TURA, July 22: With the Ganol Dam emergency mock drill scheduled for Thursday, authorities on Wednesday conducted a tabletop exercise to test disaster preparedness and strengthen coordination among emergency responders and downstream communities in West Garo Hills.
The exercise, organised by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), West Garo Hills, in coordination with the Ganol Small Hydro Project (SHP), brought together officials from various government departments, emergency response agencies, village Nokmas, Sordars, Nokma Secretaries and community leaders from low-lying villages downstream of the dam.
Held at the office of the Superintending Engineer, Ganol SHP, Rongkon, the exercise focused on assessing preparedness and refining response strategies in the event of a dam-related emergency.
Chief Executive Officer of DDMA, Jude Rangku T. Sangma, opened the session, while Enriques M. Sangma, Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil), Ganol SHP, briefed participants on dam parameters, trigger levels and possible emergency scenarios.
Retired Col. K.C. Monappa led the technical sessions, covering emergency exercise protocols, inundation mapping, response planning and inter-agency coordination.
Participants also took part in simulation-based discussions to evaluate decision-making and coordination during a crisis, followed by a debriefing session. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Robson Ch. Marak, Superintending Engineer (Civil), Ganol SHP.
The full-scale mock drill will be held at the Ganol Dam site on Thursday at 11 am. The exercise will simulate a dam emergency to assess the operational readiness of district authorities, emergency services and local communities, with particular emphasis on protecting vulnerable settlements located downstream of the dam.
