Navi Mumbai, Apr 9 (PTI) Navi Mumbai International Airport on Thursday concluded a two-day 'Multi-Agency Disaster Preparedness Exercise' to evaluate operational readiness of the new greenfield airport Navi Mumbai in tackling natural or technical calamities.
Organised under the joint aegis of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the drill witnessed active participation from various central and state government agencies, showcasing a high-level of emergency preparedness, NMIA said.
The two-day programme commenced with a comprehensive 'Tabletop Exercise' session, which involved detailed discussions on strategic planning and inter-departmental coordination during a crisis.
This was followed by a demonstration of state-of-the-art rescue equipment and specialised vehicles essential for life-saving operations.
The core of the exercise was a 'Full-Scale Mock Drill' designed to evaluate real-time responses, including safe evacuation of people, search and rescue operations, hazard management, and the effective activation of emergency operation centres (EOC).
The simulation involved a highly complex 'multi-hazard' situation, encompassing challenges such as a cyclone, fire incidents, and the leakage of hazardous radioactive materials.
Under these demanding conditions, the agencies underwent rigorous testing on various parameters, including hazard control, fire suppression, evacuation of citizens from multi-storey buildings, efficiency of communication systems, resource mobilisation, and ensuring overall security at the site, the airport operator said.
Dinesh Kumar Aswal and Major General Ajay Verma from NDMA also attended the mock exercise.
It also saw active involvement from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Armed Forces, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
Besides, local and technical bodies such as the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Panvel Municipal Corporation, CIDCO, Central Industrial Security Force, Fire Brigade, Civil Defence, Aapda Mitras and the state health department.
To ensure immediate medical assistance during the drill, specialised teams from some leading hospitals were stationed on site, NMIA added.