NEW DELHI: In the wake of the Ahmedabad tragedy, a disaster preparedness campaign is set to begin at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, officials said.
As part of the campaign, a joint mock drill involving the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and airport personnel has been planned. Ground staff and crew members from all airlines operating at IGI Airport will take part in the exercise, they added.
The decision was taken during a joint meeting between airport officials and DDMA officers held at the airport, said officials.
Confirming the development, Sunny Kumar Singh, DDMA chairman for the New Delhi district, said the campaign will focus on two key areas during emergencies.
“The first is managing emergencies. This includes training all airport staff and airline crew on proper protocols. The second is prevention, ensuring that all safety systems, response corridors, and flight security measures are in place,” he told this newspaper.
Officials also said an integrated command centre is being set up at the airport to improve emergency response time. The centre will include personnel from DDMA, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Delhi Police, and other agencies, and will operate round-the-clock.
“The centre is initially being set up at Terminal 3 and will be gradually expanded to other terminals,” Singh added.
To address the issue of mobile network failures during crises, the command centre will also be equipped with a dedicated radio wave network. According to officials, this system will enable communication with the Delhi government and relief agencies even if mobile networks go down.
Preparations for the command centre began in April, around the time of the Pahalgam attack. The plan received in-principle approval from Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena last month.