Ampati, Feb 09: A multi-state level mock exercise on earthquake and landslide disasters was conducted in South West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, to evaluate preparedness, coordination, and emergency response mechanisms of various agencies during a major seismic disaster scenario.
The exercise was organised by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Government of Meghalaya, in collaboration with the Meghalaya State Disaster Management Authority (MSDMA), the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Ampati, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. A tabletop exercise was held on February 6, followed by the full-scale mock exercise on 09/02/2026.
Deputy Commissioner, South West Garo Hills, Smt. Anendya Raajsshre, IAS, and Superintendent of Police, Sri Vikash Varma, IPS, along with senior district officials and line departments, supervised and monitored the exercise.
As per the simulated scenario, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.2 struck at 12:30 PM, with its epicentre located approximately 10 km north-west of Lumding, about 115 km east of Shillong. The tremors were reported to have affected the entire state, causing widespread damage, panic, and secondary hazards such as landslides and fire incidents.
Community members and trained volunteers were projected as the first responders during the initial 20–30 minutes. Information was relayed to the Block Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), following which the District EOC at Circuit House, Ampati, was activated.
Incident Response Teams (IRT) were mobilised immediately, and an emergency meeting was convened by the Responsible Officer (RO) along with the Incident Commander (IC), Command Staff, and Section Chiefs.
Incident Command Posts, staging areas, incident bases, relief camps, and temporary shelters were established. All task forces, including Civil Defence, Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES), police, medical teams, and logistics units, reported to the staging area at the PWD EE Office.
Safety measures for responders were ensured, hazardous assessments were conducted, and standard Incident Response System (IRS) documentation was maintained. Public information was disseminated through authorised channels after approval from the Incident Commander.
The mock exercise simulated multiple critical incidents across the district. At Chengkompara village, the partial and total collapse of Blue Horizon Secondary School was reported, resulting in three simulated deaths, four major injuries, and five minor injuries, with 12 students and teachers feared trapped under debris. Panic was reported among students, parents, and the local community.
Another incident was simulated at the Betasing Block Development Office during working hours, where partial collapse of the building resulted in three fatalities, five major injuries, and four minor injuries. Twelve staff members and visitors were suspected to be trapped, causing panic among employees and the public.
A fire incident was also simulated at the Betasing Farmers’ Market during peak business hours, suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit or LPG leakage. Several temporary stalls caught fire rapidly, resulting in three major injuries, damage to shops and commodities, and concerns of the fire spreading to nearby residential areas.
Additionally, one wing of the Civil Hospital, Ampati, including wards and diagnostic facilities, was simulated to have collapsed during operational hours. The incident reportedly resulted in three major injuries and five minor injuries, with patients, attendants, and hospital staff feared trapped. Safety assessments of the remaining hospital wings were conducted to prevent further risk.
Search and rescue operations were carried out by the SDRF, Civil Defence and Home Guards, Fire & Emergency Services, medical teams, police, and PWD as per assigned roles. The exercise concluded with coordination reviews, documentation, and demobilisation planning.
The mock drill aimed to strengthen inter-agency coordination, enhance emergency response capacity, and improve community preparedness for earthquake and landslide disasters in Meghalaya.
