Andhra Pradesh: Mock Tsunami drill helps in training, raising awareness

Nellore/Ongole: Members of National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Police, Fire, Medical and Health, Education, Fisheries, Coastguard and Armed Reserve took an active role in the Multi State Mock Drill on Tsunami conducted under the auspice of AP State Disaster Management at a costal village, Tupilipalem village in Vakadu mandal of Nellore district on Friday. To make it sound real Tsunami warning was sounded in the through public address system and tom tom and the members of different departments, who are divided into 4 groups took up the evacuation measures. They shifted the aged, children and pregnant women to a school which is located in the highest spot in the village and they were taken care by shelter management group.

Medical and Health teams with the assistance of Primary health centre staff attended to the injured. The exercise was assisted by 30 odd youth from local fishermen community trained by an NGO Chaitanya Jyothi. Gudur Revenue Divisional Officer Arun Babu and ASP Veerabhadraiah have supervised the mock drill. Mr Srinivasa Rao of Chaitanya Jyothi said the drill is rich experience not only to the rescue teams but also to villagers as actual situation was created to enable residents to take precautionary measures in case if they face tsunami in future.

Similar exercise was carried out at a coastal village Alagayapalem Pattapupalem in Ulavapadu mandal of Prakasam district. District Revenue Officer took part in the event as special guest. He told the villagers that the mock drill would help them to protect themselves as well as their cattle during calamities such as tsunami.