HPSDMA successfully organises communication mock drill

Shimla June 2: A communication mock drill was successfully conducted today by the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) in the backdrop of the 9th State Level Mega Mock Exercise and preparedness measures for the upcoming monsoon season. The mock drill was conducted under the chairmanship of D.C. Rana, Director cum Special Secretary (Revenue & Disaster Management).

The main objective of this mock drill was to assess the resilience and readiness of the emergency communication network across the state and to identify any potential gaps. During the drill, voice calls were made to remote regions of Himachal Pradesh including Tissa (Chamba), Dodra Kawar (Shimla), Keylong (Lahaul-Spiti), Rekongpeo (Kinnaur), Bara Bhangal (Kangra) and Kugti (Chamba) to verify the stability and reach of communication systems.

In addition, video conferencing was carried out using V-SAT terminals with control rooms located in Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi Hub, Rekongpeo (Kinnaur), and Bengaluru (Karnataka) to simulate real-time communication scenarios during disaster situations. A technical assessment of satellite communication equipment was also conducted on this occasion. A total of 227 I-Sat phones were tested during the mock drill, which includes 114 devices of the HPSDMA and DDMAs, 34 of the Communication and Technical Services Wing (Police), 9 of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), 14 of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 45 of Dam Authorities, 8 of GREF (Deepak Project), 2 of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and one device of the Army.

Simultaneously, a total of 144 V-SAT phones were also tested, which includes 141 devices from the Communication and Technical Services Wing, and 3 devices from Communication and Technical Services (Flyway).