In a landmark initiative to enhance emergency preparedness, the National Capital Region (NCR) will witness its first-ever mega-scale mock disaster drill on August 1. The exercise, named ‘Suraksha Chakra’, will simulate earthquake, industrial, and chemical hazard scenarios across 55 locations in 11 districts of Delhi.
Organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the drill will involve coordinated participation from multiple agencies including the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Indian Army’s Western Command, Headquarters Delhi Area, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Police, civil defence, fire services, and health and transport departments. Disaster management units from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana will also be part of the exercise.
The mega drill will be preceded by a stakeholder symposium on July 29 and table-top exercises on July 30 at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi. These preparatory sessions will involve strategy discussions among agencies to strengthen coordinated response plans for the region.
Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, member of NDMA, stated that the drill reflects the government’s whole-of-government approach to disaster resilience. He said that the Delhi-NCR region is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and complex urban disasters, making such preparedness exercises essential.
DDMA CEO Krishan Kumar informed that citizens can expect to see a high presence of police, fire, and emergency response vehicles throughout the city on August 1. He urged the public not to panic and to treat the activity as a routine preparedness measure.
Apart from Delhi, the mock drill will be conducted in two districts of Uttar Pradesh – Noida and Ghaziabad – and five districts of Haryana, namely Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, Nuh, and Rewari.
Lt Gen Hasnain added that the exercise will also include simulations for chemical and fire hazards, with efforts directed at resource mapping and response coordination. He said that the outcomes of the drill will help identify gaps in the existing system and formulate better disaster response strategies.
The NDMA has conducted over 200 small and large-scale mock disaster drills across India in the last five years. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed that such exercises be held in every district of the country once every three years to build local capacity.
This mega drill, Suraksha Chakra, aims to strengthen the disaster management ecosystem of Delhi-NCR, ensuring that emergency services are better prepared to safeguard lives and property in the event of a real disaster.
