HADR seminar for better disaster management held in Mumbai

In an attempt to synergise efforts of all stakeholders, the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Seminar 2019 was held on Friday at Air Force Station in Kalina here, an official.

The seminar had discussions on capabilities of the Indian Air Force in disaster management, and synergising HADR operations were undertaken, an official said.

Better ways to communicate and coordinate relief operations, use of social media and measures towards enhancing efficiency of relief operations were also discussed, he said.

The seminar was attended by the Railways, Mumbai Fire Brigade, NDRF, SDRF and all uniformed services, state and district administrations, and Raigad and Palghar collectors.

A demonstration of HADR equipment carried by medium heavy lift helicopters was held during the seminar.

Participants interacted with aircrew and technicians who were involved in the recent operations, and had an insight into the planning and execution of missions during disaster relief, the official said.

Station Commander Group Captain A Sreedhar highlighted lessons learned in recent relief operations in Maharashtra, and spoke on the way forward to make them more effective and efficient.

He also emphasised the importance of prevention and mitigation measures, and the need to embrace modern technology in rescue operations.