Disaster relief exercise gets under way at port

A humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) exercise, named Chakravath, in which assorted Central and State agencies are taking part, got under way at the Cochin Port here on Thursday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated an exhibition of disaster management equipment at Sagara Hall of the port where nearly 60 stalls have been put up by various agencies, NGOs, and vendors.

Mr. Vijayan, along with Ministers Kadannappally Ramachandran, K.K. Shylaja, and E. Chandrasekharan, embarked on naval survey ship Sarvekshak to witness a skill demonstration which was conducted by the Services and other agencies in the Mattancherry channel off the port’s BTP jetty. He was also shown a model Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp set up by the Army and a field hospital, jointly set up by the Navy, Army, and the Ernakulam General Hospital.

The skill demo, the Navy said in a communication, showcased the capabilities and prowess of the agencies in tackling an emergency using available resources. The setting was the aftermath of a cyclone hitting the coast of Kerala, and coordinated action by various agencies was demonstrated.

It included an aerial survey by a naval maritime reconnaissance aircraft, search and rescue operations, wreck salvage operations, disaster relief ops by the Navy and the Air Force, pollution response demo by the Coast Guard, and a ‘Bambi Bucket’ demo by an Air Force helicopter to douse forest fires.

Earlier in the day, a seminar was conducted at the Port Trust for the sharing of experiences by various agencies and for revalidating the disaster management plan. Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan was the chief guest at the event. Vice Admiral A.R. Karve, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, inaugurated the event which, he said, was conducted with the aim of making Kerala “disaster resilient”.

Chakravath, organised by the Southern Naval Command, will be on till April 8. Training sessions for volunteers will be conducted by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), Department of Health Services, and the Fire and Rescue Services Department at the exhibition hall till the last day. The field hospital, disaster relief camp, and the exhibition will be open to the public from Friday.