Disaster, as a group

Three months after formation, the group was involved in a mock exercise in Chinkral Mullah, a Srinagar locality. They never met again, not even after the snow tragedy.

8216;8216;After the formation, it was mandatory for all its members to assemble and chalk out a plan to tackle any emergency,8217;8217; says A H Beig, deputy controller, civil defence, Kashmir. 8216;8216;When this calamity struck, the government declared an emergency and a red alert but we didn8217;t do anything. It is the responsibility of the group to act.8217;8217;

This is not the first instance of the group8217;s sloth. After the dummy run, the Kashmir divisional commissioner called up every member of the group, seeking plans, proposals and requirements to make the group a strong, well-equipped unit.

8216;8216;But 10 months have passed, we haven8217;t even been able to set up a control room for the group. How will we respond to such a tragedy?8217;8217; asks Beig.