Reported by Bhadra Gogoi
Dimapur: A tabletop exercise, as part of the Nagaland Emergency Preparedness Exercise (NEPEx) 2026, was held across the state on Wednesday.
The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority conducted the tabletop exercise at the State Emergency Operations Centre at the Capital Convention Centre in Kohima.
Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen stated that the core objectives of the 8th edition of NEPEx are to assess the preparedness of stakeholders and to test and validate standard operating procedures.
He added that it also seeks to strengthen inter-agency coordination across various departments to ensure a more effective and unified response during disasters.
Imchen further said the exercise aims to evaluate the functioning of critical systems, identify existing gaps and challenges, and enhance community preparedness and awareness for better disaster response and resilience.
On the upcoming field exercise, he said a major earthquake scenario of magnitude 7.7 on the Richter scale will be simulated, which is expected to cause extensive damage to infrastructure, disrupt communication networks, and overwhelm healthcare systems, while also triggering secondary incidents such as landslides and fires.
He emphasised that the exercise will involve coordinated participation from multiple agencies, including district administrations, security forces, paramilitary units, healthcare providers, urban local bodies, village councils, NGOs, and church organisations.
In Dimapur, the exercise was conducted by the District Disaster Management Authority at the DC's conference hall in Purana Bazar.
Officials designated as observers, site in-charges, and volunteers attended the programme, which focused on response strategies, inter-agency coordination, communication systems, and the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders during emergency situations.
The exercise was also conducted in other districts of the state.