In a bid to ensure better preparedness for emergencies, a mock exercise was organised jointly by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) at the Duggirala unit of CCL Products India Limited in Guntur on March 7 (Thursday).
Similar mock drills were conducted simultaneously in 22 other locations in 17 districts, demonstrating a concerted effort to improve emergency preparedness and response capabilities, APSDMA Managing Director Ronanki Kurmanath said in a statement.
Such drills were conducted as part of the National Safety Week campaign, which is being conducted from March 4 to 10, he said.
The simulation drill aimed to address potential hazards such as ammonia and LPG leaks and mitigate the risks to life and property. It is the first-of-its-kind exercise in the State where two emergency scenarios—leakage of toxic ammonia and LPG—were simulated at a single factory.
The participants handled both onsite (within the premises of the factory) and offsite (outside the premises of the factory) situations. In the first stage, the mock drill was conducted onsite by deploying the factory employees. Later, the district administration roped in the line departments to mitigate the damage.
The off-site mock drill was supervised closely to ensure swift and effective response measures, said M.V. Siva Kumar Reddy, nodal officer for the exercise and Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories, Guntur. They said more than 150 officers from various line departments participated in the exercise undertaken at the Duggirala factory.
The skilled management teams from the Coca Cola factory, Sangam Dairy, Jocil and others acted as mutual aid during the exercise.
In a simulated situation, medical aid posts were set up by the district administration, where five individuals affected by ammonia exposure received prompt treatment. Six individuals with burn injuries were also attended and four of them were shifted to the government hospital in Tenali. All individuals were discharged after receiving the necessary medical care.
Employees of various departments, five ambulances, two medical teams, and personnel from Apada Mitra, Anganwadi workers, fire, SDRF, NDRF, APPCB, DPRO, health, police and other departments participated in the drill.
