Keylong, June 15
The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Lahaul-Spiti on Monday successfully conducted a large-scale mock drill across the district to assess preparedness and response capabilities for multiple disaster scenarios, including earthquakes, landslides, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), flash floods, and forest fires.
The exercise was conducted under the guidance of the Deputy Commissioner and the DDMA Chairperson, Kiran Bhadana. It aimed to evaluate the readiness of various departments, resource mobilisation, coordination mechanisms, and rapid response systems during emergency situations in the disaster-prone district.
The mock drill commenced at 9 am with a simulated 8.0 magnitude earthquake scenario. The District Emergency Operations Center (DEOC) was activated, and all Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) were placed on alert. ‘Drop, Cover and Hold’ and emergency evacuation exercises were conducted at government and private institutions across the district.
Special disaster response exercises were also organised at the District Hospital and Government Senior Secondary School in Udaipur. According to the simulated scenario at the school, structural damage trapped 30 students and 5 teachers under debris, while 70 students, 25 teachers, and 10 non-teaching staff were on the premises. Rescue teams conducted a coordinated operation, safely evacuated all affected individuals, and provided medical assistance.
Another major exercise was conducted at Shaks Nala based on a hypothetical large-scale landslide incident. The scenario depicted blockage of National Highway-03 and the Keylong link road, with several vehicles buried under debris.
During the rescue operation, authorities assessed a total of 36 affected persons. Of these, 12 were declared dead, 17 injured, and six safely rescued, while five critically injured individuals were shifted to the Regional Hospital in Keylong for treatment.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Public Works Department, Health Department, and other agencies jointly carried out rescue and relief operations. The exercise also included road clearance and restoration work.
A large-scale evacuation and relief drill was conducted simultaneously in the Sissu and Shashin areas following a simulated warning of a possible GLOF from Ghepan, also known as Alias Lake.
As part of the exercise, 802 people, including local residents, tourists, hotel staff, labourers and students, were evacuated to safer locations. The scenario projected damage to 36 residential buildings, 33 hotels, one Primary Health Center, and one Government Senior Secondary School.
Search and rescue teams safely evacuated 23 injured persons during the operation, while the exercise simulated 27 fatalities and 26 missing persons. Authorities also tested the effectiveness of relief camps, medical services, communication networks, and supply management systems.
A review meeting was held after the mock drill to evaluate the performance of participating departments and agencies. Officials discussed experiences, operational challenges, shortcomings, and best practices observed during the exercise, and recorded recommendations to further strengthen disaster management systems.
Deputy Commissioner Kiran Bhadana said such multi-disaster exercises were extremely important in a disaster-sensitive district like Lahaul-Spiti to strengthen coordination among departments and ensure swift, effective responses during real emergencies.
