Government officials during the coordination meeting held at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dimapur on April 27.
Dimapur, April 27 (MExN): A coordination meeting was held on April 27 to review preparedness for the North East Preparedness Exercise (NEPEx) 2026, a large-scale mock disaster drill scheduled to be conducted on April 30 in Dimapur district.
The meeting, convened at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, brought together key officials, line departments and stakeholders to streamline strategies and ensure coordinated execution of the exercise.
Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, Dr Tinojongshi Chang, NCS, appreciated the participation of all departments and stressed the importance of treating the exercise with seriousness.
He said NEPEx is an annual initiative aimed at strengthening preparedness for sudden disasters, adding that Nagaland falls under Seismic Zone V, making it highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
Chang noted that the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has been working consistently to enhance preparedness and ensure effective response mechanisms during real-time emergencies.
Nodal Officer of the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), Inaka Awomi, presented a detailed action plan for NEPEx 2026, outlining a structured framework to strengthen disaster response systems and inter-agency coordination.
He emphasised that mock drills are crucial for testing real-time response capabilities and ensuring preparedness at all administrative levels.
Awomi said authorities will review District Disaster Management plans and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure their effectiveness, and highlighted the adoption of the Incident Response System (IRS) as the standard framework with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
Providing details of the scenario, he said the exercise will simulate a high-intensity earthquake of magnitude 7.7 with its epicentre at Piphema.
The simulated impacts will include structural damage to buildings, fires, collapses, road blockages and evacuation challenges.
Incident sites have been identified at Hollotoli School, Westside Store, IOCL office in Thahekhu area, Government Higher Secondary School and a Primary Health Centre. The main staging area will be the Deputy Commissioner’s office at Purana Bazar.
The exercise will also focus on strengthening coordination among emergency support functions at the district level, while enhancing public awareness through the involvement of media, community organisations, urban local bodies and non-governmental organisations.
Authorities will also identify gaps in resources, manpower, communication systems and response capacity to enable corrective measures.
Awomi expressed confidence that the exercise would improve disaster preparedness by strengthening response mechanisms, optimising resource management and ensuring operational readiness.
In addition, a Civil Defence air raid and blackout drill will be conducted alongside the exercise under the code name “Operation Night Guard” at 6:30 pm.
The meeting concluded with officials reiterating the need for coordinated action and comprehensive preparedness to effectively handle emergency situations.
