PANAJI
From a cargo building collapsing at Mopa and leaking hazardous chemicals to fishermen being rescued from rough seas, Goa’s disaster-response machinery was put through a series of simulated emergencies across the State on Thursday as part of a multi-state mock exercise.
The full-scale exercise, coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the Goa State Disaster Management Authority, was designed to test how agencies respond when a cyclone triggers multiple crises at once.
It unfolded across several locations, with officials simulating situations ranging from building collapses and flooding to drowning, fuel spills and maritime emergencies. At Mopa, Pernem, teams responded to a simulated collapse of a cargo building caused by heavy winds, followed by leakage of hazardous chemicals and spillage of fuel. The scenario tested the ability of emergency agencies to manage a structural collapse while simultaneously dealing with hazardous material and fire-related risks. At Dharbandora, the exercise simulated the drowning of students who had gone trekking, requiring rescue teams to respond to a sudden water-related emergency in difficult terrain. A separate flood scenario was created at Mollem, Sattari, where the Valvanti River was simulated to have overflowed, forcing the evacuation of people from affected areas. The exercise tested the coordination between local administration, emergency responders and other agencies in moving people to safety. In Panaji, a building collapse scenario was staged at the already declared dangerous structure - Junta House, where rescue teams carried out search-and-rescue operations.
The maritime response was tested at two coastal locations -- Kharewaddo in Vasco where teams conducted a rescue operation involving fishermen after their trawler was simulated to have capsized and at Palolem in Canacona wherein fishermen caught in rough seas were rescued.
The exercise also brought the administrative machinery into a common operational framework. Officials and nodal officers from various line departments coordinated from the State Level Control Room established at the Secretariat, Porvorim, monitoring developments and response measures at different locations.
The exercise was conducted simultaneously across Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka, with 24 locations covered in the three States. In Goa, the focus was on testing how quickly the administration and emergency agencies could move from receiving a warning to mounting a coordinated response when several emergencies occur at the same time. The State had undertaken site surveys, preparatory activities and rehearsals on September 29 and 30 ahead of Thursday’s exercise.
District administration, police, fire and emergency services, medical agencies, armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces, industries and operators of critical infrastructure took part in the exercise.
