The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) recently conducted a Union Territory-level Tabletop Exercise (TTEx) focused on earthquake, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), and cloudburst scenarios in Ladakh.

The exercise was led by NDMA Consultant for Mitigation, Emergency & Incident Response Systems (ME&IRS), Major General Sudhir Bahl (Retd), under the chairmanship of Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Advisor to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, and Amit Sharma, Administrative Secretary of Disaster Management, Ladakh.

Deputy Commissioner and CEO of LAHDC Kargil, Shrikant Suse, participated virtually from the Conference Hall in Baroo, Kargil. Other key officials from Kargil also joined the TTEx virtually, including SSP Kargil, Shree Raam R; ADC Kargil, Suhail Ahmed; Principal of Government Degree College Kargil, Amina Qari; Nodal Officer for Project Vijayak (BRO), Rohit Arora; CPO Kargil, Abdul Hadi; ACR Kargil, Muhammad Sharief; Chief Controller of Finance Kargil, Iftikhar Hussain; ACD Kargil, Padma Angmo; DFO Kargil, Mohd Ali; CMO Kargil, Dr. Liyaqat Ali; SDMs; EO MC Kargil, Razia Khatoon; DySP Telecom, Riyaz Ahmad Bhat; HQ to DC Office, Arifa Iqbal; AD DIPR Kargil, Raza Ali; as well as Tehsildars, engineers, police and army officers, and other district officials.

Major General Sudhir Bahl provided an in-depth discussion on the Incident Response System (IRS) module, emphasizing the roles and responsibilities of the Incident Response Team (IRT) in effectively managing disasters. He highlighted the importance of inter-departmental coordination with other Central Government agencies, such as the Armed and Paramilitary Forces, to leverage their resources and support during disaster management.

A detailed presentation was shared, outlining the structure and organization of the IRS module, including the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) and the responsibilities of various task forces and IRT members. The NDMA Consultant also emphasized the use of modern technologies, such as drones and satellite imagery, for assessing disaster damage and preparing a planned and effective response.

Major General Bahl stressed that effective disaster management preparedness and response are crucial for mitigating human and material losses during disasters.

DC Kargil, ADC Kargil, and Heads of Departments from Kargil briefed the meeting on resource availability, requirements, areas of concern, and disaster plans relevant to their respective departments.

The tabletop exercise included hypothetical earthquake scenarios, with discussions on the responses from designated IRT members, such as the Incident Commander, Planning Section Chief, Operations Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, and others.

This exercise served as a precursor to a major mock exercise on earthquake preparedness scheduled for August 22 in both Leh and Kargil districts. The mock exercise aims to sensitize stakeholders and enhance the preparedness of response mechanisms in the event of an earthquake.