Itanagar, Feb 7: Arunachal Pradesh has been carrying out regular mock drills and simulation exercises based on a potential 7.8 magnitude earthquake to strengthen disaster preparedness, improve coordination and ensure effective mobilisation of resources, State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Secretary Dani Sulu said on February 6.
Addressing a tabletop exercise focused on a multi-state earthquake scenario, Sulu said empowering state and district disaster management authorities to lead response efforts at the local level was crucial. He underlined that Arunachal Pradesh lies in a high seismic risk zone, making continuous preparedness, capacity-building and institutional strengthening essential for mitigating the impact of a major earthquake.
The exercise was organised by the state disaster management department in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and aimed to evaluate preparedness levels, test inter-departmental coordination and fine-tune response mechanisms in the event of a large-scale seismic disaster.
NDMA senior consultant Col Nadeem Arshad (Retd) said the multi-state exercise was designed to enhance coordination and readiness across regions, noting that natural disasters do not follow administrative boundaries. He stressed the importance of joint planning and coordinated action among neighbouring states to manage large emergencies effectively.
During the session, NDMA officials presented a detailed earthquake scenario, highlighting the need for swift decision-making, seamless communication and coordinated action among all stakeholders during a crisis.
Officials said the tabletop drill is being conducted simultaneously in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Meghalaya, with a full-scale field-level mock exercise scheduled for February 9 to further test ground response capabilities.
