NDRF conducts mock drill, safety lapses exposed

Jamshedpur, Oct. 29: The mock drill session organised by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) through National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Thursday exposed several lapses.

NDRF team along with volunteers from the city unit of the Red Cross Society, Civil Defence, Rapid Action Force, city police and Indian Army unit based at Sonari were involved in the drill.

During the drill they found that the emergency number like �100� did not work properly in the district, while calls to 101 (for fire brigade) also went unanswered several times.

The medical staff at the state-owned MGM Medical College and Hospital in Sakchi showed callous attitude towards treating victims rescued from mishap site, while it was found that the fuel storage unit at the airport was not properly concealed and temperature not maintained.

Colonel Sanjay Srivastava, advisor, state disaster management unit and state project officer of United Nations Development Programme, said that they have conducted the drill and will compile a report on its findings that would be shared with the district administration so that they can draw lessons to prepare better for any emergencies.

He admitted that calls made by Civil Defence volunteers to the emergency number �100� during mock-drill exercise to rescue victims during high-rise collapse after earthquake at the four-storey Red Cross Bhavan in Sakchi always had busy tone or turned silent, while the emergency number for fire brigade �101� went unanswered despite trying repeatedly.

The mock drill�simulated the release of poisonous gases from an industrial unit, fire at a petroleum point at airport and the collapse of the high-rise Red at Cross building and rescue center at MGM Medical College and Hospital.

The move assumes significance in a city which has witnessed chlorine gas leakage from water treatment plant from Tata Motors creating panic amongst residents of Truck Park area in Telco Colony in May 2008.

In addition, mixture of gases in the LD-gas holder had led to auto-ignition causing an explosion inside Tata Steel works, which resulted in one casualty and injuries to 10 others in November 2013.