Mock drill, SOP, guidelines, timing and locations released | See details

West Bengal will conduct a massive state-level disaster preparedness mock drill across 31 locations on Wednesday, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee monitoring the operation from Nabanna. The drill will assess readiness across civil, medical, and emergency departments, including the Disaster Management Department, Kolkata Police, and local authorities. According to sources, news of mock drill at La Martiniere for Boys at 11.30 a.m and La Martiniere for Girls at 12.30 p.m.

Districts participating include Kolkata, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Durgapur, Haldia, and several others. Key locations like Bansdroni in Tollygunge will see demonstrations involving Quick Response Teams (QRTs), generators, rope-rescue operations, and wood-cutting machines. Despite the scale of the operation, the Army and BSF will not be participating.

Personnel from Civil Defence, NDRF, SDRF, NCC, school-college students, doctors, nurses, and police officials will take part. The state has mobilised over 59,000 trained civilian volunteers, including 8,000 from Kolkata alone. Sirens have been tested, and satellite phones have been distributed to all districts. Special training was also imparted at selected schools.

In Kolkata alone, there are 7,200 disaster friends and 1,500 personnel designated for this drill. A siren has been installed on the roof of Mahajati Sadan for real-time simulation. Notably, Kolkata Police said it had not been formally briefed yet but expects full details in a press conference from Lalbazar.

District Magistrates (DMs), Superintendents of Police (SPs), and officials from fire, medical, electricity, and civil defence departments will be deployed. The Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and Director General of Police will be physically present at the state headquarters during the drill.