The maiden Joint Disaster Management Exercise named Prakampana (‘Cyclone’ in Sanskrit) aimed at synchronising resources and efforts of all agencies involved in disaster management has been inaugurated at Visakhapatnam on August 30, 2016. The three-day-long exercise was conducted by the Eastern Naval Command in liaison with concerned Centre and State authorities. Vice Admiral H.C.S. Bisht, Flag Officer Commandingin-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, delivered the opening address while Satya Prakash Tucker, Chief Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, delivered the opening address during the inaugural ceremony of Ex Prakampana held at Samudrika Naval Auditorium. Ganta Srinivasa Rao, HRD Minister, Andhra Pradesh, also addressed the gathering and later visited the disaster management camp set up to give an insight into the nuances of disaster relief operations.

The inaugural session had presentations by all concerned agencies which were aimed at highlighting their existing capabilities in dealing with such natural disasters and was followed by a Table Top Exercise (TTX) at Maritime Warfare Centre, inside Naval Dockyard on a simulated scenario of a super cyclone hitting an urban city akin Hudhud. All stakeholders were tasked to formulate a comprehensive disaster management plan to cater for the pre-event action and post-disaster action plan. The TTX enabled better understanding of each other’s peculiarities so as to bring all agencies to a common understanding of disaster management for better synergy and coordination in planning relief operations.

The second day of exercise witnessed humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) capability demonstration beginning with display of air assets of the Indian Navy and IAF at Naval Air Station INS Dega followed by demonstration of HADR operations from Indian Navy ships at Naval Dockyard, and a static demonstration of HADR assets of all participating stakeholders at HADR campsite near Samudrika grounds. All participants of the exercise visited the three sites and were given an insight into the nuances of disaster relief operations.

The air assets demonstration included An-32 aircraft involved in airlifting relief material and air ambulance and two Mi17 heavy-lift helicopters of the Indian Air Force in addition to Dornier, Seaking, UH3H and Chetak helicopters of the Indian Navy. Demonstration inside Naval Dockyard included Indian Navy ships Jalashwa and Gharial loading/unloading of HADR relief material while INS Nirupak demonstrated the role of a hospital ship. Indian Coast Guard Ship Samudra Paheredar demonstrated the pollution response capabilities.