Nagaland Emergency Preparedness Exercise 2026

Mock Exercise, Operation Night Guard today

Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 29

As part of the 8th edition of Nagaland Emergency Preparedness Exercise (NEPEx) 2026, the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India, today conducted a Table Top Exercise across the state.

The Mock exercise will take place on April 30 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon. It will simulate a major earthquake scenario measuring magnitude 7.7 and extreme weather disaster in Nagaland.

As part of the exercise, a Civil Defence Air Raid/Blackout Mock Drill under the code name ‘OPERATION NIGHT will also be carried out at 6:30 PM.

Nagaland’s Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen said that the exercise will evaluate the functioning of critical systems, identify existing gaps and challenges and enhance community preparedness and awareness for better disaster response and resilience.

Addressing a Table Top exercise today at Capital Convention Centre, Kohima, Imchen said that NEPEx core objectives is to assess the preparedness of stakeholders and to test and validate standard operating procedures (SOPs).

It also seeks to strengthen inter agency coordination across various departments to ensure a more effective and unified response during disasters, he added.

Informing about the upcoming field exercise, he said that a major earthquake scenario of magnitude 7.7 on the Richter scale will be simulated, which is expected to cause extensive damage to infrastructure, disrupt communication networks and overwhelm healthcare systems, while also triggering secondary incidents such as landslides and fires.

He emphasised that the exercise will involve coordinated participation from multiple agencies, including district administrations, security forces, paramilitary units, healthcare providers, urban local bodies, village councils, NGOs, and church organizations.

Stressing the importance of honest evaluation, the Chief Secretary urged all departments and districts to candidly identify gaps and challenges rather than focusing on performance.

He noted that disaster preparedness is a continuous and evolving process, and such exercises provide valuable opportunities to strengthen systems and improve response mechanisms.

He further suggested that while earthquake simulations remain crucial for the State, future exercises could also incorporate other disaster scenarios to enhance overall preparedness.

Disaster management requires collective effort
Maj Gen Sudhir Bahl, Lead Consultant (ME & IRS), NDMA highlighted that the Table Top exercise is aimed at strengthening synergy among various departments and adopting a whole of government approach in disaster response.

He noted that disaster management is not the responsibility of a single agency but requires collective effort and coordination across all sectors.

He informed that this year’s mock exercise is based on a large-scale earthquake scenario, designed to simulate realistic conditions including potential casualties and infrastructural damage. The exercise, he said, will help assess the preparedness levels of departments and identify gaps in response mechanisms.

Maj Gen Bahl further stated that while the simulation will involve participation from all districts, only five to six sites in each district will be activated for practical reasons. These sites will represent different types of emergency situations to test response strategies and validate preparedness plans discussed during the sessions.

He encouraged participants to actively engage in the exercise, stressing that it is an opportunity to evaluate systems, improve coordination, and enhance overall disaster response capabilities.

Expect constructive outcomes
Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha, emphasised the importance of preparedness and coordinated response during emergencies while delivering his opening remarks.

He stated that ensuring public safety and effective coordination remains a key responsibility of the Home Department, especially in the face of increasing and unpredictable disasters driven by climate change. He highlighted that preparedness goes beyond having plans in place and requires strong synergy among departments, as effective disaster response depends on collective action and resource sharing.

Sinha noted that the exercise provides an opportunity for departments and agencies to review procedures, clarify command and control mechanisms and improve communication and decision making during emergencies.

He urged all participants to approach the exercise with seriousness and discipline, stressing that the objective is not to demonstrate perfection but to identify gaps and strengthen systems.

He also acknowledged the efforts of the NSDMA in organizing NEPEx and expressed confidence that the exercise would lead to constructive outcomes in enhancing the State’s disaster preparedness.
Major General HS Mavi, Inspector General Assam Rifles (N) also addressed the gathering. The inaugural session was chaired by Sentiwapang Aier, secretary, NSDMA, Home department, Nagaland.

During technical session, Dr Johnny Kadunsin Ruangmei, Joint Chief Executive Officer, NSDMA, updated the previous mock exercise and Disaster Management Plan. Maj Gen Sudhir Bahl led response to scenarios and final coordination of mock exercise.

Operation Night Guard
Civil Defence Air Raid and Black Out exercise under the Code Name ‘Operation Night Guard’ will also be conducted along with the NEPEx 8th Edition on April 30 across 10 Civil Defence towns (Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Mon, Phek, Tuensang, Peren and Kiphire). 

Siren will be sounded at 6:30 pm for a duration of 3 minutes indicating an Air Raid. Public are required to carry out the Black Out measures during the exercise by moving indoor, stop vehicle movement, take shelter, cover window with dark cloth/paper, switch off street lights, neon signs, no visible light from outside and essential services use shielded lighting.

Siren will be sounded again at 6:45 pm for a duration of 2 minutes, indicating "ALL CLEAR" signal and then public can resume normal activities. This air raid and black out exercise is a civil defence preparedness activity involving siren activation and temporary blackout measures to test emergency alert systems and public response. The exercise will simulate a drone attack in those 10 civil defence districts causing structural collapse, fire outbreak in the buildings, casualties and panic among the civilians.

The blackout period will be only 15 minutes. The public have been asked to cooperate with authorities and not to panic

NSDMA urges public not to panic
NSDMA has urged the public not to panic during the mock exercise and to extend full cooperation to the authorities. The exercise is being conducted to enhance emergency preparedness and response mechanisms in the State. Further, during the blackout phase of the exercise, the public has been advised to switch off all non-essential lighting, including those powered by solar systems and inverters, as well as vehicle headlights. NSDMA has requested all citizens to actively participate and cooperate in making the exercise successful.