Amarnath Yatra: Mock drill to enhance disaster preparedness

In a bid to enhance preparedness for disaster management among government officials involved in management of the annual Amarnath Yatra starting July 2, National Disaster Management Authority has planed to conduct a three-day mock drill.
This was stated by NDMA member Lt Gen (Retd) N C Marwah who called on Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, the chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), at Raj Bhavan here last evening, an official spokesman said today.
Briefing the Governor, Marwah said the projected mock drill would be conducted from June 25 to June 27 by the NDMA in collaboration with the SASB at the base camps of Baltal along the shorter 16-km track in Ganderbal district and Nunwan in Pahalgam along the 45-km traditional route to the 3,880 metre high holy cave in Anantnag district.

The exercise is aimed at enhancing preparedness for disaster management among the functionaries of SASB and officials of the various government departments and agencies involved in the management of the 59-day Yatra which starts on July 2, he said.
Several hundred employees of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board have already been trained in Disaster Management by the NDMA.
The spokesman said the Governor also discussed with Marwah wide ranging concerns relating to disaster management preparedness in the state and NDMA's role in guiding the state government to formulate state and district disaster management plans.