Nagpur: Two rescue boats crisscrossed Futala Lake on Friday as disaster response teams simulated the evacuation of stranded victims during a joint mock drill aimed at testing inter-agency coordination and emergency preparedness.Conducted under the directions of the District Disaster Management Office, the exercise began at 8am and involved teams from the NMC’s fire and emergency services dept, NDRF, SDRF, MADC and Apda Mitra (emergency volunteers).The drill simulated multiple emergency scenarios, including the rescue of six stranded persons — a heart patient, a snakebite victim and four elderly persons. The exercise was designed to assess the preparedness of participating agencies and their ability to respond swiftly during emergencies.The fire department deployed two rescue boats for evacuation operations, while medical first-response teams demonstrated the treatment and rescue protocols that would be followed during an actual disaster.The exercise was conducted under the guidance of chief fire officer Tushar Barahate, district disaster management officer Ankush Gavande, MADC chief fire officer Ganesh Kharatmal, NDRF officer Brijesh Yadav and SDRF officer Sontakke.Among those present were Dilip Chavan, Ravi Maraskolhe, Suresh Atram and Rupesh Manke.Officials said such drills are critical for strengthening disaster preparedness, improving coordination among agencies and ensuring that emergency responders remain ready to handle real-life rescue operations.
