Successful Conclusion of Annual Joint HADR Exercise 2023 – CHAKRAVAT
The Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise 2023, codenamed ‘CHAKRAVAT,’ hosted by the Indian Navy in Goa from October 9 to 11, 2023, came to a successful close. The event culminated in a Multi-Agency Capability Demonstration at Mole Berth, Port of Mormugao, showcasing coordinated rescue and relief operations.
The exercise saw active participation from a spectrum of national agencies, including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), National Institute for Disaster Management (NIDM), Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Coast Guard, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), State Disaster Management Agency (SDMA), State Fire Services (Goa), District Disaster Management Agency (DDMA) of North and South Goa, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Central Water Commission (CWC), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and representatives from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Additionally, delegates from eight friendly foreign nations, namely Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania, participated.
The exercise commenced with a Seminar on October 9, focusing on collaborative responses to climate change and associated disaster adaptation and mitigation.
On October 10, a Table-Top Exercise was conducted at INS Hansa, wherein representatives from all participating agencies, along with delegates from eight friendly foreign countries, discussed and presented joint plans to address a hypothetical scenario involving a cyclone making landfall at Goa, resulting in flooding and widespread destruction of infrastructure along the coast and up to 100 km inland.
A concurrent Industrial Display, organized by FICCI in collaboration with the Indian Navy, showcased HADR equipment ready for export, manufactured by both public and private sectors.
The interactions and discussions over the course of the exercise facilitated a better understanding of the capabilities of each organization, paving the way for enhanced coordination during an actual HADR scenario.
The logo for AJHE-23 ingeniously incorporated crests and logos of all participating agencies, along with the flags of the involved nations, symbolizing the essence of HADR – a collective and integrated effort by all agencies.