Agencies test inter-departmental coordination under IRS framework
HYDERABAD: A full-scale flood mock exercise was conducted at the Necklace Road View Point on Monday, to assess disaster preparedness and inter-departmental coordination in Hyderabad district.
The exercise was organised by the Hyderabad district administration in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority as part of efforts to strengthen flood response mechanisms in urban areas.
The drill simulated flood response operations under the Incident Response System framework. Officials said it assessed preparedness levels, field response actions and coordination among stakeholder departments during an emergency.
District Revenue Officer Venkatachary functioned as the Incident Commander and supervised field-level operations. Deputy Collector Ravi acted as the Staging Area Manager and coordinated mobilisation and deployment of resources.
Officials from Revenue, Police, Fire Services, Medical and Health, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Transport, Irrigation, Electricity, Water Supply, Civil Supplies, Animal Husbandry, Youth Services, HYDRAA, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force and Roads and Buildings departments took part in the exercise.
An NDMA state observer, along with Director General of Fire Services Vikram Singh Maan, reviewed the drill and interacted with officers on flood mitigation in low-lying urban areas, command and control systems, and clarity of roles under the Disaster Management Act. Practical inputs were shared to strengthen response capabilities.
NDMA lead consultant Sudheer Bhal (retd) appreciated the coordination among departments and said such drills were critical to improving preparedness and response efficiency during real emergencies.
After the exercise, the NDMA team and the director general of fire services visited KIMS Hospital to review hospital disaster preparedness. Emergency protocols, surge capacity, triage systems and coordination mechanisms were assessed, and suggestions were offered to improve medical response during flood situations.
Senior officials present included NDRF Deputy Commandant Harish, Hyderabad District Fire Officer Venkanna, HYDRAA Fire Officer Yagna Narayana, District Medical and Health Officer Venkati, R&B Executive Engineer Mahipal and GHMC Superintending Engineer Venkataseshaiah.
