Vijayawada: Mock drills check disaster preparedness across state
Mock drills for industrial safety held in Nandyal, West Godavari, Sathya Sai, Konaseema, Anakapalli and Nellore districts
Vijayawada: The state government organised mock drills at chemical factories in multiple districts to assess the preparedness of employees in handling emergencies.
Off-site factory mock exercises were held in as many as 11 districts and on-site exercises in six districts, under the guidance of the National Disaster Manager Authority (NDMA) and AP State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) along with the department of factories, APSDMA said in a statement on Thursday.
The drills were conducted in the wake of a spate of industrial accidents that occurred in the state over the last few years, claiming many lives. "These mock exercises will make industries' managements and district authorities aware on how to immediately respond and avoid loss of life and property, including any other deficiencies," said NDMA official B S Tarak.
According to B R Ambedkar, MD, APSDMA, an emphasis is also being laid on chemical disasters, besides manmade and natural calamities. "With early awareness programmes and control measures, the ferocity of chemical disasters can be minimised," he said adding that more such programmes will be conducted on floods and cyclones.
Revenue, police, health and transport departments also partook in these exercises, where demonstrations were exhibited on how to react to chemical accidents in factories, including fire fighters extinguishing flames and NDRF and APSDMA personnel rescuing workers.
Further, they also showcased how to rescue workers to relief centres, setting up medical camps and providing potable water among others.
Some factories which hosted the mock exercises include NACL Industries Ltd, Arinamakkivala village, Srikakulam district, East India Petroleum Pvt Ltd, Terminal, Visakhapatnam, HPCL (LPG Plant), Vadiampeta village, Anantapur district and others.
On-site mock exercises on chemical disasters were held in the districts of West Godavari, Nandyal, Nellore, Anakapalli, Sri Sathya Sai and Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema. In August 2022, a gas leak in an apparel unit near Visakhapatnam resulted in the hospitalisation of over 100 people.
Back in May 2020, Vizag saw several people fleeing for their lives into the streets after inhaling styrene gas leaked from LG Polymers plant, leading to the death of over 10 people, among other such incidents.