‘Exercise Suraksha Chakra’: Emergency mock drill to be conducted across 5 districts in Haryana on August 1. Here are the details 

The exercise is conducted to strengthen and assess emergency response capabilities in the face of large-scale disasters such as earthquakes and industrial chemical hazards, she said.

The exercise involves participation from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi across 18 districts, alongside the involvement of the Indian Army’s Headquarters (HQ) Western Command and HQ Delhi Area.

“The exercise aims to strengthen inter-agency coordination, validate existing disaster management plans, and rigorously test real-time emergency response capabilities through a unified approach involving administration, armed forces, emergency services, and community stakeholders, Incident Response System (IRS) across all levels, strengthen Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), identify resource gaps,” Dr. Misra added.

The exercise will unfold in phases. On July 30, a table top exercise, designed to test response to a potential emergency situation, will be conducted simultaneously at Manekshaw Centre in Delhi and other venues across NCR to discuss scenarios and formulate Incident Action Plans.

The exercise will culminate on August 1 with a full-scale mock exercise conducted simultaneously across all participating districts, featuring live simulations at five sites per district: a school, government building, residential area, hospital, and industrial zone.

She said that District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) have received directives to activate Emergency Operations Centres and conduct pre-mock awareness campaigns, ensuring the clear demarcation of staging areas, medical aid posts, relief camps, and safe evacuation routes. They are also tasked with actively involving Aapda Mitra, Red Cross, National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) volunteers, other NGOs, and are also responsible for coordinating extensively with local stakeholders.

Importantly, all risky real-life simulations for civilians will be avoided, with trained personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Fire Services conducting all rescue operations, Dr. Misra stated.

During the upcoming mock drill, sirens will sound at 9:00 am, initiating the drill, followed by immediate evacuation procedures, Dr. Misra added. Following the exercise, a state-level debriefing and feedback session, chaired by senior officers, will be held to evaluate the exercise.

Observers will provide performance reviews and self-assessment reports to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, with a comprehensive final report, including videos and photographs, to be compiled for future reference.

This is, however not the first time, the Millennium City is getting involved in mock drills. In May, voluntary blackouts were conducted across the city, to test civil preparedness in the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.