The Kalaburagi District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) successfully conducted a mock rescue operation on the banks of Bennethora river at Kurikota village in Kamalapur taluk on Thursday to test its preparedness and capabilities in handling tough situations during natural disasters like heavy rain and floods.
The DDMA deployed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel apart from staff from departments concerned, including Health and Family Welfare and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, to carry out the mock drill.
The daring rescue efforts, including shifting victims to a relief camp, offering healthcare services to the needy survivors and counselling for victims, during the mock drill almost recreated a real-life disaster rescue operation in the village.
Deputy Director of Horticulture and nodal officer for relief camp Santosh Inamdar said that nine members were rescued from floods during the mock drill.
“One of the rescued victims was given primary medical aid on the spot, two were shifted to Mahagaon Primary Health Centre and six were moved to the District Hospital attached to the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Kalaburagi for advanced treatment,” he said.
A team, headed by Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry S.D. Avati, took care of the livestock rescued during the mock drill.
Joint Director of Agriculture Samad Patel was in-charge of the relief camp.
“The mock drill has been successfully conducted. It showed our preparedness and proved our capabilities in handling situations during natural disasters. I hope this mock drill will help a lot during real-life rescue operations,” Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum told media representatives and thanked all the departments and staff that participated directly or indirectly in the drill.
Commander of the 10th Battalion of NDRF in Vijayawada Robin, who led the operation, said that his team rushed to the spot after receiving a call from the district administration.
“The operation is a success. People and livestock were rescued. The support we received from the local administration and people was immense,” he told journalists after the operation.
Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police Addur Srinivasalu said that his department was in perfect coordination with the rescuing team and extended all possible support and logistics.
“Today’s mock drill will be very helpful to the local police handling real-life challenges during disasters in the future,” he said.
Additional Superintendent of Police S.P. Srinidhi, Assistant Commissioner (Kalaburagi Division) Rupinder Kaur, Kamalapur Tahshildar Mosin Ahamad and other senior officials were part of the mock drill.
