Officials of the National Disaster Management Authority, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, and the Western Command of the Indian Army have organized a multi-state integrated disaster management mock drill ‘Suraksha Chakra Exercise’ in Delhi and NCR, two districts of Uttar Pradesh, and five districts of neighboring Haryana.
- The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Delhi Disaster Management Authority, and the Western Command of the Indian Army have organized a multi-state integrated disaster management mock drill ‘Suraksha Chakra Exercise’ at 55 locations in Delhi and NCR.
- Apart from Delhi, two districts of Uttar Pradesh – Noida and Ghaziabad – and five districts of neighboring Haryana – Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, Nuh, and Rewari – were part of this mock drill.
Objective of this exercise
- To ensure preparedness for emergency situations, especially before Independence Day, officials have collaborated to organize a large-scale mock drill exercise in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). In a similar exercise held last month, the Indian Army also participated.
- This exercise was jointly organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the Western Command of the Army and Delhi Area Headquarters, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, civil defense, fire services, health and transport departments, as well as disaster management organizations of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Disaster management institutions and policies
- The Disaster Management Act, 2005 is a central law enacted to ensure effective management of disasters in India.
- The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is a premier specialized force of India, formed in 2006 under the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to effectively deal with both natural and man-made disasters.
- The National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM) 2009, approved by the Union Cabinet on 22 October 2009, provides a comprehensive framework for disaster risk reduction and response in India.
- The National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), 2019, prepared by NDMA under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is the revised and expanded version of the original NDMP 2016.
- The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework) is a global agreement adopted by the United Nations to reduce disaster risks and losses.
Operation Alert at the border in Rajasthan and Meghalaya
- The Border Security Force (BSF) has launched a comprehensive security operation named "Operation Alert" along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya and the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan to ensure tight security before Independence Day.
- On the Rajasthan border, "Operation Alert" began on 11 August and will continue till midnight of 17 August. BSF units are conducting intensive patrolling, tactical exercises, and reviewing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to counter potential threats.
- Particularly strengthening surveillance to prevent infiltration and smuggling in sensitive areas adjoining Sriganganagar and Bikaner.
- In Meghalaya, this operation, running from 10 to 16 August, is being conducted in close coordination with the state police and other enforcement agencies.
Over 40 arrests for rhino poaching in Assam under Operation Falcon
- The Assam Government’s Operation Falcon has successfully arrested 42 rhino poachers, eliminated six major poaching gangs, and foiled nine poaching attempts, resulting in zero rhino killings in the state so far in 2025.
- A joint anti-poaching initiative launched in 2024 by the Assam Police and Assam Forest Department to dismantle rhino poaching networks and curb illegal wildlife trade.
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently shared a video on his Twitter handle. The video states that arrests were made in Udalguri (1), Darrang (8), Nagaon (6), Dibrugarh (1), Sonitpur (2), Karbi Anglong (5), and Cachar (1), with the highest number in Biswanath (18).
- Reportedly, the international and inter-state nexus of this poaching has been identified, along with six poaching gangs linked to illegal trade in Myanmar.
