NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue (SCOJtEx) in Delhi on Monday, the home ministry said. All eight SCO countries — China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — will participate in the four-day-long exercise aimed at sharing knowledge, experience, technology for better disaster management.
The National Disaster Response Force is hosting the exercise with the aim to rehearse disaster response mechanisms. This exercise will also provide an opportunity to enhance coordination and cooperation as it involves multi-agency operations, the ministry said.
The simulation exercise will be conducted as per the methodology and guidelines of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group. It will be followed by a meeting between SCO experts and officials of ministries responsible for prevention and elimination of emergency situations.
During the exercise, the role and responsibilities of various organisations and teams, including those involved in emergency medical services, and urban search and rescue at the national and international levels,