Gurugram admin to conduct mock drill tomorrow

Gurugram, May 6 (IANS) To ensure public safety during emergency situations, a mock drill will be conducted in Gurugram under the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday, officials said.

This mock drill will be organised in 11 districts across Haryana.

The Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority-cum-Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar held a meeting with departmental officers in Gurugram to discuss the precaution on Wednesday.

He told them that the mock drill will take place at designated locations across the district.

At 4 p.m., a loud siren will be sounded to alert the public.

For this drill, the command control area-cum-emergency operations centre will be established at the Mini Secretariat's conference hall.

A staging area for dispatching relief teams to the affected sites will be set up at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium.

Five rescue teams, headed by a task force manager, will be stationed there.

These teams will include ambulances, doctors, nurses, fire brigades, police officers, Civil Defence volunteers, and other essential resources for rescue operations.

Kumar said that the objective of the mock drill is to test the alertness during an air raid warning system and ensure proper functioning of main and auxiliary control rooms, review evacuation plans and execution during emergencies as well as assess actions during blackout to ensure preparedness in real scenarios.

The Deputy Commissioner told us that as per the mock drill procedure, a scheduled blackout will be observed in the district on Wednesday night.

He urged citizens to switch off their home lights and cooperate with the drill as well as people are advised to stay indoors during the blackout.

Kumar said the administration is utilising all major mediums to spread awareness.

Schools have been instructed to inform students during morning assemblies about blackout precautions, he added.

The resident welfare associations and key institutions are also being contacted to ensure the success of this drill, he said.

He reassured citizens that there is no need to panic -- the purpose of the exercise is to evaluate the preparedness of all concerned departments and test the rapid response system.

Citizens are expected to follow the instructions issued by the administration during the drill, the Deputy Commissioner added.

--IANS

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