Hyderabad: The Telangana government will conduct statewide mock drills on May 18 to assess preparedness and strengthen emergency response systems for floods, forest fires and industrial accidents.

Secretary Harichandana Dasari, IAS, on Friday reviewed the arrangements with officials at the Command Control centre and directed all departments and district administrations to ensure effective coordination and timely response during the exercises.

Checking preparedness for emergencies

The mock drills are being organised to evaluate the preparedness of various departments and emergency agencies in handling floods, forest fires and industrial accidents.

The secretary said that the exercise would help assess the functioning of Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs), Incident Response Teams (IRTs), communication systems and inter-departmental coordination during emergency situations.

Why are emergency mock drills important?

Vikram Singh Mann, DG, Fire Services, said mock drills play a crucial role in identifying the gaps and resolving issues at our level to tackle floods, industrial and fire accidents.

He also said that, under the guidance of NDMA, the state has learned to improve preparedness and minimise loss of life and property during disasters.

Major General Sudhir Behl (Retd.), Lead Consultant, NDMA, gave a detailed presentation on the roles and responsibilities of the departments during mock exercises.

He said that exercises help identify gaps in communication, rescue operations, coordination and resource mobilisation. He also reviewed the preparatory activities of different departments, community participation, resource awareness and mapping.