Navy's disaster relief exercise begins in Karnataka

The Indian Navy's three-day annual joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise began on Thursday in Karnataka's Karwar city.

This year's edition, code-named 'Karavali Karunya' which means assistance to the coast of Karnataka, will see the armed forces and central and state government agencies working together towards providing relief in a post-tsunami scenario in bid to validate disaster management plans individually and collectively.

"The exercise is planned in two phases; phase one for actions to be taken prior the tsunami hitting the coast, and phase two involving actions to be taken after it has hit and devastated the coast," the Navy said in a statement.

The exercise will also involve a static display showcasing modern high-tech equipment to manage the aftermath of a tsunami, which includes helicopters from the Indian Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, and a simulated clean-up and operationalisation of a harbour post the tsunami. A pollution control ship and other survey ships will also be demonstrated.

"A camp for housing internally displaced persons is being set up at the Rabindranath Tagore beach jointly by the district administration, the Indian Army and the Indian Navy. This camp will be open to public on Thursday and Friday," the statement said.

"The exercise is aimed at synergising civil-military disaster relief efforts post a natural disaster," it added.

Observers from Bangladesh, the Maldives, Myanmar and Sri Lanka will also participate in the exercise.

--IANS

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