The Navy is hosting the three-day annual humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR)exercise Chakravat starting Monday in Goa to synergise efforts at the national level among all stakeholders as well as witness participation from eight countries of the Indian Ocean Region.
Giving details of the exercise here on Monday, navy officials said the Annual Joint HADR Exercise (AJHE) is an outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive promulgated during Combined Commanders’ Conference-2015.
Since its first edition in 2015, the exercise has transformed itself into a multi-agency endeavour involving participation of all three Services, Paramilitary Forces, as well as several disaster response organisations, NGOs, academic institutions and international organisations.
The exercise has been conducted by Indian Army, Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Air Force (IAF) in rotation since 2016. The last edition of the exercise was conducted at Agra by IAF. The 2023 edition of the exercise is being hosted by the Indian Navy at Goa, officials said.
Developing collective and coordinated effective response mechanisms to address humanitarian crises and natural disasters are one of the most visible elements in India’s inclusive vision for the oceans - SAGAR, or Security And Growth for All in the Region. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations form a key component in the Indian Navy’s benign role, as climate change has significantly increased vulnerability of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to natural disasters.
The challenge posed by climate change is accentuated by the limited capacity of littoral IOR states to address this rapidly growing threat. Therefore, Indian Armed Forces have been frequently called upon to render assistance to our friends and partners in the Region, thereby, strengthening the need and our resolve to be the ‘First Responder’ in the region.
While the three Services continue to provide relief and succour in the event of a calamity, a whole of government approach would further enhance our preparedness and response to such unfortunate events.
AJHE-23, planned over three days includes a seminar, a Table-Top Exercise and a Multi-Agency Capability Demonstration.
