KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated Chakravath - a joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise and an exhibition of equipment used for disaster relief - at the Sagara Hall of the Cochin Port Trust on Thursday. He also witnessed the skill demonstration held in the Mattancherry Channel off the BTP Jetty.
The exhibition witnessed a huge public participation and helped generate awareness on HADR capabilities of the agencies involved. The Chief Minister also visited an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp set up by the Army and a field hospital jointly set up by the Navy, Army and the General Hospital, Kochi.
Ports Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran, Health Minister K K Shylaja and Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan watched the skill demonstration from the deck of the naval survey vessel INS Sarvekshak. The capabilities and prowess of the armed forces, as well as state agencies, in tackling an emergency situation were demonstrated. Tackling the situation arising out of a cyclone hitting the Kerala coast formed the theme of the demonstration.
It included an aerial survey by the Naval Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft, search and rescue operations, port clearance operations, wreck salvage operations and disaster relief operations by the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. Coast Guard Pollution Control Vessel performed a pollution response effort while an IAF helicopter demonstrated a ‘Bambi Bucket’ manoeuvre for dousing forest fires.
Earlier, a seminar on experience sharing by various agencies and disaster management plan was conducted at CPT’s Samudrika Auditorium at Willingdon Island.Minister E Chandrasekharan was the chief guest at the event inaugurated by Southern Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Vice Admiral A R Karve.