Focus on rescue operation: Mock drill on flood disaster conducted in Lakhimpur
LAKHIMPUR: It had been raining heavily in the Lakhimpur district for the last two days. As a result of it, River Subansiri, the largest tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra, started to overflow and the massive flood caused by the river totally submerged a riverine village, named No. 3 Na-Ali Kaibarta.
With the sudden catastrophe, the villagers were at a loss and they tried to save themselves from the imminent danger but they were stranded amid flood. Instantly, the Gaon Pradhan, over telephone, informed the Circle Officer of the North Lakhimpur Revenue Circle about the increasing trend of the water level of the river and people marooned in the village concerned. The IC of the local Police Station also informed the DEOC and the Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur via wireless set as the communication network was disrupted due to flood. Simultaneously, the villagers imparted further information regarding the collapse of a PWD bridge located at the village due to flooding while labourers were working there. Then the Deputy Commissioner sought help from NDRF and SDRF to rescue the flood victims. Within a short while, NDRF and SDRF teams arrived at the village and the collapsed bridge site and started a rescue operation in war footing. Immediately, a medical camp was set up at the affected spot and ambulances were called from the nearest Telahi Model Hospital. During the operation, the NDRF and SDRF teams evacuated the stranded villagers, including four critically injured persons. The injured persons were shifted to the hospital concerned and rest of the affected persons were brought to the flood relief camp set up at the nearest LP School. The officers and employees of all the line departments arrived at the relief camp for the management of the same. On the other hand, the NDRF team launched another search operation for the tracing of two missing villagers and later managed to recover their bodies from the river.
This happened, not in real life but during the Multi-State Mock Drill Exercise on Flood Disaster conducted in the Lakhimpur district at Na-Ali Kaibarta village under North Lakhimpur Revenue Circle on Thursday. The event was organized by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) as per instruction issued from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The exercise was conducted under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Sumit Sattawan and ADC (In-Charge of DDMA) Sanjib Doloi.
In addition to creating awareness on the measures concerned, the exercise focused on how rescue operations were conducted during floods. As parts of the exercise, Flood Relief Camp, Omala Ghar (Children Home), Breast-Feeding Centre were also set up and exercise was done regarding their management too. Along with the NDRF, SDRF personnel, Civil Defense, Homeguards, Army, CQRT, AAPDA Mitra and other line departments, including police took part in the event. Five high-level officers of the NDRF and SDRF were present as observers of the exercise.
