions in the district by assuming symbolic damage due to rain-flood-landslides. In this, the effectiveness of the response plan regarding disaster management will be tested and the plan will be reviewed and the shortcomings will be analyzed and work will be done to improve them. This will help in making the district disaster management plan more robust.

Let us tell you, regarding the organization of the mock drill, the officials of the National Disaster Management Authority and the State Disaster Management Authority held an orientation workshop through video conference on Friday. In this, officials of various stakeholder departments along with Additional Deputy Commissioner Mahendra Pal Gurjar participated in the NIC room of the Deputy Commissioner's office. Regarding this, a coordination meeting and table top exercise will be held on June 12 and a state level mock drill will be held on June 14.

These are the main objectives of the mock drill

Mahendra Pal Gurjar said that on June 14, a mega mock drill will be held in the entire state, in the same sequence it will also be organized in Una district. The main objective of the mock drill is to test the effectiveness of the response plan in the disaster, so that the shortcomings can be detected and corrected in time. Also, one of its objectives is to familiarize all the stakeholder departments and officials with the updated standard operating procedures and guidelines regarding disaster management. Similarly, one of its objectives is also to increase public awareness and ensure better coordination among all stakeholder departments.

In the online meeting, top officials of the National Disaster Management Authority gave detailed information about the mock drill and discussed in detail the disaster management plan and all its aspects. At the same time, DC Rana, Director of the State Disaster Management Authority, who joined the meeting from Shimla, asked to conduct the mock drill with full seriousness so that the effectiveness of the response plan along with disaster management preparations and capabilities can be properly assessed.

Efficiency and mutual coordination will be assessed

Mahendra Pal Gurjar said that the District Disaster Management Authority has prepared a disaster management plan for the district. Apart from this, all the departments also have their own disaster management plans. In these plans, the responsibility of every departmental officer-employee is already determined. All the departments should prepare for mega mock drill at their own level according to these plans. In such emergency situations, the efficiency and mutual coordination of the concerned departments will be assessed and their effectiveness will also be seen.

Mapping of safe places in every village

He asked the concerned officials to take precautionary steps before the monsoon and ensure the cleaning of rivers and drains. He instructed to ensure that the flow path of rivers and drains is not blocked. He said that the officials should map the safe places in every village from the point of view of disaster management. Where there is ease in making appropriate arrangements for accommodation of people and other arrangements in case of emergency like flood etc. He also instructed to remove the slums in the path of the flow of Swan river. He said that the officials should hold a meeting with disaster friends and ask them to be alert about the emergency situation.

ASP Surendra Sharma, SDM Amb Vivek Mahajan, SDM Una Vishwamohan Dev Chauhan, SDM Bangana Sonu Goyal, SDM Gagret Saumil Gautam, DFO Sushil, CMO Sanjeev Verma and officers from various departments were present in the meeting.