The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with the Southern Command of the Indian Army and Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA), conducted "EXERCISE AIKYA," an Integrated Symposium cum Table Top Exercise (TTEx) on disaster management, in Chennai. This two-day event at the Headquarters of the Dakshin Bharat Area brought together key stakeholders from across Peninsular India to enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities.

"Aikya," meaning "Oneness" in Tamil, reflects the exercise's aim to integrate India's Disaster Management community. The exercise witnessed participation from a diverse range of organizations, including representatives from six southern states/UTs: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry; central ministries overseeing various aspects of disaster management; State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs); armed forces including the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force; response agencies to include NDRF, Indian Coast Guard, CRPF, CISF and Railways; early warning agencies like India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Central Water Commission (CWC), and Forest Survey of India (FSI); Geographical Survey of India (GSI) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), research institutions including the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT, Madras) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) with Prof CVR Murty of IIT Madras serving as the Exercise Mentor.

EXERCISE AIKYAsimulated emergency situations to test roles and responsibilities, fostered discussions on technologies and trends in disaster relief, and reviewed lessons from recent operations. It addressed issues including tsunamis, landslides, floods, cyclones, industrial incidents, and forest fires, with focus on recent events in Tamil Nadu, Wayanad, and Andhra Pradesh.

Participants discussed leveraging technology and AI for disaster management, economic costs of disasters, vulnerabilities specific to Peninsular India, and strategies to improve response times. Senior leadership attending included Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd), Member, NDMA; Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, Army Commander Southern Command; Lt Gen Karanbir Singh Brar, GOC Dakshin Bharat Area; and Piyush Anand, DG, NDRF.

EXERCISE AIKYAmarks a significant step towards a more resilient disaster management framework in India. The NDMA and Indian Army Southern Command plan similar exercises with other commands and institutions, including the Army War College, Naval War College, and College of Air Warfare, to further strengthen national disaster preparedness and response capabilities.

 

 

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