SDRF personnel demonstrate the rescue of a person from a collapsed building during the NEPEx 2026 mock exercise conducted in Mon on April 30. (DIPR Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 30
The 8th edition of Nagaland Emergency Preparedness Exercise (NEPEx) 2026, simulating a major earthquake scenario measuring magnitude 7.7 and extreme weather disaster in Nagaland, had registered an “impact based” exercise.
Civil Defence Air Raid & Black Out exercise under the Code Name "Operation Night Guard was also conducted across 10 Civil Defence towns, which simulated a drone attack, causing structural collapse, fire outbreak in the buildings, casualties and panic among the civilians.
After conduct of the Mock exercise across Nagaland on April 30, Major General Sudhir Bahl, Lead Consultant (ME & IRS), NDMA complimented all the concerned departments and the agencies for their active participation in the exercise.
“This year's mock exercise was a bit different from the previous one, because we had made it impact based,” he said, while making an observation at the press conference.
The exercise worked out district-wise and the plans on “what would be the kind of casualties and what would be the requirement of hospital beds, ambulances etc.”
“We had looked at multi-faceted scenarios including damage to surface communications through multiple landslides, damage to the airport, damage to dams like Doyang, damage to hospitals besides casualties due to building collapse,” he added.
Pluses and minuses
Maj Gen Bahl maintained that the response and the manner in which the reaction came in from the districts in the state was quite good.
Commenting on communications system, he stressed on the need to strengthen the role of the telecom department and other service providers.
He also noted the concerted and coordinated effort by the roads and bridges department along with the BRO and NHIDCL in addressing lifelines first in landslides situation.
On the safety aspect of petrol pumps, the Lead Consultant said that earthquakes are likely to cause fires in petrol pumps and this needs attention.
The petrol pumps need to have their proper fire response plans in addition to coordination with neighbouring shops, houses etc. who need to be warned to move out, he said.
He further noted that while school safety is already being addressed, a little more emphasis probably needs to be worked out.
“These are the major things that came out during this mock exercise. But the biggest plus was the synergy and coordinating functioning with multiple agencies including the NDRF, the Central Armed Police Forces, the Army, the Assam Rifles,” he said.
Earlier, during de-briefing at Capital Convention Centre, Kohima, Maj Gen Bahl said uniformed volunteers (NCC and other agencies) will be an asset in times of disaster, for which they should be trained and coordinated.
Participation and coordination are the most important, he stressed, appealing all the public to be prepared and extend services in times of disaster.
Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha said that the mock drill was carried out to test the effectiveness of a disaster preparedness in the state.
The drill was to create awareness, improve the management, to learn and understand the actual scenario of a major earthquake and extreme weather disaster and how to handle it, he added.
The 8th edition of NEPEx 2026 was conducted by Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), Home Department, in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
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