A Disaster Management Orientation and Coordination Conference for the upcoming Union Territory-level mock drill was held virtually on August 12 at the Conference Hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Leh.

Chaired by Maj. Gen. Sudhir Bahl (Retd.), the session aimed to strengthen disaster preparedness and address gaps identified in previous operations. The presentation covered the Incident Response System (IRS), nodal officer assignments, early warning mechanisms, and coordinated planning for disaster and rescue operations.

Maj. Gen. Bahl stressed the importance of public awareness drives, inter-departmental coordination, and regular training in line with National Disaster Management guidelines. He also called for close collaboration with the Army, ITBP, and Air Force for operational support, and explained differences in urban versus rural response strategies.

Programme Schedule for the Mock Drill:

Aug 12–18: Preparation & Coordination – Awareness drives, resource mapping, communication planning, training, and rehearsals.
Aug 19: Tabletop Exercise – SDMA updates, civil defence preparedness, and scenario-based presentations by districts and departments.
Aug 20: Preparation for Mock Exercise – Simulation site setup, activation of EOCs, IRTs, IRS facilities (relief camps), and communication checks.
Aug 21–22: Day mock exercise (09:00–13:00 hrs) and night mock exercise (18:30–22:00 hrs).
Aug 22: Debriefing at 10:00 hrs.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Leh, Ghulam Mohd, and Additional Superintendent of Police Leh were present, while officials from CISF Leh, 13 NDRF, DIG ITBP, and U-Force 14 Corps joined virtually.

The exercises will focus on inter-agency coordination, hospital casualty management, and school evacuation drills to ensure readiness for any emergency.