Civil Defence Exercise “Operation Abhyaas” Mock Drill in Mokokchung on May 7. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondents
Kohima/ Dimapur/Mokokchung/Wokha/Zunheboto | May 7
In compliance with directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, a Civil Defence Exercise “Operation Abhyaas” Mock Drill was conducted across 10 districts in Nagaland.
This Mock Drill was carried out in the districts of Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Mon, Phek, Tunesang, Kiphire and Peren, on preparedness of civil defence exercise under the code name “Operation Abhyaas.”
The objective of the drill is to assess the operational efficacy and operational coordination of various civil defence measures.
In the state Capital Kohima, the Mock Drill was started at 4 PM, simulating air raids scenario, sounding of emergency sirens, blackout measures, fire incidents, search and rescue operations, casualty evacuation from buildings damaged in air attacks, establishment of temporary hospitals, and evacuation of civilians to bunkers or demilitarised zones.
Talking to media persons, Kohima Deputy Commissioner B. Henok Buchem said that the staging area was Capital Convention Centre and incident site was in Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) office and temporary hospital designated at Directorate of Social Welfare Department.
The demilitarised zone was designated at the Directorate of Higher Education.
The mock drill was simulated on airstrike that hit NPSC office, causing many casualties.
The exercise involved many line departments- civil administration, police, home guards, fire & emergency service, Nagaland SDRF, medical, civil supplies including NCC, Assam Rifles.
Buchem said that the exercise was carried out as to how to react in the event of airstrike.
Maintaining the successful conduct of the exercise in Kohima, he said “We had a successful operation and we had cooperation from all the departments.”
In Dimapur, the DC Office Complex was designated as the staging area and the demilitarized zone, while the office of the Project Director, DRDA, was used to simulate the affected area. A temporary hospital and mobile medical aid centre were established at the Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC), and the emergency communication centre was activated in the Conrol Room with assistance from the OC Police Radio.
The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), with support from the DPRO and Fire & Emergency Services, activated the town-wide siren using the Mayor Brigade vehicle to signal the commencement of the operation. Ten volunteers acted as mock air offense victims, who were subsequently rescued and evacuated by personnel from the Home Guards, Civil Defence, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Among the victims, seven sustained minor injuries and three were categorized as major injury cases. The group consisted of three females and seven males.
A power blackout was simulated in the affected area by the Executive Engineer of the Power Department. Fire & Emergency Services demonstrated firefighting techniques at the incident site near the DRDA office as part of the emergency response.
In Mokokchung, the mock exercise was led by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in coordination with multiple government departments and civic bodies. The simulation focused on a hypothetical hostile aerial attack scenario at the MMC Shopping Complex, aimed at testing the readiness of various emergency services and the response capabilities of the district administration.
Participating agencies included the District Administration, Police, Fire and Emergency Services, National Cadet Corps (NCC), Scouts and Guides, Mokokchung Municipal Council, ward authorities, and members of civil society organizations. These stakeholders collaboratively executed coordinated evacuation, response, and containment exercises in the simulated threat environment.
Similarly, in Wokha, the District administration conducted a comprehensive mock drill simulating a fire incident. The exercise, aimed at assessing the district’s response mechanisms, was jointly carried out by the District Task Force and involved multiple key departments including the District Administration, Police, Medical Department, District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Home Guard & Civil Defence (HG&CD), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
The drill saw the Fire & Emergency Services Department responding swiftly to the simulated fire and successfully extinguishing the flames. During the exercise, nine individuals who were portrayed as injured victims were rescued through the coordinated efforts of HG&CD and the SDRF. Medical teams were on site to administer first aid before transferring the injured to the District Hospital in Wokha for further treatment. The simulation also included one casualty, representing a realistic and sobering aspect of fire emergencies.
In Zunheboto, during the mock drill conducted under supervision of the District Administration, an air raid siren was sounded, simulating a bombing at the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The mock casualties were then moved to the public ground for further treatment.
