The UT-level mock exercise on earthquake, GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood), and cloudburst disasters, organized by UT Ladakh in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, was successfully concluded on August 22 in Kargil.

The exercise, conducted for the third consecutive year, was led by Major General Sudhir Bahl (Retd), Consultant (ME&IRS) at NDMA, who monitored the exercise virtually.

The mock exercise involved key district officials including Deputy Commissioner/CEO LAHDC Kargil Shrikant Suse; SSP Kargil Shree Raam R; Colonel Shankalap; ASP Nitin Yadav; ADC Kargil Suhail Ahmed; CPO Kargil Abdul Hadi; ACR Kargil Muhammad Sharief; Chief Controller of Finance Kargil Iftikhar Hussain; CMO Kargil Dr. Liyaqat Ali; EO MC Kargil Razia Khatoon; DySP Telecom Riyaz Ahmad Bhat; HQ to DC Office Arifa Iqbal; AD DIPR Kargil Raza Ali; as well as various Tehsildars, Engineers, Police and Army Officers, and other district officers.

The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Kargil initiated the emergency response mock drill at 9 a.m. with a simulated earthquake scenario at the Conference Hall. The drill began with siren alerts, business continuity checks at the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), and situation briefings communicated via wireless or satellite.

Following the assessment of the simulated damage, a comprehensive response plan was implemented at the EOC under the direction of the Chairman DDMA. Task forces were deployed to various sites, consisting of personnel and machinery from different departments, supervised by Incident Commander ADC Kargil for search, rescue operations, and relief efforts from a staging area outside the Council Secretariat.

DC Kargil, along with SSP Kargil, ADC Kargil, district officials, and Police Officers, visited the Staging Area Camp at the Council Secretariat Ground to evaluate the response executed by various departments. They also inspected simulation sites including Jaffaria Academy of Modern Education, Kargil Filling Station, Kurbathang, Council Residential Quarter near the Council Office Kargil, GNM Hospital Building, and the Relief Camp at the RDD building.

Mock drills were successfully conducted at all simulation sites in the presence of respective Nodal Officers and concerned officials.

The exercise involved the participation of NDRF teams, officials from MC Kargil, Health, Tourism, Information, PHE, PDD, Mechanical, R&B departments, as well as representatives from NGOs, student volunteers, University of Ladakh volunteers, NCC cadets from GDC Kargil, GREF, and various other local organizations including AJUIAK, Baseej-e-Imam, Anjumane Sahib Zaman Sankoo, Al Shabab Volunteers, Aapda Mitra, and NYK. Drones were utilized at the simulation sites to monitor the exercise and activities such as rescues and relief operations.

The exercise, conducted in both Leh and Kargil districts, aimed to sensitize stakeholders about response preparedness for earthquakes. Senior district officers commended all participating departments, stakeholders, religious organizations, and volunteers for their dedication and teamwork in making the mock drill successful. They also acknowledged the role of observers and expressed the expectation of continued commitment and enthusiasm for future disaster preparedness efforts.

Additionally, a night mock drill was held at Andoo to test the preparedness of departments and machinery under the scenario of a presumed landslide. The drill was successfully executed under the supervision of DC Kargil with the participation of concerned departments.