India conducts mock exercise to tackle chemical disaster in Tarn Taran, Punjab
A mock exercise responding to a chemical disaster was conducted by a team from the 7th Battalion of India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited in Tarn Taran district, Punjab, India.
According to information from The Tribune, the primary objective of the exercise was to test preparedness for rapid response, safe evacuation, decontamination, medical assistance and administrative coordination under a realistic scenario involving a potential chemical or CBRN disaster in an industrial area.
The exercise was supervised by deputy commandant of the NDRF, Pankaj Sharma. Officials from Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited also took part, along with representatives of Indian Oil Corporation Limited, GVK Group and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.
The scenario centred around a chemical gas leak within industrial premises, during which the NDRF team established hot, warm and cold zones and identified the suspected chemical using CBRN detection equipment. The team contained and evacuated the affected area, identified casualties, provided first aid and conducted decontamination procedures.
The drill also included practical testing of communication systems, medical response, area control, the functioning of the unit’s emergency response team and administrative coordination in accordance with standard operating procedures.
The civil administration, police, health department, fire services, District Disaster Management Authority, Kansai Nerolac team and other departments also actively participated.
