In a major effort to bolster regional disaster resilience, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Mokokchung, in partnership with the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), successfully executed the 8th Edition of the Nagaland Emergency Preparedness Exercise (NEPEx) on 30th April 2026.
The state-wide mock drill focused on a high-intensity scenario involving a 7.7 magnitude earthquake coupled with extreme weather conditions. The exercise was designed to test the state’s Incident Response System (IRS), improve inter-departmental coordination, and refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The exercise kicked off at 8:00 AM with a siren activation signalling the simulated earthquake. Deputy Commissioner & Responsible Officer (RO), Ajit Kumar Verma, IAS, immediately activated the IRS, summoning command staff to the District Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC).
Search & Rescue: Government High School (Dilong), IMDH Building, and the DC’s Office Building.
Infrastructure: A landslide clearance operation was simulated at Mokokchung Village.
Logistics: The Imkongmeren Sports Complex served as the Central Staging Area.
Under the leadership of the DC and Sr. SP, an Incident Action Plan (IAP) was developed. Communication quickly shifted to wireless radio systems to ensure connectivity during the "blackout." Incident Response Teams (IRT)—comprising the SDRF, Fire & Emergency Services, and Medical teams—mobilized to perform search and rescue operations and administer first aid to mock casualties.
The operation was managed by a core leadership team including the SDO (C) as Incident Commander, the District Commandant (HG, CD & SDRF) as Operations Section Chief, and the AEO as Staging Area Manager.
A live stream of the Dilong school site was broadcasted by the NSDMA at 10:00 AM to provide real-time updates. By 11:30 AM, after the successful completion of all scenarios, the IRT was demobilised at the Staging Area.
The day concluded with an official debriefing by the NDMA via video conference. Deputy Commissioner, Ajit Kumar Verma thanked the participating departments, noting that these exercises are vital for identifying gaps in the system before a real-world disaster strikes.
(Zuchumo Kithan, IA Mokokchung)
