‘Rectify mistakes, learn from them’: Mock drill at Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Riverfront

During the drill, three teams dealt with a mock situation where a boat with 10 persons capsized. Fire department’s teams from Shahpur (East), Jamalpur (West), and Paldi Control Room were involved in the drill. Within 25 minutes, the mock operation was over, said officials. This included taking the passengers to the nearest hospital. A video evidence of the entire incident, which is crucial for investigation later to understand the cause behind the accident, was also secured.

A joint operation of Waterbody rescue drill was conducted by NDRF, Fire Emergency services, Gujarat State Disaster Management and 108 Paramedic services at Sabarmati River on Tuesday. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

A similar mock exercise was held on February 19 in Amrapali Fun Land in Kankaria. “There were also observers from AMC and the Collector’s office team to look at the execution and point out the flaws, and get the learnings,” Jadeja said.

Jadeja also added that the department has asked for two dedicated EOCs (Emergency Operation Centres) on the east and west banks of the river for “rapid intervention” to suffice the increase in demand for water sports and an increasing number of floating restaurants and footfall at the Riverfront.